The Florida Five
It was reported a few weeks back about five Green Party candidates for State Legislature in Florida, each of whom filed to run at the last minute, each of whom had changed their party registration to Green very recently, each of whom is running in a close race, and each of whom paid the $1,915.92 filing fee rather than collect signatures.
The Florida Dems suspect Republican hijinks. The Florida Republicans claim to have no idea who they are. The Florida Greens have never heard of them, and have gone so far as to knock on their doors and send certified mail to make contact with them.
I will say one thing: No Green would pay almost $2,000 to appear on the ballot when they could collect a reasonable number of signatures instead. Greens are chintzy, and petitioning is a great way to promote your campaign as well as qualify for the ballot. So who are these people?
From the Palm Beach Post:
Aronberg challenger Aniana Robas, 28, switched from a minor party to Green on May 28. She is registered in Riverview, a Tampa Bay community well outside Aronberg’s district.
Kristina Wright, 20, is running against two Democrats and three Republicans for the seat vacated by Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart. Wright wrote in an e-mail to Green Party officials that she is a Florida International University student who splits her time between Miami and Port St. Lucie. Wright formerly registered with no party affiliation.
Wright, like the other four Green candidates, did not return calls to the numbers listed on their Department of State qualifying papers.
That includes Anthony Mauro, 23, of Lantana, who is running against Atwater and presumptive Democratic candidate Linda Bird.
According to Palm Beach County elections records, Mauro switched his voter registration in May from an Orange County address to one in Lantana. He also switched from Republican to the Green Party.
Mauro filed a financial disclosure document listing a net worth of $25,000 and an income of $24,500 from jobs at Publix and Office Max.
Horatio Lemus, 21, formerly a Democrat, qualified in the race against Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota.
Sarah Roman, 21, formerly registered under no party, is running against Rep. Robert Schenck, R-Spring Hill, and Democrat Joseph Puglia.
Sarah Roman answered some questions by email to TampaBay.com. Naive but believable?
This is a story that GPW should follow through with until the end – just out of mad curiosity. Are these five part of some sinister plot straight out of the DaVinci Code to manipulate election outcomes? Or could it be that a few of them are legitimate GP candidates, but the others are plants? Or is the climate and environmental disaster we are facing actually resulting in people seeking out the Green Party ballot line as a legitimate attempt at political advancement?
First of all: Great coverage, Green Party Watch! Fascinating story for those of us who do electoral activism.
I feel like an old-timer, but it reminds me of a story I have to tell…
I am a green in Long Island, NY.
I was out petitioning for a Green Party Governor candidate one time in my mom’s old neighborhood. I had a list of registered Greens. I walked up to a house where some young people were talking on the porch, and I called out the name of the registered green.
She came to meet me on the driveway. She was really, really confused. Seemed to have no idea what a Green Party was, and really no understanding of politics or a petition. She was wondering where I got her name.
Her brother came up to us, and figured out the puzzle…
Oh, that’s about Uncle Bill. Then, the girl understood. (And, she did sign for us!)
Uncle Bill xxx is a local Democrat…now, these many years later, he is a big-whig in the county legislature.
We started realizing that local Democrat officials would register their unsuspecting friends and relatives in our party, so they could have standing when they wanted to challenge our green petitions, or get signatures for schemes to run on our ballot line.
Sometimes, I am sure, their plan works for them. But, sometimes, it works for us. We have very high enrollment.
One more thing: Strategy!!!
I just realized, the Florida Greens might benefit from some long ago strategy sessions the Long Island Greens did when similar stuff happened to us. (In our case, some judges from other parties specifically got on our line.)
How could you use the weight of these people against themselves? (And, do it in a way, that if they are sincere, it will not disturb them?)
Idea #1: Look at the issues in the race. If you feel pretty sure this is a trick by Republicans, then focus on some issues in the campaign that would be bad for the Republicans to have floating around.
Make signs, fliers or press statements from the Green Party, asserting how Green Party candidates feel xxxxx about xxxxx in a way that inserts that issue into the race boldly and loudly. In other words, no matter what those un-connected green candidates believe, put the Green Party platform and idea out there, so they will get stuck looking like they are for that idea.
Idea #2: If you think that Republicans put these Greens into the race thinking they would take Democratic votes, have your party pick one of the races (where the Democrat is not so odious), and make sure that the green activist influence will support that the Democrat – and not the fake Green or the Republican – get the votes.
I learned from a very successful local payback strategy the Green Party in Suffolk did, that if you show the local major parties once that you are willing to strike back, and do so creatively, they will really think twice about ever playing tricks like this again.
Great ideas!
Let me try one!
“Green Party candidate xxxxx is running for Florida State Senate seat XX against Republican xxxx and Democrat xxxx. The Green Party Platform condemns the practice of racial profiling by law enforcement agencies and calls for strong measures to combat official racism in the form of police brutality directed against people of color. Call up Republican state senate candidate xxxx and ask him where he stands on racial profiling and police brutality.”
Right on, Kim. I have a few ideas for how you could turn this around and show that the Green Party won’t be a pawn in Republicrat games like some other parties (cough cough Working Families cough)
1. Make lower taxes an issue. Many voters automatically vote Republican because they think that will mean lower taxes, so if you make lower taxes the #1 Green issue in those districts, it may attract support away from the Republicans.
2. Another good issue would be smaller, more responsive government. As with taxation, Republicans benefit from the assumption that their party is the party of small government and fiscal responsibility. Of course that’s all nonsense, and the Florida Greens could dent the Rs by making this an issue.
3. Make sure to put instant runoff voting on the table. It only makes sense for Republicrats to try to manipulate other parties in a plurality system. Instant runoff voting would eliminate the spoiler effect and take care of this sort of monkey business. Also, if the races are close in November – anyone remember Florida 2000? – it would be great if people were already aware of IRV, which would give them the chance to abolish the spoiler problem once and for all.
If these candidates support the Republican platform and are running because they believe their campaigns will help the Republicans get elected, then they should be disavowed by the Green Party.
But using the resources of the Green Party to support the election of a Democrat is an entirely different matter. I hope the Florida Greens do not take that route. By all means, publicize the real Green platform, but that means the entire platform, not just carefully chosen planks.
Of course, these candidates may genuinely support the Green platform, in which case the Green Party should support them, no matter who may have encouraged them to run and/or paid their filing fees.
“No Green would pay almost $2,000 to appear on the ballot when they could collect a reasonable number of signatures instead”
Depends on what your definition of reasonable is. Here in North Carolina it would be a lot easier to raise $2,000 that collect the number of signatures required to get on the ballot.
You should be encouraging these young people to join the Green Party and run as Green Party candidates.
I find your negative response heartbreaking, and just sad.
The Green Party needs these young people involved in politics, and especially in the moste effective way for a political party as candidates.
I have long loved the Green Party.
I have never understood why some of you are so afraid of these brave young people, with the courage to get up and do what needs to be done.
Without these FIVE new Green Party members, the Florida Green Party would have fielded NO candidates.
Please open your hearts and minds to these new Green Party people.
The Green Party needs them. The government needs them. The world needs the Green Party they can help build.
We are all allowed to self identify as Green Party members.
Please show some trust.
Please show some love.
Please show some sense.
I personally called and left messages with three of these five candidates. None had any sort of message other than the monotone “You have reached (123) 456-7890, Please leave a message.” Members of the State and County party leadership have gone to their homes to welcome these people, or at least some of them, into the party. One woman went so far as to go to the candidate’s parent’s home, to the place where the candidate was supposed to be volunteering, and still got no response to messages she left at all these places.
So, does it make sense to be skeptical at this point, or does it make sense to believe that all is sunshine and light here, and Greens never get screwed with by the corporate parties?
Personally, I hope that these five are wonderful candidates who show themselves to be top notch Greens.
And, as to how many candidates Florida runs and for what offices is none of my business since I don’t live in Florida. I might have an opinion, but I live in South Carolina and there is plenty to do in my own back yard. Is this not also true for you Evelyn Rose?
How naive are you, “Evelyn”/Corey??? These are not happy young brave people seeking Green values with flowers in their hair. They are Republican plants (cacti I guess) using the Florida Greens ballot line to draw votes from the Democrats.
Should we care about the Democrats? No. But should we care about other parties misrepresenting the Green Party for Political Agendas that have nothing to do with “trust…love…etc…” Absolutely.
This is akin to people in Virginia pretending to be members of the Green Party when they are actually members of the American Independence Party running Alan Keyes for President.
How about “Please show some HONESTY”???
I still have a problem generating any sympathy for the dem’s in FL. After some of the stunts they pulled in IL, who cares whether they get a beat down in FL or not?
I am curious if the FLA FIVE will do any campaigning, if they don’t, and no local is active on their behalf, how many votes can they expect? Seems like a waste of time and money…
If they do campaign, and follow the 10KV and GP platform, I really don’t see how it can hurt, after all, it gets the message out to more people.
In the end, I don’t like a law which gives people the ability to file for office with a party affiliation, without that party being involved in the process.
This is a really bizare situation…
If they ARE faking it what kind of jail time and/or fines will they get?
I wonder if these kids thought THAT through?
It isn’t necessarily illegal. I could file and run as a Republican and no one could stop me (but they could run against me in their primary…)
Actually, if the GOP paid them or compensated them in some manner in order to have them register as greens and qualify, then it’s conspiracy to commit fraud which is, of course illegal.
It’s a pretty serious rap.
Look, I think it’s pretty obvious from the article that these aren’t genuine Greens. Echo Steiner, the Florida co-chair of the party said herself that she’s skeptical at best.
Someone should call out these fakes.