Donate now to get Jesse Johnson in US Senate race for WV Mountain Party
July 23, 2010 in Ballot Access, Congressional Campaigns
Jesse Johnson of the West Virginia Mountain Party needs to raise $1,740 by today (Friday 23 July) to pay the filing fee to enter the race for US Senate as the candidate of the West Virginia Mountain Party, West Virginia’s state affiliate of Green Party US.
You can donate online at the jesse4ussenate facebook page.
Jesse Johnson is well known to many Greens for his 2008 bid for the Green Party’s presidential nomination. He has previously run for US Senate and twice for governor of West Virginia, receiving 4.5% of the vote in 2008 as well as the endorsements of the Sierra Club and the Citizens’ Action Committee. The West Virginia Mountain Party is WV’s only party that opposes mountaintop removal coal mining, which Johnson has called “ground zero for global climate change”.
Help us put a tireless fighter for the Earth on the ballot: donate to Jesse Johnson’s campaign now.
Dave Schwab said on July 23, 2010
I just pitched in to help Jesse out. His tireless advocacy against mountaintop removal in a state where both corporate parties are squarely in the pocket of King Coal is not only inspiring, I do believe it’s opening the eyes of many environmentalists that the Green Party is the only party that really shares their values. He even got the endorsement of the uber-cautious Sierra Club, for Nader’s sake… and both old party nominees are all but certain to be indentured servants of the coal industry.
Please donate, email your friends, post on facebook, retweet, shout it from the rooftops and go tell it on the mountain!
Joe said on July 23, 2010
How in the world is there a nearly multi-thousand dollar “filing fee” to run? That seems like a hell of a thing to spring on somebody at the very last second…
Dave Schwab said on July 23, 2010
Apparently this special election was rushed into existence, and the courts just decided that candidates who have already filed to run this year for another office (Jesse is running for WV House of Delegates too) can also file in the special election. So yeah, it’s a crazy situation, but there are hopeful signs that our humble network of Greens may come through for big Jesse. I can’t confirm, but I’ve heard that he’s raised all but $700 or so. Keep those donations coming!
Joe said on July 23, 2010
Oh wow, that’s really great!
Carey Campbell said on July 23, 2010
Thanks for keeping us updated on Jesse’s progress…
And thanks for the the chuckle…from Joe above….
Joe nailed it….a couple thousand dollars..filing fee…that is a hellva thang..for sure…
Gonna call Jesse now and come back here with update…
patrick western said on July 23, 2010
Dave, It wasn’t the courts that decided that candidates scheduled for the general could run in the special. While the legislature was editing the election laws in WV earlier this week to allow for this primary in late august and general runoff in november, they slipped in a clause to allow it. The republicans proposed it. They were hoping Capito would run, but she has since been very cautious. From what I heard she was concerned about running for both because it could endanger her house race or something to that effect. There is a chance that there could be a challenge over it yet to try to knock Jesse out if we could “spoil” the election. I think everyone already knows how those things work.
Talked with Jesse earlier today, he’s filed, so we are in.
Yeah. the filing period was ridiculously short. Again, its because the legislature rewrote the rules for election at the request of Gov. Manchin.
It concerns me that they legislature would do that, but the rules for succession were not that clear in our law prior, or so is the line they used in this case. The Governor could have called for the election by declaring a vacancy, but he didnt want to do that because he wanted to run for the seat.
Thanks for getting the word out for the campaign. WV needed an alternative candidate for this election.
Concerned said on July 24, 2010
The shortened time frame between the special primary and general election that Manchin got when the recently requested the WV legislature to change the law favors Manchin and appears to be a ploy to eliminate or hinder primary challenges by other democrats and republicans (as opposed to Manchin and Capito, who decided not to run) and to give them, third parties and independents less time to campaign than usual.
The original 2010 primary had a filing period of Jan. 11, 2010 to Jan. 30, 2010 – 20 days, and the primary was over 3 months later on May 11, with the general election about 6 months later Nov. 2. ALMOST 6 MONTHS LATER!!! (note third party/independent deadline was July 30 over 3 months before general election). So how can they have a 4 day filing period now for Byrd’s seat, with a primary in only 5 more weeks, August 28, and then only 2 months until general. They should have put the primary for Byrd’s seat in Nov. followed by a special general election in the spring.
Manchin appears to want to rush a primary so they can add national senate seat election to Nov. ballot. But there is not adequate time for 3rd party candidates, independents, and other republicans and democrats, other than Manchin and Capito (who choose not to run) to put together a campaign. Don’t they all have to form committees, collect donations, develop adds, get name recognition, get their platforms out. The primary will be in just 5 weeks and the final election in 2 months. Manchin appears afraid to allow time for people to get the word out about all his negatives – not giving any primary challenger time to mount a real campaign. He already has the advantage of an incumbent. Most letters sent out by the state have his name on it, as does most informational literature often with his picture. He gets a lot of free PR in the paper by being governor. Now he wants to shorten the campaign time!!!
Normally there is about 6 months between primary and election, but he wants to make it 2 months. Plus only 5 weeks to get ready for the primary, compared to the usual many months. Unions and numerous others should complain about changing the law, and also mention a possible constitutional challenge, for truncating the campaign times. Manchin seems to want to truncate the time in which there will be less time for a public discussion of coal contribution to him, his treatment of state employees, teachers, and retirees, and mountain top removal and other issues in relation to this primary and then election. If he becomes senator will all retirees be forced onto Medicare Advantage? What will happen to Medicare. Will they invest Social Security in the stock market (i.e. in coal companies which is really just helps big coal owners and brokers). Wikipedia says, “Since 1996, coal interests have contributed more than $4 million to candidates for governor, the state Supreme Court and the West Virginia Legislature. The 2004 election was a record-setter for the coal industry. Gov. Joe Manchin received $571,214 from coal interests for his campaign and $174,500 for his inaugural. West Virginians for Coal, the West Virginia Coal Association’s political action committee, contributed more money than any other coal industry donor.[58 . . . 58. ^ Wvoter-owned.org ”
WV not open for business (Manchin’s slogan), but open for monkey business as usual (Manchin’s actions). You’d think he’d have been afraid to use that slogan, and have seen the monkey business allusion coming.
Concerned said on July 24, 2010
It is great that both Ken Hechler , a democrat but 95, and Jesse Johnson of the Mountain Party filed even though the quickie new law with truncated campaign times favors Manchin. Manchin doesn’t act like a true democrat. All for giveaways to big coal owners, CEO’s etc. He was just awful to state workers and teachers, while getting himself a big $55,000 raise that could raise his pension by about 1 million. He wanted to giveConnsol Energy $200 million in tax abatements and roads etc. and then do it about 4 more times = that’s a billion dollars!!! Manchin has previously had large amounts donated from coal interests. Guess they got their money’s worth. It’s unfair to other businesses that a few wealthy coal companies (owners, CEO’s, brokers) would benefit from preferential tax treatment over other businesses. Won’t other businesses and taxpayers have to pay more, if rich coal companies pay less. Then there was Manchin having the taxpayers buy a 3rd plane so he could personally fly it, and also taking state plane to fly down to pick up yacht, not to mention WVU football game plane trips with family and buddies, his daughter’s retroactive MBA (years after she attended) from WVU after he appointed a friend as WVU president over faculty objections. – It cheapened everyone else’s degree. Manchin was a coal broker, so there you have it. Wikipedia has a nice summary of the Mountain Party’s platform which is quite comprehensive in many areas. They are better democrats than Manchin, and seem to want to help the average worker and businesses. They are more conservative than the Republicans where it counts. They are for “Elimination of the sales tax on food and clothing; tax relief for small businesses; elimination of corporate welfare” and for FAIR TRADE as opposed to supposedly free trade. All great.
Carey Campbell said on July 24, 2010
Thanks for the great news that the Green Party’s Jesse Johnson filed successfully for U.S. Senate successfully…
For those of us not on facebook…where can we go to make donations to Jesse Johnson’s Green Party campaign for U.S. Senate?
Does he have another web site, or is there a mailing address?
Regarding the short dates in this election for filing, primary, and general…in the time available such tight deadlines are not unusual in my experience. Richard Winger’s the national expert and could give a national perspective.
Got a chuckle to read ol Ken filed….I remember him from 35 years ago when I was a teenage disc jockey in Logan, West Virginia. ..That’s just good political entertainment….
Congrats to Jesse, and Green Party Watch for superb coverage…
libhomo said on July 24, 2010
Ballot inaccess laws sure to contradict our nation’s claim to be a democracy. It’s so disturbing.
Joe said on July 24, 2010
Glad to read he made it on time! So does this make it Democrat vs Green for the open seat?
Carey Campbell said on July 25, 2010
Joe,
Agreed…very glad to see Jesse Johnson filed as Green Party U.S. Senate candidate.
There’s lots of other candidates in the primary.
3 for the Auto Party (aka obama party)
11 for Oil Party (bush borrow and spend warmongers)
For General election have read various reports that it may still be possible to file and pay fee for independents. They’d have to also submit signatures, per some reports…
Carey Campbell said on July 25, 2010
Just spoke with one of the Green Party folks working with Jesse’s campaign.
Jesse has an interview scheduled with Politico for tomorrow – Monday…
Will be great to see politico cover the Green Party candidates, like Jesse Johnson..
Jesse left a voice mail saying he has spoken with former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel.
You will remember that Senator Mike Gravel campaigned with Jesse in 2008.
Senator Gravel lead the effort to elect former West Virginia Senator Byrd majority leader in the Senate.
Should Senator Gravel campaign in this U.S. Senate race with Jesse it would make the point that Jesse is the best person to follow Senator Byrd…from someone who has been a friend and political ally to both.
RIta Silver said on July 25, 2010
You can also send donations to:
Jesse Johnson for US Senate 2010 PO Box 446 Pinch, WV 25156-0446
Rebecca in WVa said on July 26, 2010
Hello. You can send checks, etc., to jesse4ussenate, PO Box 446, PInch, WV 25156,
you can use http://www.paypal.com (accepts bank account, pay pal account and major credit cards) and send your donation to the email address jesse4ussenate@aim.com, OR, you may follow Jesse’s Campaign on his Face Book Fan Page, jesse4ussenate. This fan page has a working pay pal donation button you may use, too.
There is also a campaign website beging constructed, jesse4ussenate.com.
Thank you!