Green Party Watch

Better late than never, we’ve put together the following Top 10 Green Party stories, taken from a combination of hits on Green Party Watch and other criteria to build a summary of the year. We have modeled this after our Top 10 Green Party Stories for 2010. We are well aware that there were many other stories we could have included here, feel welcome to include your own in the comments. We sincerely hope that 2012 will have plenty of Green Party to Watch!

March 2011 – German Greens Historic Victory

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition was defeated in Baden-Württemberg as support for the Greens surged to a record, putting the anti-nuclear party within reach of leading the state government. The opposition Greens took a record 24.2 percent, while the Social Democrats, which said they’ll rule with the Greens, won 23.1 percent. “There won’t just be a changing of the guard in Baden- Wuerttemberg, there will be a change of politics,” Greens national co-leader Claudia Roth told reporters in Berlin. Winfried Kretschmann was later named the new governor of Baden-Württemberg.

March 2011 – Alex White for Mayor of Rochester, NY

Small business owner Alex White ran a spirited campaign in a special election for Mayor of Rochester, NY, challenging the status quo of local politics. White ran on a “Platform of Hope“, which he says “…grows Rochester through jobs for all, more community involvement, greater transparency, community policing, and a public utility.” Ultimately White finished with 9% of the vote.

Later in the year Alex White ran for City Council, finishing with 11% of the vote.

April 2011 – Ed Shadid wins seat on Oklahoma City Council

After a long and particularly nasty campaign, Ed Shadid survived the negative smear campaign against him and won a seat on the Oklahoma City Council with over 60% of the vote. Shadid, a spinal surgeon, who ran as an Independent candidate for State Assembly last year with the backing of the Green Party, defeated Charles Swinton, a banker, and the PAC “Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum”, which spent over $100,000 in ads opposing Shadid, accusing him of being a socialist who wanted to legalize marijuana. Check out some of the negative attack ads here.

May 2011 – Elizabeth May First Green Party Member of Parliament in Canada

In the May 2 Federal Elections in Canada, Elizabeth May became the first Green Party candidate elected as a Member of Parliament. Preliminary results show that Elizabeth May won the May 2, 2011 election with 48.13% of the vote, defeating Conservative MP Gary Lunn (33.73%) and NDP candidate Edith Loring-Kuhanga (12.28%). Elizabeth May, 56, has been the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2006, vowing to raise the Green Party’s profile in Canada, particularly in the nationally televised debates. Although she was included in a debate several years ago, this election she was barred from the debate, which she used as a campaign issue in her campaign for MP representing Saanich-Gulf Islands on Vancouver Island.

July 2011 – Annual National Meeting in Alfred NY

The Green Party (US) Annual National Meeting was held in rural Alfred, NY, in conjunction with the biennial GreenFest. Among the speakers were leaders in the campaign to ban hydrofracking (hydraulic fracturing), an environmentally destructive and dangerous technique for accessing gas in the Marcellus Shale beneath Pennsylvania, New York, and other states. Also 2004 Presidential Candidate David Cobb, Philadelphia Sheriff candidate Cheri Honkala, Canadian MP Elizabeth May, and author David Korten addressed the Meeting.

September 2011 – Strong special elections showings by Mark Miller (MA) and Farheen Hakeem (MN)

In Massachusetts, Mark Miller ran a strong campaign for a vacancy in the State Legislature, finishing in second place of four candidates, just several hundred votes short of victory. Miller was endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Mass Alliance, and the UAW.

In Minnesota, Green Party (US) Steering Committee co-chair Farheen Hakeem ran for an open State Senate seat. Hakeem finished second with 22% to 68% for Democrat Jeff Hayden. Hakeem outpolled a Republican and an independent in the race.

November 2011 – “Poor Peoples Advocate” Cheri Honkala’s campaign for Sheriff of Philadelphia

Cheri Honkala announced her candidacy for Sheriff of Philadelphia on February 17, 2011, and ran a high-profile campaign that brought issues to the table that would never had been brought forward otherwise. She got good media, interviewed in Yes! & endorsed by NOW, interviewed on Press TV, the campaign made effective use of Youtube in promoting the campaign. Ultimately, in the 3-way race for sheriff, Cheri Honkala finished 3rd with over 10,000 votes for 6.6%.

November 2011 – Fall Elections

In November’s elections, Greens won local races in California, Colorado, and Connecticut. Tanya Ishikawa was elected to the Federal Heights City Council (Colorado) with 67.5% of the vote. Larry Bragman took first place in his race for City Council, receiving 43.88% of the vote. This will be Bragman’s third term as a Council Member. Additionally, Ryan O’Neil won his first term on the City Council, helping maintain a healthy Green Party presence in the Northern California City.

In other races of interest, Portland City Councilor David Marshall finished with 7.74% in Portland, Maine’s first IRV election for Mayor. In Philadelphia, Cheri Honkala received 6.56% of the vote in her effort to be elected Sheriff of Philadelphia. She ran on a “No Evictions” platform. Brian Rudnick, running for City Council, received 11.8% of the vote. In Syracuse, NY, Howie Hawkins received 48.15% of the vote, narrowly losing to Democrat Khalid Bey. In Toledo, Ohio, Anita Rios finished with 26% of the vote in her campaign for City Council, and in St. Paul, Bee Xiong received 42% in the first round of voting for a City Council seat, not enough to win.

December 2011 – Presidential Candidate field set

The Green Party field of Presidential Candidates fluctuated throughout 2011. Roseanne Barr jumped in and then out, Socialist Stewart Alexander jumped in and then out, but by the end of the year, three candidates are seeking the Green Party Nomination for President. Kent Mesplay (G-CA) was the first to officially declare his candidacy in June. Jill Stein (G-MA) officially entered the race in October. Harley Mikkelson (G-MI) entered the race in November.

Harley Mikkelson is retired from a 26 year career with the Michigan Departments of Community Health, Education, and Human Services. Mikkelson was the Michigan Green Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 and 2004, for the U.S. Senate in 2008, and Governor in 2010.

Kent Mesplay is an air quality inspector in San Diego, California. He sought the Green Party Presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.

Jill Stein is a physician and community health advocate who ran as the Green-Rainbow Party candidate governor of Massachusetts in 2002 and 2010.

The 2012 Green Party Presidential Race will be followed closely right here at Green Party Watch.

December 2011 – 2011 Election Recap

With over 100 candidates across the United States, the Green Party candidates won 22 races, or 21% of the races they were in. The Green Party starts 2012 with 125 elected officeholders, 21 of which are partisan offices. A recap of the 2011 Election by former Green Party (US) Executive Director Brent McMillan.

From the National Post:

A pair of democratic rights groups are teaming up in a legal battle that is urging the nation’s top court to strike down Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system on the grounds that it doesn’t protect guarantees under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The case would argue that the Constitution protects the right of Canadians to have “effective representation,” which goes beyond having the right to cast a ballot.The two groups, the Association for the Advancement of Democratic Rights and Fair Vote Canada, have also earned an endorsement from Green Party leader Elizabeth May. “The key issue is not that it’s unfair to the Green Party,” May said Tuesday at a news conference with representatives from the two groups. “It’s unfair to democracy. It’s unfair to voters, and I think it’s a big reason for the decline in voter turnout.”

May noted that more than 80% of people vote in Scandinavian countries and some other European nations, but she said the lowest voter turnouts in the world occur in countries with first-past-the-post systems, such as Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, where governments can be elected with majorities despite having received less than 50% of the ballots cast in elections.

Read the full article at the National Post.

From the Green Party of New York:

Join us for New York Green Fest/GP-US ANM Fri., Aug. 5 to Sun., Aug. 7, 2011 in Alfred, NY on the campus of Alfred University.

It is not enough to oppose toxic drilling and injustice, we need alternatives. The most difficult questions of sustainability are not about technology; they are about implementing our values. Implementation is achieved in the political arena. At NY Green Fest we explore the politics that enable us to live in a sustainable world.

For NY Green Fest 2011, we return to the beautiful campus of Alfred University in Alfred, NY. We are joined by Greens from across the country and Canada coming to the 2011 Green Annual National Meeting (ANM), which is being held in conjunction with Green Fest this year.

Our program features more than 30 great workshops on politics, energy, media and ecology (check out the list on the right), four forums and great music on our solar stage. Presenters include Elizabeth May, Canada’s first elected Green Party member of Parliament, David Korten, author of Corporations will Rule the World and co-founder of YES! Magazine, Tina Clarke from the Transition Towns Movement, David Cobb, 2004 Green nominee for President, Virginia Rasmussen from the Program for Corporations Law and Democracy (POCLAD), Gay Nicholson from Sustainable Tompkins, Richard Grossman from Frack Free Catskills and Jack Ossont and Kate Bartholomew from the Coalition to Protect New York among many. Several Green Party candidates and officeholders from New York and other states will attend. At least one candidate for the Green presidential nomination, Kent Mesplay, will be present.

Four excellent forums will be held during the event:

Building Local Economies, Fri., Aug. 5, 6:45 pm

David Korten (via Skype) on “Agenda for a Local Economy,” Tina Clarke (via Skype) and David Doonan on the Transistion Town Movement, Opening music: Woven Green Band, Location: Nevins Theater, Powell Campus Center

Asserting Local Sovereignty over Fossil Fuel Extraction, Sat., Aug. 6, 1:15 pm

Richard Grossman, Virginia Rasmussen, Mary Jo Long, Jack Ossont, Gary Abraham, Opening poetry: Michael Czarnecki, Location: Solar Stage on Campus Quad

Campaigning for Local Economies and Clean Energy, Sat., Aug. 6, 6:45 pm

Elizabeth May (via Skype), Kent Mesplay, Colia Clark, Bill Belitskus, Jay Sweeney, Green Candidates and Office Holders, Opening music: Crow Weaver, Moderator: David Cobb, Location: Nevins Theater, Powell Campus Center

The Future of Sustainable Politics, Sun., Aug. 7, 11:15 am

John Resenbrinck, Greg Gerritt, Howie Hawkins, Cecile Lawrence, Opening music: Carl Lundgren, Location: Solar Stage on Campus Quad

Check out http://nygreenfest.or/2011schedule.html for the workshop schedule.  Bios of our 55 presenters are athttp://nygreenfest.org/presenterbios11.html read more »

A press release from the Green Party of the United States, including a list of 2011 candidates who will be at the event:

The meeting will take place August 5-7 at Green Fest in Alfred, western New York; Greens will begin planning for the 2012 elections, including the presidential race; Elizabeth May, Canadian Green member of Parliament, and economist David C. Korten to speak via Skype

Media credentialing page: http://www.gp.org/forms/media (also linked here: http://www.gp.org/committees/media/kit.shtml)

WASHINGTON, DC — The Green Party of the United States will feature an array of candidates and guest speakers at its 2011 Annual National Meeting at Alfred University in Alfred in western New York, from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7.

The meeting will take place at the fourth biennial New York Green Fest, “a gathering of folks interested in exploring the politics and practices that will help enable us to live in a sustainable world, and sharing a weekend of good discussions, good food, and good music” (http://nygreenfest.org).

Among the speakers will be leaders in the campaign to ban hydrofracking (hydraulic fracturing), an environmentally destructive and dangerous technique for accessing gas in the Marcellus Shale beneath Pennsylvania, New York, and other states (see http://nygreenfest.blogspot.com/2011/07/hydrofracking-activists-join-green.html and http://gp.org/greenpages-blog/?p=2440). David Cobb, 2004 Green nominee for President, will speak on the need to abolish corporate ‘personhood’ and restrict the political power of corporations (see http://www.movetoamend.org).

Elizabeth May, Canada’s first elected Green Party member of Parliament, will speak to Greens at the meeting by Skype. David C. Korten, economist, co-founder and board chair of YES! Magazine, and author of ‘When Corporations Rule the World’ and other books (http://livingeconomiesforum.org/author-bio), will also address the meeting by Skype.

“There are many people throughout the US, including Green elected officials and community activists, who are thinking, talking, planning, and working for a sustainable energy economy despite lack of broader government engagement,” said Peter LaVenia, co-chair of the Green Party of New York State (http://www.web.gpnys.com). “Many of them will be coming to the meeting in Alfred or will speak to meeting participants via Skype. Alfred is the perfect place for Green Fest (http://www.alfred.edu/campus/going-green.cfm).”

Several Green candidates from New York and other states will attend the meeting, speak at press conferences, and be available for interview. At least one candidate for the Green presidential nomination, Kent Mesplay, will be present. A preliminary list of candidates who plan to attend the meeting is appended below.

David Doonan, Green Party member and mayor of Greenwich, New York, will also be at the meeting.

For a list of presenters and other speakers at the meeting, with short bios, visit: http://nygreenfest.org/presenterbios11.html

For a draft schedule of panels and forums, see http://nygreenfest.org/detailedschedule.html

Green Party leaders at the meeting will begin organizing for the 2012 election season, including the presidential race. The party will nominate a candidate for the White House at its 2012 national convention. The 2011 meeting in Alfred will also feature Green Party panels, workshops, meetings of the Green National Committee, and other events.

The meeting is open to the media and public. Press conferences will feature Green candidates for public office from across the US, with a special press conference on Friday, August 6, for women candidates hosted by the party’s Women Caucus (http://www.gp.org/caucuses/women/index.php). Journalists are encouraged to register ahead of time, at the Green Party’s media credentialing page (http://www.gp.org/forms/media). Registration for media will also take place on site during the meeting.

Alfred is about 80 miles from Rochester and 90 miles from Buffalo. For directions to Alfred University and Green Fest, see: http://nygreenfest.org/directions.html

GREEN CANDIDATES at the Green Party’s 2011 Annual National Meeting

Mike Bernhard, for Town Board member in Afton, New York.

Audrey Clement, for Arlington County Board, Virginia, in the 2011 general election (http://www.AudreyClement.org). Ms. Clement is a member of the Green Party’s national steering committee.

Joe Duffy, for Alderman in Hornell, New York. Mr. Duffy is chair of the Steuben County Green Party.

Howie Hawkins for Common Councillor of Syracuse, New York. The Green Party of New York State regained ballot status in 2010 as a result of Mr. Hawkin’s Green campaign for Governor.

Cheri Honkala, for Sheriff of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (http://www.cherihonkala.com) in the 2011 general election. Ms. Honkala founded the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and the national Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign. She was included in Philadelphia Magazine’s list of 100 Most Powerful Philadelphians and was named Philadelphia Weekly’s “Woman of the Year” in 1997.

Cecile Lawrence, candidate for the Tioga County Legislature (District 3), New York, , in the 2011 general election. Ms. Lawrence, who will conduct a workshop at the meeting, was the Green Party’s candidate for US Senate from New York in 2010. A member of Tioga Peace and Justice, she testified at hearings towards the passage of the New York State Managed Care Bill of Rights.

Kent Mesplay, candidate for the Green Party’s nomination for President (http://www.mesplay.org). Dr. Mesplay also sought the nomination in 2008.

Anita Rios, candidate for City Council in Toledo (District 4), Ohio, in the 2011 general election. Ms. Rios ran for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in 2006 and 2010 and is former of the Green Party’s national steering committee.

Jay Sweeney, for Supervisor in Falls Township, Pennsylvania, in the 2011 general election (http://www.jaysweeney.org). Mr. Sweeney currently serves as Auditor in Falls Township.

In a press release issued today the Green Party of the United States congratulated Canada’s first Green Party member of Parliament, Elizabeth May. Elected on Monday, May has served as the Canadian Green Party’s leader since her election to that post in 2006. The full text of the press release is below the fold. read more »

Josh Rachlis posted that comment on GPW’s Facebook page after the news that Elizabeth May had won her riding was announced on the CBC. His Facebook page included a rant about how the non-conservatives were unable to coalesce, leaving a Conservative government, even though they did not win a majority of the popular vote. After going on about the New Democratic Party, Green Party and Liberal Party working at cross purposes he said “Well, guess I won’t be getting any invites to be interviewed by the media now”…which of course prompted an offer of an interview right here at Green Party Watch. I did point out that we didn’t have a huge readership, but also pointed out that Rupert Murdock didn’t own us…yet!

Well surprise, surprise, surprise…he dropped us a line and said he’s up for it! Of course, we’ll come up with some questions ourselves, but in the meantime, help a fellow out and try to come up with some we can run past him.

He’s an Eco-comedian, screenwriter, actor, voice actor, filmmaker, cartoonist, songwriter, radio & TV host, stand-up comedian, film reviewer, cupcake judge…at least that’s what his Facebook page says.

His Funny or Die page is here, and apparently he’s both loved and hated by Canadians. Surely we can love and hate him down here too.

Catch his YouTube Chanel here.

In May 2 Federal Elections in Canada, Elizabeth May became the first Green Party candidate elected as a Member of Parliament.

Elizabeth May, 56, has been the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2006, vowing to raise the Green Party’s profile in Canada, particularly in the nationally televised debates. Although she was included in a debate several years ago, this election she was barred from the debate, which she used as a campaign issue in her campaign for MP representing Saanich-Gulf Islands on Vancouver Island.

Preliminary results show that Elizabeth May won the May 2, 2011 election with 48.13% of the vote, defeating Conservative MP Gary Lunn (33.73%) and NDP candidate Edith Loring-Kuhanga (12.28%).

In an Election Day message, Elizabeth May wrote: “Voting Green sends a clear message. It sends a message of hope. It sends a message that demands something better. It’s time. Vote Green.”

We will update this story as it happens.

Sadly, the hour is late…if you have news to report, please take advantage of the comments to let us know what’s going on. Of course, and of the writers here can add directly to the front page, so please do.

The Green MP candidate is Elizabeth May, and her riding, or district, is Saanich – Gulf Islands ahead by better than 2000 votes, 9659 to 7557. Reports can be watched at the CBC and reports specifically for May can be found this CBC link.

UPDATE…CBC Announces that Elizabeth May HAS been elected!

From the Green Party of Canada:

The Green Party of Canada released polling today that shows Leader Elizabeth May in the lead to win the riding of Saanich Gulf-Islands (SGI). 45% of decided voters in SGI stated they would vote for Elizabeth May, compared with 38% for the Conservatives. The Liberal and NDP candidates each polled at 9%, with 16% undecided. 13% of respondents named Elizabeth May as their second choice, while only 6% gave Gary Lunn as their second choice.

“The polling results confirm the positive feeling we’re getting on the ground and motivates us to keep working hard until every Elizabeth May supporter casts their ballot next Monday, May 2nd,” said May’s Campaign Manager Jonathan Dickie. “We know that the only poll that really counts is the one on May 2nd.”

“It is still a neck-and-neck race,” said Dickie. “We know that we have the best candidate for Saanich-Gulf Islands and we need every supporter to know that every single vote counts.”

“I want to thank all the volunteers who are working so hard for Elizabeth May, knocking on doors, driving voters to polls, and answering phones. There is a real feeling that we have a chance to make history,” said Dickie.

“We are very proud of our positive election campaign. We’ve focused on the sharing of ideas and responsible debate of the issues. That’s what the voters of this riding want, that’s what we have worked to give them, and that’s why they’re supporting Elizabeth May,” said Dickie.

The poll was conducted April 18-19. 389 respondents in Saanich-Gulf Islands were asked how they intended to vote for local candidates. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.9%, 19 times out of 20

The Green Party of Canada and Elizabeth May are going to court to challenge her exclusion from the televised party leader’s debates that occur in Canada during each election. The debates are organized by a consortium of the television networks.

May was in the debate in 2008.

The Ombudsman of Canada’s public broadcaster the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is backing May in his new blog post. As well some of the non-teleivsion media are also supporting May.

The party’s own petition has over 100,000 signatures. More info. It is expected ousted nuclear watchdog Linda Keen will endorse Elizabeth May.

So Canada is off to the polls for the 41st federal election.

Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May is running against Conservative Gary Lunn for his seat in Saanich Gulf Islands.

So the Green Party of Canada has been in the media lately lamenting attack ads and how they affect democracy. Today the party came out with its own attack ad — attacking attack ads, LOL. Check it out.

Related articles

• Green party unveils ‘attack on attack ads’ (canada.com)
• Have attack-ad touting Greens gone ‘cynical’? (theglobeandmail.com)
• Attack ads blatantly take Ignatieff out of context (soarmarc.wordpress.com)

So my name is Peter Tretter, I’m new to Green Party Watch. I’m here in Canada, involved with the Green Party of Canada and the Green Party of Ontario. I’m the President & CEO of the local electoral district riding association in Barrie, Ontario.

Image via Wikipedia

Some items of interest:

* Federal Leader Elizabeth May’s election office in Saanich got driven into by a truck! She is also saying that US-style attack ads hurt democracy.

* Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner recently announced his shadow cabinet in prepation of a provincial election to occur October 6th, 2011.

* Green Party of British Columbia Leader Jane Sterk recently addressed Tofino City Council in a precedent setting move.

Newsweek is profiling some strong Green Women Leaders from around the world in this “Women & Leadership” special.

Included are Germany’s Renate Künast:

The biggest coup could come in Berlin, where party chairwoman Renate Künast has a good shot to become the first Green to head a state… “We used to think that radicalism came in writing papers and outlining a far-reaching vision. It’s not enough. Radicalism is when you have a vision but go forward step by step, one reform after the other.”

Kenya’s Wangari Maathai:

In 2004 Maathai won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the Green Belt Movement, a nonprofit NGO she founded in her native Kenya… “I have literally seen a revolution in terms of awareness of how we need to protect our environment. We have seen governments and local communities committing to changing policies to facilitate sustainable management of our resources.”

Canada’s Elizabeth May:

“We cannot have any notion that our children are going to have a livable world if we don’t apply ourselves to political decisions—like making sure our governments ease our addiction to fossil fuels.”

(Thanks to D.Schwab for the link!)

The Tyee in British Columbia reports on the Canadian Green Party’s quest to elect its leader, Elizabeth May, as the party’s first member of parliament elected as a Green:

A year ago an internal Green Party poll suggested leader Elizabeth May would have a good shot at winning a seat in Saanich-Gulf Islands in the next federal election. It would be a major breakthrough for the party, which is yet to elect a member of parliament in Canada.

But 12 months later there are questions about whether she’s doing everything she can to make it to Ottawa.

“I think I’m going to be either first or second, in terms of polling,” May said in a recent interview. “I like first.”

She decided to run in Saanich-Gulf Islands, across the country from the Central Nova riding where she took on cabinet minister Peter MacKay in the last election, after a party poll put her even with Conservative Minister of State Gary Lunn.

“Part of it was polling and part of it was listening to people, and there was no question far and away it was voters of Saanich-Gulf Islands that said their values were most in tune with Green values, they were most interested in making a change,” she said. read more »