Green Party Watch

Lauren Besanko, who ran as a Maine Green Independent Party candidate for state representative, recently wrote an article for the Bangor Daily News about Maine’s growing movement for ranked-choice voting. From the article, entitled “The Two-Party Duopoly is the Problem”:

Ranked choice voting allows people to vote for several candidates in order, from their favorite to their least favorite, by assigning candidates numerical values. Their favorite candidate would receive the “No. 1” vote, their second favorite the “No. 2” vote and so on. One of the points of election reform like this should be to eliminate the “spoiler” effect, so we don’t end up splitting the vote, for example, between center-left and farther-left candidates, resulting in electing a far-right tea party Republican.

Reform like this could very well be the start of a path toward the end of a political system dominated by the two parties.

read more »

From Green Party US:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Green Party of the United States is calling for the defeat of proposed tar-sands pipelines when the U.S. Senate votes on the Keystone XL pipeline on Tuesday and opposes alternative plans, including “Energy East,” that would route Canadian oil into the U.S. by pipeline or tanker.

Green Party leaders are encouraging the public to call on Senators to vote nay. If the Senate approves the pipeline, Greens urge President Obama to exercise his veto power.

The Green Parties of Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey have banded together against a proposed fossil-fuel pipeline through the region, calling themselves the Green Alliance to Stop the Pipelines, or GASP (https://www.facebook.com/StopThePipelines).

GASP opposes a plan by the six New England governors to spend $6 billion on the Kinder Morgan gas transmission pipeline, which would bring fracked natural gas to export terminals in Maine and Canada.

Greens criticized Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to hold the vote on Tuesday to allow pro-pipeline Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) to participate. Republicans in the Senate are determined to approve the pipeline, regardless of Democrats’ positions. (See “Green Shadow Cabinet: Alert: Resist the Dems’ KXL Sneak Attack!” http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2014/11/14/green-shadow-cabinet-alert-resist-the-dems-kxl-sneak-attack/)

“Green Parties across the nation are battling plans for massive investments in fossil fuel infrastructure that, if approved, would sabotage efforts to avert the looming catastrophe of climate change,” said Jill Stein, 2012 Green presidential nominee and a member of the Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party. read more »

From Green Party US:

Election results http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2014/11/04/green-party-2014-election-results and http://gp.org/election-wrapup

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Green Party made several advances in the 2014 general election on November 4, with Green candidates winning 27 seats and ballot lines held for most state Green Parties.

The most closely watched Green races were in Richmond, California, where outgoing Mayor Gayle McLaughlin overcame a $3-million campaign by Chevron to defeat her slate, and New York, where Howie Hawkins challenged incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo. read more »

From the Maine Green Independent Party:

The Maine Green Independent Party’s steering committee voted in 2013 not to field a candidate for Governor so that we could focus our time, resources and energy on recruiting and supporting the largest slate of legislative and municipal candidates that we’ve fielded since 2002!

We respect the individual opinions of our membership and your ability to make up your own mind about the race for governor. 

Rather than ask you to spend your time, resources, and energy outside of the Green Party, we’re asking you to focus your time, resources, and energy on electing the largest slate of legislative and municipal candidates that we’ve fielded since 2002!

We hope that you will join us in supporting our candidates for state legislature. read more »

From Ben Manski, campaign manager for Jill Stein for President 2012:

Sometimes there is an election in one state that progressives all over the United States get excited about. I’m sure you can think of examples. Paul Wellstone and Russ Feingold’s first campaigns come to mind, for me. So do those of Matt Gonzalez and Kshama Sawant.

Tonight, Wednesday, you can tune in to the hottest progressive campaign in America. Howie Hawkins is polling nearly 10% in New York’s gubernatorial election, and he’s climbing fast. 

On Thursday, the Buffalo Federation of Teachers became the latest union to endorse him and his teacher running mate, Brian Jones. 

This past week, Hawkins and Jones received the endorsement of not one, not two, but three New York City Democratic Party clubs. 

And please join me right now in supporting the Hawkins campaign. Howie reminds me of a North American Lula, the first Workers Party president of Brazil. Howie’s been at the front lines of the labor and green movements in United States for 40 years. He’s known and trusted and brilliant and speaks complicated truths in plain language that moves people. You can donate to this exciting campaign right now.

The Hawkins campaign is the most exciting in a series of fresh, promising campaigns in states ranging from Maine to Minnesota in which the Green Party is attracting labor, farm, community and professional endorsements. 

A couple weeks ago I emailed you about Eugene Puryear’s campaign for the D.C. City Council; the latest poll there puts him within 10% of victory, with 27% undecided.  read more »

State Green Parties in New York, New Mexico, Hawai’i, Maryland, Michigan, Maine, and California are holding meetings in coming weeks to nominate candidates, discuss strategy, and get to know new members. If you are near one of these upcoming state meetings, we hope you will attend.

The Green Party of New York State convention will be held in Troy on May 17th. More information is available here on the party’s website.

The Green Party of New Mexico is also holding its state convention on May 17th. Click here for more information. read more »

On Saturday, May 3rd, the Green Party US livestream channel will feature the New Jersey Green Party‘s state convention, as well as 30th anniversary celebration of the Maine Green Independent Party. The Connecticut Green Party and South Carolina Green Party also hold their state conventions on May 3rd. From Green Party US:

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party TV will air special events planned by two state Green Parties on Saturday, May 3 on the party’s Livestream channel (http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus). read more »

Portland-Green Party Senate Candidate Asher Platts is calling legal shenanigans over the fact that Democratic Party Staffers are trying to block his run for Portland State Senate District 27. On Monday, Platts, who also happens to be the Chair of the Maine Green Independent Party, received notice from the Secretary of State’s office that Democratic Legislative Aide, and Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign Staffer Anya Trundy, represented by the law firm of Bernstein Shurr, had challenged primary nomination signatures that Platts turned in to qualify as a Green candidate for the June primary ballot in that district.

Asher Platts is running for State Senate in Maine

“I once worked in the Democratic Party, for candidates like Dennis Kucinich. I left the Democratic Party because I saw disgusting skullduggery like this all the time. They’re so afraid they’ll lose if voters hear from young working class candidates with real world experience and proven, real-world policy solutions, that they are willing to use their lawyers to deny voter choice by keeping folks like me off the ballot”,  said Platts. “I was attracted to the Green Party because they have long advocated for more democracy, more citizen participation, and more choices at the ballot box– not limiting choice for voters, like I have seen the Democratic Party do using legal maneuvering, over and over.”

As a first time candidate in 2012, Platts garnered nearly 30% of the vote against Justin Alfond, the incumbent President of the Senate. Green’s have been improving their numbers with each successive run for the Senate District 27 seat. Platts’s impressive 2012 electoral showing was 5% more than that of the previous Green candidate Bill Linnell.

 “This is a sure sign of fear by the establishment”, said John Eder, Platts’s Campaign Coordinator. “They see us making steady electoral gains in the district of the type that lead up to my victory in 2002”, said Eder who represented Portland’s West End in the Maine Legislature as the nations highest elected Green. “I feel for the guy, I’ve been in Asher’s position before”, Eder continued, “they’re using dirty legal tricks against Asher like they used the redistricting process to try to get rid of me. That backfired on them then and this will backfire on them now. Voters don’t appreciate this type of thing, it just looks real ugly.”

Platts, known to fans of his podcast as the Punk Patriot, is working on finding a lawyer to represent him  pro bono at the Challenge Hearing in Augusta to be held Monday. Mach 21^st . “They’re trying to throw road blocks in my path by disrupting my work week, disrupting my collection of Clean Elections Fund donations, and forcing a low income person like me to retain a lawyer on short notice”, said Platts. “I’m not daunted. Since becoming an activist outside the two party system, I’ve always had to work 10 times harder to challenge the entrenched power structures, and I’m not backing down now.”

From Green Party US:

With elections coming this November, many state Green Parties are holding meetings to nominate candidates, discuss strategy, and get to know new members. If you are near one of these upcoming state meetings, mark it on your calendar!

The Green Party of Pennsylvania is meeting in State College on Saturday, March 1st. Click here for details.

Also on March 1st, the Green Party of Tennessee will hold its statewide meeting in Nashville.

The Green Party of Texas is planning its next state meeting for April 11-13 in Travis County, TX. Details are available on the party’s Facebook page here.

The Green Party of Wisconsin is meeting in Madison on Saturday, April 12th. Click here for details.

On May 3rd, Maine Greens are holding an anniversary dinner in Augusta to celebrate the founding of the state party. Click here for more information.

And don’t forget, the Green Party of the United States is holding its Annual National Meeting in Saint Paul, Minnesota this July 24th-27th. Hundreds of Greens will be there. We hope to see you!

Click here to purchase registration, food, and lodging for our Annual National Meeting.

Minneapolis, MN – Green Cam Gordon is reelected to the City Council, representing Ward 2.

Green-endorsed candidate Ty Moore received 1565 of 4310 votes, or 36.3%, in second place behind Democrat-Farmer-Labor candidate Alondra Cano, who has 39.4% of first-round votes (and who was endorsed by former Green vice presidential candidate Winona LaDuke). There were four other candidates in the race (see full results). Since Minneapolis uses instant-runoff voting, election administrators will begin round-by-round counting on 11/6, and continue until one candidate has at least 50% plus one.

Syracuse, NY – In unofficial results, Kevin Bott is at 2,305 votes for Mayor, or 15%, slightly behind Conservative Ian Hunter. Democrat Stephanie Miner wins the race.

Howie Hawkins is at 995 votes, or 40%, for District 4 City Councillor, behind Democrat Khalid Bey. As when Hawkins ran for the same seat in 2011, the Working Families Party invested resources in his opponent in the final days of the campaign. “Every Green vote was a conscious vote”, wrote Hawkins in his reflections on the campaign.

New York City, NY –  Anthony Gronowicz received 4,741 votes, or 0.5%, for Mayor.

Julia Willebrand received 19,544 votes, or 2%, for Comptroller.

James Lane received 16,088 votes, or 1.7%, for Public Advocate.

Carl Lundgren received 1,358 votes, or 1.1%, for Bronx Borough President.

Henry Bardel received 476 votes, or 0.7%, for Staten Island Borough President.

UPDATE: With 100% reporting, Lynne Serpe has 2,412 votes, or 15% for New York City Council District 22, behind Democrat Constantinides who has 67%. Serpe finished ahead of the Republican candidate, who took 11.2%.

Other City Council races:

District 2: Miles Budde received 1,359 votes for 6.8%.

District 6: Tom Siracuse received 690 votes for 1.9%.

District 7: Christina Gonzalez received 1,581 votes for 8%.

District 11: John Reynolds received 481 votes for 2.6%.

District 12: Trevor Archer received 243 votes for 1.3%.

District 18: Walter Nestler received 302 votes for 1.9%.

District 20: Evergreen Chou received 373 votes for 3.4%.

District 43: Patrick Dwyer received 342 votes for 1.7%.

Cleveland, OH – Cleveland City Councilman Brian Cummins, a Green, defeated challenger Brian Kazy 917-892 to win reelection to his Ward 14 seat. Cummins’ challenger was endorsed by Cleveland’s mayor, who had pushed a trash-to-energy plant that Cummins opposed.

Bangor, ME – Josh Plourde, a 22 year-old Green, was the top vote-getter for 3 spots on the Bangor City Council.

Portland, ME – Anna Trevorrow was the top vote-getter for 2 seats on Portland’s School Board.

Portland voters also passed a ballot question legalizing recreational marijuana for adults, with about 70% voting in favor. Portland’s Green Party was a strong supporter of the initiative.

California – Sixteen California Greens were elected to local government on November 5th, bringing to 18 elected overall in 2013, an all-time high for the party in an odd-numbered year – and bringing to 54 the number of California Greens currently holding public office statewide. Full story at gp.org.

Marnie Glickman, who ran in a competitive race for Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Board, appears to have come just short of winning a seat. Glickman took 21% of the vote, compared to 23.7% for the candidate who took the third of three seats.

Arlington, VA – Audrey Clement earned 31% of the vote for Arlington County Board, finishing behind incumbent Democrat Jay Fisette.

Seattle, WA – Kshama Sawant, a Socialist Alternative candidate for Seattle City Council District 2 endorsed by the Seattle Green Party and 2012 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, is at 46.7% of the vote to 53% for incumbent Richard Conlin with slightly less than half of ballots now counted. A victory for Sawant is still plausible in this tight race.

New London, CT – Mirna Martinez was elected to the New London Board of Education, the sole non-Democrat on the 7-member board.

Pennsylvania – The Green Party of Pennsylvania reports the following election victories:

Neil B. Haagen III was elected to Snow Shoe Boro Town Council.

Tausif Khan was elected Judge of Elections in Falls Township.

Eric Hamell was elected Inspector of Elections in Philadelphia.

Albany, NY – Theresa Portelli received 665 votes, or 4.5%, for Mayor.

Peter LaVenia received 55 votes, or 12.6%, for City Council Ward 11, finishing second ahead of the Republican, Independence Party, and Working Families Party candidates in the race.

Rochester, NY – Alex White received 1,690 votes, or 5.16%, for Mayor.

Emily Good received 12,952 votes, or 11.97%, for Monroe County Sheriff.

Three Greens running for 5 open seats on Rochester City Council fell short, with all five seats going to Democrats. Dorothy Paige received 3,426 votes for 3.05%, David Atias received 2,997 votes for 2.67%, and Drew Langdon received 2,814 votes for 2.5%.

In the race for School Commissioner, Lori Thomas finished 6th of 8 candidates for 3 seats with 2,775 votes for 3.89%.

Fall River, MA – Green-Rainbow Party candidate for Mayor Joe Carvalho came short of unseating incumbent Mayor Will Flanagan. Carvalho received 3,792 votes, or 31.4%, in Massachusetts’ tenth-largest city.

Holyoke, MA – Rick Purcell fell short of winning an at-large seat on Holyoke City Council, receiving 1,717 votes for 4%.

Pittsfield, MA – Mark Miller fell short of winning one of four at-large seats on Pittsfield City Council, receiving 2,378 votes, as compared to 3,459 for one incumbent who won reelection.

Cambridge, MA – In Cambridge’s at-large city council election, which uses a form of proportional representation, Elie Yarden finished 19th of 25 candidates for 9 seats.

The Maine Green Independent Party saw three local candidates win elections on Tuesday:

Greens in Portland won several races: City Councilors David Marshall and Kevin Donoghue easily won re-election to third terms on the City Council while Holly Seeliger won the open seat for the School Board District 2 (West End, Parkside). Congratulations to David, Kevin and Holly for running terrific, grassroots campaigns and for showing that Greens can govern. Are you ready to run in 2013? Form a municipal committee? Contact us today! info@mainegreens.org

While the Greens running for State legislative seats once again performed well but lost, one Green was re-elected to the state assembly as an Independent. Ben Chipman, who is a Green, wound up running for State Assembly in 2010 as an Independent and defeated his Republican and Democratic opponents. This year he won re-election:

Maine House District 119
Herbert C. Adams (D) 1,272 36.63%
Benjamin M. Chipman (I) 1,884 54.25%
Gwendolyne Elissa Tuttle (R) 317 9.13%

Green Party Presidential candidate Dr Jill Stein has been campaigning tirelessly across the United States, including three days this weekend in Maine:

Thurs.Aug.30th:

Green Party Rally
12-1PM [Monument Square Portland]

Dinner with Local Greens 5PM
[Local Sprouts 649Congress St. Portland]
RSVP: Jacqui jacquio50@yahoo.com [need reservation]

Fri. Aug.31st:

Farmer’s Market 10AM-12PM
[Brunswick Mall]

Dinner with local Greens 4PM
[Frontier Cafe Brunswick]
RSVP:Jacqui jacquio50@yahoo.com [need reservation]

Open House Party 7PM
[Fred Horch’s house 44 Pleasant St.Brunswick]

Sat. Sept.1st:

Farmer’s Market 10AM-12PM
[Deering Oaks Park Portland]

Atlantic CannaFest 2PM [Keynote speaker]
[Deering Oaks Park Portland]

Dinner with local Greens 4PM
[Mesa Verde 618 Congress St. Portland]
RSVP: Jacqui jacquio50@yahoo.com [need reservation]

House Party 7PM
RSVP:Jacqui jacquio50@yahoo.com [need reservation]

One of our favorite candidates this fall, Asher Platts (a.k.a. the Punk Patriot), is launching a series of house parties for his campaign for a State Senate seat in Maine:

PLATTS CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES FIRST IN SERIES OF “PUNCH, PIE, & POLITICS” PARTIES TO BE HELD THIS SUMMER

PORTLAND – Asher Platts, Green Independent candidate for Senate District 8 in Portland, will hold the first in a series of campaign house parties on Friday, July 27th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at 51 Myrtle Street, the home of Anna Trevorrow and Anthony Zeli in Bayside. Members of the public are invited.

“The aim of the house party series is to get to know all the wonderful folks that make up this district in its many neighborhoods, to get neighbors to meet each other to share food and laughs, and to share my campaign’s message that whether it is addressing climate change, fixing our broken government and economy – together we can get it done,” Platts said. “I’m really interested in building communities of citizen power from the ground up that will last through this election for years to come.”

Platts is known nationally as an Occupier-turned-candidate. He spent the fall of 2011 documenting the Occupy Movement on Wall Street and in D.C. before returning to his hometown of Portland to run for State Senate this year.
read more »

Two years ago, Brunswick resident Fred Horch finished just 140 votes behind the Democrat in a three way race for the Maine State House District 66. He beat the Republican by over 250 votes in an incredibly close election. From our race round up in 2010:

State Representative District 66, ME
Alexander Cornell du Houx (D) 1,409 (38.08%)
K. Frederick Horch (G) 1,272 (34.38%)
Jonathan Crimmins (R) 1,019 (27.54%)

Here is the story we posted in 2010 about the Fred Horch campaign.

Fred Horch is giving it another shot this year, and I think it will be one of the top races to watch in 2012. From the Maine Green Independent Party:

PRESS ADVISORY, 07/06/2012
CONTACT: ASHER PLATTS, 207-776-5448

Greens Caucus this Sunday for Closely-watched Brunswick House Seat

Fred Horch to Seek Green Party Nomination for District 66 on Sunday

BRUNSWICK, ME – 07/06/12 The Brunswick committee of the Maine Green Independent Party (MGIP) will caucus Sunday, 07/08/2012 to nominate a candidate for State House District 66. The race in the Brunswick district has grasped public attention recently due to criminal allegations surrounding the incumbent Democrat Representative.

Fred Horch, founder of popular Maine Street business, F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies, is the only declared candidate for the Green Independent Party ticket. Horch was the Green Independent candidate for the same seat in 2010, finishing a close second in a three-way race and garnering 34% of the overall vote.

“In 2010 Fred Horch came a hair-shy of winning the election. The MGIP is excited that this year, he is already emerging as the district’s favorite,” said Asher Platts, Chair of the MGIP.

Horch lives on Pleasant Street with his wife, Bowdoin Professor and neuroscientist, Hadley Horch and their children. He counts Founder of the Brunswick Sustainability Group and Board Member of the Northwest Brunswick Neighborhood Association among his many roles as a volunteer within the Brunswick community.

“Our Party will be proud to count Fred Horch as our candidate for many reasons from his background and credentials to his deep Brunswick-community roots,” Asher Platts said.

The nominating convention will be held on Sunday, July 8th at the Curtis Memorial Library, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

According to the Convention Minutes of the Maine Green Independent Party, at the Party’s May 5th meeting in Portland the Party voted by Caucus resulting in 7 Presidential Delegates for Jill Stein and 6 Presidential Delegates for Roseanne Barr. Maine is allotted 13 Delegates to the Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention in July.

The May 5th meeting follows county caucuses that were held between January and March of this year. According to the meeting minutes, “15 caucuses convened, small portion took a vote, most decided not to vote, those that did vote voted unanimously for Jill Stein, excepting Portland which went 90% for Jill Stein.”

An unofficial delegate count, including the latest results from Maine and Arkansas, puts Jill Stein with 78% of allocated presidential delegates:

• Jill Stein: 96.5
• Roseanne Barr: 18.5
• Kent Mesplay: 6.5
• Harley Mikkelson: 1.5
• Unassigned: 6