Green Party Watch

MAINE GREENS CONGRATULATE CANDIDATES FOR RUNNING STRONG CAMPAIGNS, STRENGTHEN THE CALL FOR ELECTORAL REFORM

Maine Green Independent Party Candidates who ran for the office of state house and state senate ran strong campaigns, often finishing a close second in the race Tuesday night. Fred Horch, of Brunswick, ran a close second with 34% of the vote in District 66.

In Portland, voters approved the work the of the Portland Charter Commission that calls for the election of a mayor using instant runoff voting, a method of voting that allows voters to choose their preference of candidates by number.
“This is a great victory for the people of Portland and those of us who worked for this reform on the commission,” said Anna Trevorrow, a Green Independent candidate who finished second in her race for state house in district 120, against incumbent Diane Russell.
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Despite having a number of promising campaigns for state legislature in various states, Greens fell short of victory in every race – a few by painfully close margins. However, one former Green running for state legislature as an independent in Maine did win.

In Maine, Fred Horch of Brunswick finished with 34% in District 66, just 4 points (or 200 votes) behind the victorious Democrat. Anna Trevorrow finished 2nd with 31% in District 120, and Seth Berner finished 2nd with 28% in District 115.

In Massachusetts, Mark Miller of Pittsfield finished with 45% in a 2-way race in the 3rd Berkshire District.

In Wisconsin, Ben Manski finished with 31% behind Democrat Brett Hulsey, who had 49%. While Manski did better among voters who designated a candidate in the race, straight-ticket Democratic votes gave Hulsey the edge.

In Illinois, Jeremy Karpen finished with 35% to 65% for Democratic incumbent Toni Berrios.

In Pennsylvania, Hugh Giordano finished with 18% in a 3-way race.

In Maine, independent Ben Chipman won House District 119 with 54% of the vote. Chipman previously worked as an aide to John Eder, who became the second US Green to be elected to a state legislature in 2002. Chipman has also run on the Green Party line in previous campaigns. While not technically elected on the Green Party line, Chipman will no doubt be a voice for Green values in the Maine State House.

Fred Horch is the quintessential Green Party candidate for State Legislature (Dist. 66) in Maine. He is 40 years old, a father of three children, and owner of F.W. Horch Sustainable Goods & Supplies in downtown Brunswick, Maine. He has a strong record of community involvement and a solid Green based platform.

He has made good use of video to support his campaign. Below is his newer, shorter video, below that is a 5 minute introduction to Fred Horch video.

Meet Fred Horch:

There are other videos on his website, check it out.

In disturbing news from Maine, an organization called “EqualityMaine” has been doing phone calls for a Democratic Party candidate telling voters that there are only two candidates on the ballot in the 28th State Senate District instead of three. They have been ignoring Green Party candidate Lynne Williams, an Equality Maine supporter.

See this story from the Maine Island Ad-Vantages and Weekly Packet: “EqualityMaine dismisses Williams as viable candidate”:

Over the course of the last week, many voters across Hancock County have received calls from EqualityMaine volunteers, and in the Penobscot Bay Press coverage area, those volunteers are specifically stumping for Democratic Senate 28 candidate Jim Schatz. Schatz is in a three-way race with Republican Brian Langley and Green Independent Lynne Williams.
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AUGUSTA – In an effort to provide guidance to party membership, the Maine Green Independent Party has begun interviewing Gubernatorial candidates. The results of the interviews will be published in a voter guide, with potential for candidate endorsements. “We are open-minded about a possible endorsement in the gubernatorial race. At the very least, we intend to publish a comparison of Green Party issues of concern and candidates’ responses to those issues,” said Anna Trevorrow, Party Spokesperson.

Earlier this year, the MGIP’s favored gubernatorial candidate, Lynne Williams, withdrew, citing recent changes to the Maine Clean Election Law as the main reason. “We have a significant base of party registrants, nearly 36,000 now. We want to be able to provide guidance to those voters to help make their vote count this November,” Trevorrow said.

To date, the MGIP has interviewed gubernatorial candidates Eliot Cutler, Libby Mitchell, and Kevin Scott, and intends to conduct interviews with the remaining candidates for Governor in the weeks to come. During the last two gubernatorial cycles in 2002 and 2006 the Green Independent candidates averaged over 9% of the vote.

While Dems take labor support for granted and cave in to corporate lobbies, Greens fight for working people; Greens say “We don’t have a shortage of work ethic in America, we have a shortage of work”

WASHINGTON, DC — Green candidates for Congress and other public offices have drawn important endorsements from unions and labor organizations, as well as union leaders and rank and file members throughout the US.

“Unions and working people are waking up to the fact that they have a party willing to fight for them — the Green Party,” said Howie Hawkins, Green candidate for Governor of New York (http://howiehawkins.com/) and a member of Teamsters Local 317 (see below).

“While Democratic politicians take labor votes for granted, Greens are pushing for the creation of millions of Green jobs, public works programs, and the right to organize in the nation’s workplaces. While Democrats cave in to wealthy corporate lobbies and campaign contributors, Greens are promoting Medicare For All and opposing plans by the White House’s ‘Catfood Commission’ to cut Social Security. When Democrats and Republicans sent Wall Street billions in bailouts, Greens demanded help for working people suffering under the economic meltdown. The Green Party says: we don’t have a shortage of work ethic in America, we have a shortage of work,” said Mr. Hawkins.

Recent labor endorsements for Green candidates: read more »

The 25,000-member Maine Education Association has endorsed Green Independent Candidate Lynne Williams of Bar Harbor over the Republican and Democratic candidates in a closely contested Hancock County race for State Senate.

“I am honored to receive this endorsement,“ Williams said, “I have spent many years, both before attending law school and as an attorney, working with schools and teachers. Much of my practice is special education law, and I am always particularly impressed with those whose calling is working with children. This endorsement is very meaningful to me and I look forward to having MEA members involved with my campaign.“

Williams is the Maine Green Independent candidate for State Senate in District 28, coastal Hancock County. The seat is currently held by Dennis Damon who is barred by term limits from running for re-election. The district includes Ellsworth, Hancock, Sullivan, the Schoodic Peninsula, Sorrento, the towns on Mt. Desert island, and many of the towns on the Blue Hill Peninsula, as well as Deer Isle and Stonington.
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From Independent Political Report:

Tuesday’s primary election in Maine featured two contested Green primaries for state legislature, both of them in Portland. In District 119, Christian McNeil received 57 percent of the vote in his race against Kris Eckhardt. In District 120, Anna Trevorrow received 91 percent of the vote in her race against Charles Bragdon.

All 5 ballot questions, including four bond issues and repeal of a law that would lower income taxes while raising sales taxes, were passed. The Maine Green Independent Party had supported a yes vote on all five.

The Maine Green Independent Party has put out a Green voter guide for 2010 elections, which advocates voting Yes on all 5 ballot questions. The June primary will also feature 2 contested Green primaries for state representative: between Christian McNeil and Kris Eckhardt in District 119, and between Charles Bragdon and Anna Trevorrow in District 120. Read on for details about the ballot questions. read more »

From GreenChange.org:

Introducing 8 Young Greens to Watch: 8 young candidates who are running hard to bring our values into the halls of power. With your help, 2010 can be a breakthrough year for the Green movement from Maine to California.

At Green Change we’re committed to connecting you with candidates who share your Green values. And we’re passionate about inspiring young people to get active in the Green movement to transform politics in America.

Read about these 8 young Greens to watch, then spread the word!

LeAlan Jones gained international acclaim at age 13 for his work on the documentary “Ghetto Life 101″, a portrayal of life on Chicago’s south side. LeAlan is running for US Senate to work for single-payer health care, quality universal education, an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, public campaign financing, green jobs and transportation, and much more.

Hugh Giordano is an award-winning union organizer in Philadelphia with a Master’s degree in Legal and Ethical Studies. Hugh is running for Pennsylvania State House to work for green jobs, quality education, single-payer health care, workers’ rights and more.

Cynthia Santiago of Los Angeles is a law student and an activist for environmental justice for low-income communities. Cynthia is running for California State Assembly to work for environmental justice, youth violence prevention, sustainable development and investing in education instead of incarceration.

Dan Craigie of Minneapolis served four years as a Navy technician before working his way to a Master’s degree in public policy. Dan is running for Minnesota State House to work for renewable energy, single-payer health care, environmental protection, equal rights and more.

Anna Trevorrow was elected in 2009 to serve on the City Charter Commission in Portland, Maine, where she advocated instant runoff voting and other reforms. Anna is running for Maine State House to work for progressive tax reforms, living wage, single-payer health care, greater transportation choice and more.

Alberto Bocanegra is a Chicago community organizer who has been active in efforts for immigration reform and affordable housing. Alberto is running for Alderman to fight Chicago’s notorious corruption and ensure equal rights for underprivileged communities.

Erin Cianchette is a music teacher, peace and environmental activist, and graduate student in public policy and non-profit management from Cumberland, Maine. Erin is running for Maine State House to work for renewable energy, green job creation, single-payer health care, equal rights for all, and more.

Jeremy Karpen of Chicago is an anti-violence counselor and therapist for troubled youth. Jeremy is running for Illinois State House to work for single-payer health care, mass transit, affordable housing, quality public education, and political reforms to clean up Illinois’ notoriously corrupt politics.

You can help these young Greens build momentum by giving them a contribution and sharing this page with your friends and family.

Read and share the original post at GreenChange.org.

Three bits of good news for the Maine Green Independent Party:

According to a story at Independent Political Report about changes in party registration numbers since 2008, the Maine Greens have seen substantial growth in the last 1.5 years:

…in Maine the only state-recognized minor party is the Green Party, which has seen an increase of 8,790 or 34.1% since the 2008 presidential election.

The Maine Greens’ website announces the opening of a new office in Portland, and the election of a new steering committee:

Progressive politics in Maine has a new home. The MGIP announces its new office located in the heart of downtown Portland’s Government district.

From Ross Levin at Independent Political Report:

The Independent Green Party is the Maine affiliate of the national Green Party.  From the Bangor Daily News:

Members of Maine’s Green Independent Party will gather in Greene this weekend for an annual convention dedicated to the memory of a Deer Isle resident and party leader who died recently.

Jack Harrington, 63, served on the Green Independent Party’s steering committee and was a delegate to the national party. An Army and Navy veteran and a retired federal employee, Harrington was also active in numerous Deer Isle-area civic and community service organizations, including Deer Isle Grange 296 and Hospice of Hancock County as well as the national organization Veterans for Peace…

Harrington will be honored posthumously with the “Green of the Year” award this Saturday during the party’s annual state convention, to be held at the Androscoggin Grange in Greene.

At least ten state Green Parties have statewide events coming up in May. Listed below are details for upcoming Green Party events in Colorado, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, and South Carolina. Attending statewide Green gatherings can be a good way to get more involved with your state’s Green Party.

Saturday 1 May

Colorado – Green Party of Colorado 2010 state convention – Florence, CO

Maine – Maine Green Independent Party 2010 state convention – Greene, ME

Minnesota – Green Party of Minnesota 2010 statewide nominating convention – Red Wing, MN

South Carolina – Green Party of South Carolina 2010 state convention – Columbia, SC

Tuesday 4 May

Ohio – Green Party of Ohio primary election

Friday 14 May

Florida – Green Party of Florida 2010 state meeting (5/14-5/16) – Peace Farm (near Gainesville, FL)

Saturday 15 May

Michigan – Green Party of Michigan 2010 state membership meeting – Lansing, MI

North Carolina – Green Party of North Carolina spring gathering – Greensboro, NC

New York – Green Party of New York 2010 state nominating convention – Albany, NY

Saturday 22 May

Maryland – Green Party of Maryland 2010 state assembly – Annapolis, MD

As reported yesterday, Maine Green Anna Trevorrow was hoping to raise $500 from supporters. She called today to let me know that her goal was reached, with $2 to spare. Because Maine’s Clean Elections law limits how much a candidate can raise…in this case, $500, Trevorrow is no longer taking donations. Congratulations are due her and her supporters, some of whom came from us here at Green Party Watch.