OntheWilderSide

[The press release below is a modified press release from the national Green Party. But, please, if you are in Suffolk County, do not forget to write in “Ahmad Ali Mitchel-El” for Suffolk County Executive. More info at www.gpsuffolk.org.]

The Green Party is off and running with candidates for public office in races throughout the US on Election Day, November 6. The total number of Green candidates in 2007 is 130. At least 225 Greens across the nation currently hold elected office. Greens ran 377 races throughout 2006, winning 67 races (18%). Out of 170 municipal and county races in 2007, Greens won 70 (41%).

Several candidates deserve special attention in the 2007 election:

• Chuck Turner is running for reelection to the City Council District 7 seat in Boston, Massachusetts. He is currently the highest ranking African-American Green officeholder in the US. Mr. Turner won his primary election with 75% of the votes cast.

• Howie Hawkins, candidate for Councilor At-Large in Syracuse, New York <http://www.howiehawkins.org> was endorsed by the Syracuse Post-Standard on October 30 <http://www.syracuse .com/poststandar d/stories/ index.ssf? /base/opinion-2/1193734919100810. xml&coll= 1>. Mr. Hawkins ran for the US Senate in New York against Hillary Clinton in the 2006 election.  [Click here to see Independent Politics: the Green Party Strategy Debate, edited by Howie Hawkins, with contributions by Ralph Nader, Peter Camejo, David Cobb, Sharon Smith, Norman Solomon, and other Green Party members and allies.]

• Grace Ross, for Councilor-at-large in Worcester, Massachusetts <http://www.grace4wo rcester.org>, is one of twelve candidates running for six seats after finishing sixth in the September 11 primary.

MORE 2007 GREEN CANDIDATES TO WATCH

Arizona
• Beryl Baker for Tucson City Council Ward 4 http://ElectBerylBa ker.tripod. com
• Dave Croteau for Mayor of Tucson http://www.davecrot eau4mayor. org

California
• Janice Brittain, for City Council, Hermosa Beach http://www.janicebr ittain.com

Connecticut
• Jean de Smet, for First Selectman, Windham http://www.VoteJean .com
• Ronna Stuller, for Board of Education, New London http://www.nlgreens .org

Indiana
• Kathleen Petitjean, for Council 1st Distict in South Bend, Indiana http://www.votepeti tjean.wordpress. com
http://www.southben dtribune. com/apps/ pbcs.dll/ article?
AID=/20071028/ NEWS01/710280355

Maine
• Ben Meiklejohn for Portland School Committee http://www.benmeikl ejohn.com/
• Leslie Minton for Portland School Committee

Maryland
• Maria Allwine, for President of the Baltimore City Council http://www.takebge.org/main. htm
http://www.baltimor esun.com/ news/opinion/ oped/bal-op.fraser14oct14, 0,1317880. column

New York
• Margaret Human, for New Paltz Town Councilman (At-Large) http://www.humanfor newpaltz. org
• David Lussier, for Albany County Legislature, District 7 http://www.lussierf orleg.com/ (In a four-way race for an Albany City Council seat in 2005, Mr. Lussier finished second with 30%)

Pennsylvania
• Jennaro Pullano, for Mayor, Reading http://www.pullanoformayor.org

Virginia
• Josh Ruebner, Arlington County Board http://www.voterueb ner.com (five candidates running for two seats)

Washington
• Sally Soriano, for reelection to Seattle School Board, North District 1 http://sallysoriano.org
• Joe Szwaja, Seattle City Council Position 3 http://joeforcounci l.com
BALLOT ACCESS UPDATES

45 states and the District of Columbia have parties affiliated with the Green Party of the United States <http://www.gp. org/statelist. shtml>. 22 state Green Parties have ballot access for the 2008 national election as of October 2007.

• NATIONAL On October 30, Ralph Nader, Peter Camejo, and six voters filed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee. The 30-page complaint details the national Democratic Party’s extensive support for challenges to Mr. Nader’s ballot positions, especially efforts to sabotage ballot petitions and harass petitioners in several states. http://www.ballot- access.org/ 2007/10/30/ nader-sues- democratic-national-committee- for-2004- dirty-tricks/

• ARKANSAS On October 17, the Arkansas Green Party was notified that its petition has been certified. It is the only Arkansas party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, that is on the ballot for all offices. http://www.ballot- access.org/ 2007/10/17/ arkansas- says-green- party-is-on-ballot/
http://www.arkgreen s.org

• NEW JERSEY On October 17, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Neil H. Shuster ordered that the state grant equal treatment to alternative political parties. The ruling eliminates some of the structural advantages long enjoyed by the Democratic and Republican Parties, and concedes that New Jersey election law must treat alternative parties as official “political parties” for the purposes of campaign finance, lobbying, and voter registration. The lawsuit in the case was filed by the Green Party of New Jersey, the New Jersey Constitution Party, and the New Jersey Libertarian Party. http://www.njapples eed.net/entity_ pdfs/182. pdf
http://www.gpnj. org

• PENNSYLVANIA Carl Romanelli, 2006 Green candidate for the US Senate, is awaiting a decision from the State Supreme Court on $80,000-plus in costs he was ordered to pay as a penalty for invalidated signatures on his ballot petitions. In an equally troubling and unprecedented twist, the court also encumbered Mr. Romanelli’s attorney, Larry Otter, with fines and costs. Pennsylvania requires over 67,000 valid signatures for third party and independent candidates but only 2,000 signatures for Democrats and Republicans running for US Senator, Governor, or President. Greens have accused the Pennsylvania court system of intimidating third parties and independents and freezing them out of major races by exacting such fines, which are unprecedented in the US. The Green, Libertarian, and Constitution Parties of Pennsylvania have filed a joint law suit in the US Supreme Court against the state’s blatantly unfair and antidemocratic ballot access laws. http://video. google.com/ videoplay? docid=-458679740 1475004986
http://video. google.com/ videoplay? docid=-458679740 1475004986
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=MiED0xToa48
http://www.gp. org/press/ pr_2006_10_ 09.shtml
http://www.gpofpa. org

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Filed under: Ballot issues, election, elections, Green Party Websites Tagged: | ballot access, carl romanelli, howie hawkins, Margaret Human, peter camejo, Ralph Nader