Greens to Watch on Election Day

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%).

45 states and the District of Columbia have parties affiliated with
the Green Party of the United States
. 22 state Green Parties have
ballot access for the 2008 national election as of October 2007.

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 was endorsed by the Syracuse
Post-Standard on October 30
.
Mr. Hawkins ran for the US Senate in New York against Hillary Clinton
in the 2006 election.

• Grace Ross, for Councilor-at-large in Worcester, Massachusetts
, is one of twelve candidates running
for six seats after finishing sixth in the September 11 primary.


BALLOT ACCESS UPDATES

• 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.arkgreens.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.njappleseed.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=-4586797401475004986
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4586797401475004986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiED0xToa48
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_10_09.shtml
http://www.gpofpa.org


MORE 2007 GREEN CANDIDATES TO WATCH

Arizona
• Beryl Baker for Tucson City Council Ward 4 http://ElectBerylBaker.tripod.com
• Dave Croteau for Mayor of Tucson http://www.davecroteau4mayor.org

California
• Janice Brittain, for City Council, Hermosa Beach http://www.janicebrittain.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.votepetitjean.wordpress.com
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071028/NEWS01/710280355

Maine
• Ben Meiklejohn for Portland School Committee http://www.benmeiklejohn.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.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.fraser14oct14,0,1317880.column

New York
• Margaret Human, for New Paltz Town Councilman (At-Large)
http://www.humanfornewpaltz.org
• David Lussier, for Albany County Legislature, District 7
http://www.lussierforleg.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.voteruebner.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://joeforcouncil.com


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193