GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org
After GOP scandals and weak Democratic leadership, Greens expect 2006 to be a good year for alternative party growth.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party candidates won a quarter of all the races in which they competed in 2005.
Out of 177 Green candidates, 46 were were elected to public office in 2005 -- a 25.99% victory rate. A summary of Green wins in 2005 can be read at <http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml>.
"The 2005 off-year elections showed steady growth for the Green Party," said Jody Grage Haug, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.
The only Green incumbent candidates who lost in 2005 were two Minneapolis City Council members, Natalie Johnson Lee and Dean Zimmerman, who were defeated after Democrats deliberately redistricted the city in order to weaken Green support.
But these defeats were offset by the election of nonincumbent Green candidate Cam Gordon to the Minneapolis City Council.
Greens enjoyed some 'surprise' victories in various states:
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Mike Sellers was elected Mayor of Cobbleskill, New York.
There are now two Green mayors in New York; the other is Jason West of New Paltz. While the Republican incumbent and the Democratic ran negative campaigns against each other, Mr. Sellers ran a positive campaign and focused on his Get Out the Vote effort, gaining 46% of the
vote.
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On May 7, David Lanman was elected Mayor of Marfa, Texas.
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In a partisan three-way race, Marty Qually was elected to the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Borough Council.
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Hillary Bradbury-Huang was elected to the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees.
"We expect some dramatic Green victories in 2006," said Jennifer Walling, co-chair of the Green Party's Coordinated Campaign Committee.
The public has grown disgusted with the nightly news about Republican abuses of power, deceptions behind the Iraq war, Katrina incompetence, election irregularities in 2000 and 2004, and corruption, including the Abramoff charges and DeLay allegations."
"But Americans also know that Democrats have facilitated such abuses and are just as addicted to corporate money. A NPR poll released this week found that the public has slightly less confidence in Democrats than in President Bush on the question of ethics, and that the two established parties are equal when it comes to corruption. The time is ripe for a third party insurgence."
(See http://www.greenbergresearch.com/articles/1656/1786_npr_poll.pdf)
As of January 1, 2006 there are at least 227 elected Green officeholders.
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1711 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Victories in 2005
http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml
http://www.gp.org/patience.html