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GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: August 14, 2003
Contacts:
Beth Moore Haines, 530-277-0610, beth@greens.org
Ross Mirkarimi, 415-412-7526, rmirk@msn.com
John Strawn, 805-689-2840, jcs_arts@yahoo.com
Sara Amir, 323-654-2058, saraamir2001@yahoo.com
GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA ENDORSES PETER MIGUEL CAMEJO FOR GOVERNOR
Sacramento - Following the unprecedented urgent polling of every active
county level Green Party
chapter in the state, the Green Party of California (GPCA) today
announced its endorsement for Green
Party member Peter Miguel Camejo for Governor.
The GPCA is the second major endorser for Camejo this week, following
Tuesday's endorsement by
long-time consumer rights activist Ralph Nader, the Green Party's
presidential candidate in 2000.
Nader says Camejo, a financial advisor, has a better understanding of
the state's fiscal crisis than
do other candidates.
Camejo's candidacy offers California voters both fiscal wisdom and
progressive values.
Demonstrating his grassroots support, Camejo turned in the most
signatures among all certified
candidates. Collected on his behalf by volunteers across the state, the
signatures made Camejo the
only major candidate to qualify by signature support rather than buying
his way onto the ballot.
Camejo is also the first candidate in the recall race to be endorsed by
a major political party.
The endorsement process was unique for the Green Party of California,
with such decisions usually
made by delegates in face-to-face meetings. With the short timeline of a
sudden election, the next
such meeting would be just three weeks before Election Day.
"The democratically elected representatives of our eleven regions
opted to make a decision now,
polling every active county in the state to fully inform this bottom-up
decision," said Michael
Borenstein, co-chair of the GPCA Coordinating Committee. "We're
proud of the Green Party's inclusive
politics, and we challenge the top-down parties to try it."
More than 80 percent the active counties had reported by today's
deadline; 90 percent of them voted
to endorse Peter Camejo.
Peter Camejo has adopted the green party platform and he often points
out the disproportional tax
burden shouldered by the state's working poor. Camejo calls for a
progressive and fair tax plan, a
living wage for workers, and Instant Runoff Voting.
"Peter has earned strong grassroots support in his coalition work
with unions, farm workers, and
other underrepresented communities," said Magali Offerman,
co-coordinator of the state Campaigns and
Candidates Working Group. "With Camejo in the race, voters can look
forward to issue-based debates,
instead of the usual hollow sound bites."
Debates between the leading candidates scheduled for September will
include Camejo.
"Peter is known for his years of coalition work with other
progressive activists and candidates,"
said Jo Chamberlain, a member of the San Mateo Greens' County Council.
"The Green Party of
California will bring that cooperative spirit to the capital by working
tirelessly to help Peter
Camejo become the next governor of California."
More information: www.votecamejo.com
The Green Party of California
http://www.cagreens.org
P.O. Box 2828, Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
gpca@greens.org
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