Green Party of Illinois
http://www.ilgp.org/
Contact: Phil Huckelberry, Co-Chair, Illinois Green Party, 309-268-9974,
phil@mcgreens.org
Jennifer Rose, Whitney for Governor, campaignmanager@whitneyforgov.org,
618-528-8683
June 19, 2006
Released June 15, 2006
"Illinois politics-as-usual is about to change," said Jennifer Rose,
campaign manager for Green gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney, as the
Illinois Green Party recently collected its 25,000th signature on the way
to getting its slate of candidates to appear on the statewide ballot this fall.
"New" parties are forced by state law to collect 25,000 signatures between
March 28 and June 26 to qualify for the fall ballot. The Green Party has
now surpassed that number, and Greens are continuing to collect signatures
through June 26 to buttress against a possible challenge.
The six-person statewide slate includes: Rich Whitney (Carbondale) for
Governor; Julie Samuels (Oak Park) for Lieutenant Governor; David Black
(Belvidere) for Attorney General; Karen Young (Chicago) for Secretary of
State; Rev. Dan Rodriguez-Schlorff (Chicago) for Treasurer; and Alicia
Snyder (Centralia) for Comptroller.
The Green Party will also field more legislative candidates in Illinois
than ever before. Already ballot qualified are Nathan Helsabeck for 8th
State Rep (Oak Park, western Chicago); Phil Huckelberry for 88th State Rep
(Bloomington-Normal); and Charlie Howe for 115th State Rep (Carbondale
area). Other legislative candidates currently petitioning include Dorian
Breuer for 1st State Senate (Chicago); Robert Cepeda for 2nd State Rep
(Chicago); Kathy Cummings for 4th State Rep (Chicago); Tim Curtin for 78th
State Rep (Oak Park); and Tom Abram for 103rd State Rep (Champaign-Urbana).
The success of the petition drive in spite of harsh ballot access laws
could indicate that the Green message resonates well with voters this election cycle, some in the
party say. "We have done very well this year because the general public is mad
at both the Democrats and the Republicans," said Huckelberry. "We talk about real issues like alternative
energy, and have real solutions to problems like education funding. This
makes us more credible than the entrenched parties in the eyes of many voters."
For more information on Green campaigns in Illinois, see also:
Illinois Green Party - www.ilgp.org
Rich Whitney for Governor - www.whitneyforgov.org
Dan Rodriguez-Schlorff for Treasurer - www.schlorff.com
