Gonzalez's Jump to San Francisco Mayoral Runoff Tops a String of Green Victories.

Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Contacts:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Matt Gonzalez for Mayor: www.mattgonzalez.com

Green candidates win in New England and Midwestern cities and Washington state; scattered wins elsewhere; first Green ever elected in Virginia.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "Many things happen in San Francisco that get picked up later by the rest of the country....  It shows that voters are ready for the Green Party and what it stands for," said Green Party candidate Matt Gonzalez, who placed second in the race for mayor of San Francisco and will compete in a December 9 runoff election.

Gonzalez, currently president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (analogous to a city council) edged out Angela Alioto and will face Democrat Gavin Newsom on December 9.  Gonzalez's semi-victory is the most notable in a string of Green wins across the U.S. in the November 4 off-year election.

The Green Party's strongest showings were in New England, some Midwestern states, and Washington state, with scattered victories elsewhere (see the list of currently known victories below).  In Connecticut, New Haven alderman Joyce Chen and Hartford City Council president Elizabeth Horton-Sheff were reelected, as was Boston City Council member Chuck Turner in Massachusetts.  As of Wednesday morning, Greens counted 40 winners out of 178 Green candidates on the November 4 ballot.

Gonzalez and Brita Butler-Wall, who won her race for the Seattle school board, were among a half dozen Green candidates selected by the Coordinated Campaign Committee of the Green Party of the United States for national support.  Also among the selected candidates was Matt Ahearn, who lost his reelection bid  despite strong praise for his performance in the New Jersey State Assembly during his first term.

Greg Allen, elected Soil & Water Conservation Director in Virginia Beach, is the first Green ever elected in Virginia.

GREEN VICTORIES (as of 11:30 a.m., November 5):

New England

• Joyce Chen reelected as New Haven alderman

• Elizabeth Horton-Sheff re-elected to the Hartford City Council

• Chuck Turner reelected to the Boston, Massachusetts City Council, District 7

• Steven Spring elected to the Portland, Maine School Committee

• Elizabeth Trice elected as county charter commissioner in Portland, Maine

• Ken Keskinen elected the Cornwall, Connecticut Board of Selectman, placing first among three candidates for two seats

Midwest

• David Juarez and Dan Cooney elected to the Kalamazoo, Michigan City Commission (both are incumbents who switched over from the Democratic Party)

• Eric Kinman elected to the Windsor Heights, Iowa Council

• Russ Stewart elected to the Duluth, Minnesota City Council

California

• Matt Gonzalez placed second and will run in the San Francisco mayoral runoff on December 9

• Sara Bassler elected to the Midcoast Community Council in San Mateo County.

• Matthew Clark elected to the Granada Sanitary District, also San Mateo County.

Northwest

• Sally Soriano elected as School Board director, Seattle School District, Washington

• Brita Butler-Wall elected to the Seattle School Board

South

• Greg Allen elected Soil & Water Conservation Director in Virginia Beach, with 25% of the vote (2nd in a 5-way race for 2 seats)

MORE INFORMATION

The 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

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