Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org
Anita D. Collins, Elaine Brown Campaign Manager, 912-262-9811
GREENS VOW TO SUPPORT BRUNSWICK, GA., MAYORAL
CANDIDATE ELAINE BROWN IN HER FIGHT AGAINST DISQUALIFICATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders pledged
support for Elaine Brown, Green candidate for Mayor of Brunswick,
Georgia, after the Glynn County Board of Elections announced that Ms.
Brown was disqualified from participating in the November 8 election.
The board voted on Friday, October 14, to
disqualify Ms. Brown, claiming that she had not lived in Brunswick
long enough to be a candidate.
"It's obvious that Elaine was seen as a
significant threat to powerful wealthy interests who wanted her
removed from the race," said Rev. Zach Lyde, a member of the
Glynn County Green Party. "We believe these same interests
influenced the Glynn County Board of Elections."
"Elaine Brown was running a people's
campaign, defending Brunswick's majority African American and poor
population against 'Blueprint Brunswick', a development plan according
to which the city will evict thousands from their homes, using
sweeping powers of eminent domain," Rev. Lyde added. "This
was a Republican hatchet job against a strong, credible candidate seen
as a viable threat. We will assist in whatever way we can with
Elaine's legal challenge in Glynn County Superior Court."
Ms. Brown has asserted that her residency was
sufficiently established by November 5, 2004, when she registered to
vote in Brunswick, in accord with the one-year residency requirement
for a candidate to appear on the ballot on November 8, 2005. Ms. Brown
has cited a Georgia Supreme Court decision confirming that
registration in time for the election in which a candidate seeks to
participate is sufficient for the purpose of seeking local office.
According to The Brunswick News ("Brown
tossed from ballot," October 15), "Board members said their
decision was based on a feeling that, for the purpose of elections,
residence is best defined as a place of domicile. They agreed with
Brown's assertion that an individual can have more than one residence
-- as she contended she did -- but felt she did not sufficiently prove
she moved to Brunswick in November rather than December."
"The Brunswick News article on the 'feeling'
of the elections board reveals that its decision was entirely
subjective, and based on patent bias against someone they consider an
upstart candidate," said Nan Garrett, co-chair of the Georgia
Green Party. "Ms. Brown's disqualification recalls not only the
vote manipulation and obstruction documented in Florida in 2000 and
Ohio in 2004, but also the collusion between Democrats and Republicans
to keep third party and independent candidates off ballots across the
U.S."
Green Parties throughout the U.S. have fought to
overturn restrictive ballot access laws. Greens noted in September,
2004, that while Democrats attempted to disqualify independent
presidential candidate Ralph Nader in Florida on technicalities, a
'gentlemen's agreement' between Democrats and Republicans allowed the
state of Florida to ignore the fact that George W. Bush's campaign had
missed the September 1 filing deadline to place Mr. Bush on the
ballot. Greens have faced similar double standards in numerous races
<http://www.gp.org/press/pr_09_13_04b.html>.
Elaine Brown, a leader of the Black Panther Party
in the 1970s, received an endorsement for her 2005 campaign from Rev.
Al Sharpton in August. Ms. Brown's Republican opponent in the race is
Bryan Thompson, president of Blueprint Brunswick.
"The outcome of the mayoral race in Brunswick
will determine whether thousands of low income African American
residents get to remain in their homes or get thrown out," said
Rev. Zach Lyde. "With the decision to disqualify Elaine Brown,
the election is now fixed."
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\
Elaine Brown for Mayor of Brunswick, Georgia
http://www.elainebrown.org
2802 Altama Avenue, Suite B, Brunswick, GA 31520
Telephone 912-262-9811
Facsimile 912-262-9813
Georgia Green Party http://www.greens.org/georgia
The Brunswick News http://www.thebrunswicknews.com