Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney has declared her candidacy for the state’s 14th congressional district, seeking a return to Congress in the November general election as a Green candidate.
McKinney launched her bid this week, stating she would prioritize healthcare and education, economic justice, and constitutional rights. “I am running to represent the people of Georgia’s 14th District because our country is at a crossroads,” she said in the announcement, adding that voters “deserve leadership that listens to working families, defends human rights, and relentlessly pursues accountability and peace.”
While McKinney does not explicitly identify herself as a Green Party candidate, campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission confirm her as such. Her campaign website also goes into detail about why she’s running, stating she was encouraged by her campaign manager in response to pervasive corruption and a lack of accountability within the federal government.
McKinney previously represented Georgia’s 11th congressional district as a Democrat from 1992 through 1996, and then its 4th district through 2002 after the Supreme Court ruled the former a racial gerrymander. While in office, she gained national attention for her criticism of U.S. foreign policy and the Bush administration’s handling of Iraq following the September 11 attacks, as well as her views on Israel and Palestine, all of which helped contribute to her defeat in the 2002 Democratic primary. She returned to Congress in 2004 for another term before losing in the following Democratic primary runoff.
After leaving Congress, McKinney joined the Green Party and later became its 2008 presidential nominee alongside Rosa Clemente. She made her first attempt to return to Congress as a Green in 2012, again in the 4th district, but failed to secure ballot access that cycle. She was also selected as the Green Party of Alaska’s vice presidential nominee in 2020 along with Jesse Ventura after the state party opted to field an alternative ticket rather than support the national ticket of Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker.
If elected, McKinney states on her website that she would pursue the full declassification of investigative records related to Jeffrey Epstein, independent investigations into government agencies and contractors accused of facilitating or covering up human trafficking, and permanent whistleblower protections for individuals who expose abuse. She has also proposed ending federal contracts with corporations tied to exploitation or obstruction of justice and establishing a victims-first restitution fund financed through clawbacks from those convicted traffickers and complicit institutions.
McKinney reiterates her views on U.S. involvement in the Middle East, calling for an end to U.S. military and financial aid to Israel and greater enforcement of domestic and international human rights laws. She further supports reducing the influence of foreign lobbying in U.S. politics, endorses the Palestinian right of return and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, and calls for lifting Israel’s blockade of Gaza to allow for unrestricted humanitarian aid and civilian movement.
As the Green Party is not currently a recognized party in Georgia, McKinney will be required to either petition or pay a filing fee equal to three percent of the office’s annual salary to appear on the ballot. State law requires independent and third party candidates for U.S. House to collect signatures equal to five percent of the number of registered voters eligible to vote in the most recent general election for the office, which will be next month’s special election to fill the vacancy left by former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
McKinney get tired of being a Libertarian again?