Prohibition Party of New York Chair Jonathan Makeley Announces Write-In Campaign for Governor

Jonathan Makeley, chair of the Prohibition Party of New York, has announced a write-in campaign for governor, using the race both to promote the party’s growth in New York and to give voters another option at the ballot.

In a May 30 announcement shared with Independent Political Report, Makeley said he is mounting a gubernatorial campaign this November as a write-in candidate because of New York’s “almost impossible” ballot access requirements. His campaign will focus on good governance, ethical public service, and policies intended to protect residents from exploitation.

Makeley, who identifies himself as a lifelong New Yorker and historian focused on American reform movements, is also the secretary of the Prohibition Party’s National Committee.

“I am running because I believe that New Yorkers deserve to have a positive alternative to the failed approaches of the major parties,” Makeley said in his announcement. He added he believes the state needs “someone who will speak on the important issues affecting the lives, health, and wellbeing of New Yorkers.”

Makeley criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul, accusing her administration of supporting “harmful and regressive pro-alcohol policies” and failing to reverse the changes to New York’s ballot access laws originally approved under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He also faulted state officials over issues such as economic development programs and school funding, while accusing legislators in both major parties of supporting policies that benefit the alcohol and tobacco industries.

“Far too many of them have stood by and allowed anti-democratic ballot access restrictions, corruption and mismanagement in state programs, and other problems to continue,” he said.

New York currently recognizes only the Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Families parties. Candidates not nominated by one of those parties must pursue the independent nominating petition route to appear on the ballot under another line.

For statewide candidates, that process means collecting 45,000 signatures, including at least 500 signatures from at least half of New York’s congressional districts. Had Makeley pursued that route, he would have needed to file those petitions by May 26.

The current requirement stems from the election law changes Makeley referenced in his statement, which were approved in 2020, and increased New York’s independent nominating petition threshold for statewide candidates from 15,000 signatures to 45,000. At the same time, the state raised the party qualification standard from 50,000 votes for governor to 130,000 votes or 2 percent of the total vote, whichever is greater, leading to several third party organizations losing their previous status.

Since those changes, several such candidates and organizations unable to petition onto the ballot have turned to write-in campaigns instead. During the 2024 election cycle, the Green Party of New York failed to place its presidential ticket of Jill Stein and Butch Ware on the ballot and instead pursued an organized write-in campaign in an attempt to regain ballot access. Although it fell short of that goal, the effort still captured more than 40,000 write-in votes.

In the announcement, Makeley also said New York has a long history of reform activism, specifically naming the abolition and women’s suffrage movements. He argued that voters can still press for change even when the state’s election laws make it difficult for non-major parties to appear on the ballot.

“It will take time and a lot of effort, but it can be done if enough sensible New Yorkers stand up and dedicate themselves to making it happen,” Makeley said in the announcement. “We must stand up and send a message to the officials; that it is time that they uphold their obligations as public servants and stand for the lives and wellbeing of New Yorkers.”