By Ursula Rozum
There is no better way to be involved in the political process than to run for office. Participation in a democratic society is more than voting for candidates that have been selected and offered to voters by the corporate parties, but to also be the change that we seek in our nation. The Green Party has been very successful in local races, getting elected and introducing bold innovative ideas during campaigns. When Greens are elected, they have a consistent track record of implementing these news ideas. Some of the issues that Green candidates and elected officials have fought for include addressing climate change, promoting sustainability, reducing income inequality, and fostering democracy. It can be a very exciting experience being a Green candidate and working on these vital issues. In this time of opportunity for real political choices one can not wait another day, so please reach out to us today at (347) 403-0892 or E-mail us at [email protected] and get your campaign started! You can learn the ins and outs of grassroots campaigning at the Syracuse Greens Campaign School on March 22.
As many of you already know, the Green Party Of New York State achieved ballot status by receiving more than 59,000 votes for Governor in 2010. Ballot status means that for four years it is far easier for local candidates to run for office, since the percentage of signatures to get on the ballot is reduced to the same percentage that Democrats and Republicans collect. In practical terms that means that Greens have to collect much fewer signatures when we have ballot status. Depending on the particular race, the number of signatures will range from under 10 to a few dozen. Ballot status also means that the state government will provide the voting equipment for primaries as they do for the two major parties. In 2014, we need to once again get at least 50,000 votes for Governor to maintain ballot status.
Therefore, we are seeking statewide candidates such as for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller as well as candidates for Congress and the state legislature. Every Congressional seat is up, providing an opportunity to focus on national issues such as peace, climate change, single-payer healthcare, affordable housing, and democracy. The state legislature races give potential Green candidates the chance to put forward public campaign financing, job creation, education, single-payer healthcare, and marijuana legalization into the public debate.
If you have ever thought about running for office as a Green, and felt that you could speak about the real issues that Democrats and Republicans ignore, please contact us. The Campaign Committee of the Green Party Of New York State can give you a detailed understanding of the process and advise you on how to successfully get your campaign up and running. There are also many Greens who have run before for these offices that can help provide guidance for new candidates. In that spirit of support, it should also be noted that the state legislature this year is in the process of deciding whether to have primaries for the state legislature in June or September. That decision will affect when candidates are required to hand in their nominating petitions to the Board Of Elections for those races. The June primary is set for Congressional races. For anyone considering a run for Congress, petitions can be circulated from March 4th to April 10th and handed in no later than April 10th. If there is going to be a September primary for State Legislature, then the petitions can be circulated at different dates, to be announced soon. Please contact the GPNYS Campaign Committee today at (347) 403-0892 or E-mail us at [email protected] and get your campaign started!
Is this general call for candidates part of the Greens political ethos? Small d democracy. do they have any strong gubenatorial candidates yet?
I do think the sucess of the Working Families Party has worked against the Greens. Despite getting state ballot access a couple times and having a strong candidate now and then, they don’t seem able to make a critical mass in New York. I’m not trying to make excuses, but I’ve said before. I do think the Working Family Party takes the air a Leftist third party could build on in New York. And siphons it back into the Democratic Party.
Hopefully New Yorkers see that de Blasio is no more a progressive champion than Obama turned out to be and that will help knock the Dems down.
>Depending on the particular race, the number of signatures will range from under 10 to a few dozen.
It’s truly incredible. The Green Party candidate for Governor, Howie Hawkins, got 11,000 more votes than Warren Redlich did as Libertarian, and the result is that the LPNY has to get 1500 (Assembly) or 3000 (state Senate) sigs. for the same office that the GPLP only needs “under 10 to a few dozen.”
Congratulations to the Green Party for its tremendous success story in 2010. I hope we can replicate that in 2014. Then, instead of spending the entire summer petitioning, we can complete it in a couple hours!