The Green National Committee will elect three Steering Committee co-chairs later this month, with delegate voting set to end one day before the close of the Green Party’s upcoming Annual National Meeting in Chicago.
Discussion on the election is currently underway and will run through July 17. Voting will begin the following day and continue through July 25, one day before the Annual National Meeting is scheduled to end. Two-thirds of active state affiliates and accredited caucuses are required for quorum, with co-chair elections conducted using ranked-choice voting.
Nominations were originally made by delegates and alternates to the National Committee earlier this year, with the party ultimately identifying seven candidates for the queue. They are Cassandra Lems of the Green Party of New York, Josiah Dean of the Pacific Green Party of Oregon, Patricia Vener-Saavedra of the Green Party of Connecticut, Ann Link of the Green Party of New York, Charles Ostdiek of the Green Party of Nebraska, Kalia Fitzgerald of the North Carolina Green Party, and Henry Pratt of the Young Ecosocialist Caucus.
In addition to the seven candidates, delegates are also allowed to vote for “No Other Candidate,” though write-in candidates are not allowed. As of this article, detailed candidate biographies have not yet been shared; however, Lems, Ostdiek, and Fitzgerald are seeking reelection, with Fitzgerald having only recently been elected to fill a vacancy in May. The party said biographies will be provided to the queue in the coming days.
Under Green Party rules, the Steering Committee oversees the party’s routine operations, including staff and contractor management, national finances, communications, publications, legal needs, and other administrative matters. It also coordinates committee and caucus work and manages proposals before the Green National Committee.
Additionally, the Steering Committee consists of seven co-chairs whose elections are purposefully timed to coincide with the Annual National Meeting, with four members elected during odd-numbered years and the remaining three during even-numbered years. It also includes a secretary and a treasurer, who are similarly elected by the National Committee in separate votes during this same period.
The Annual National Meeting will take place July 23 through July 26 at the University of Illinois Chicago. It will be the party’s first in-person national meeting since 2019, though a remote option remains available. New Steering Committee members will begin their terms immediately following the end of the Annual National Meeting.
Be First to Comment