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GREEN BALLOT STATUS VICTORY IN NEBRASKA;
GREEN WINS IN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN
Endorsements pour in for high-profile Oakland
(California) City Council candidate Aimee Allison;
Greens, facing intense challenges from Democrats, win reelection in Madison,
Wisconsin.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- While Greens in some Midwestern
states advanced in key early 2005 elections and a
ballot status victory in Nebraska, Green candidates
throughout the U.S. have begun to launch campaigns in
important races later this year.
So far in 2005, 46 Greens have declared their
candidacy for 18 kinds of office in 13 states, with 9
victories in winter and early spring elections.
NEBRASKA: The state of Nebraska has granted
recognition to the Nebraska Green Party after Greens
handed in signatures to restore their ballot access on
March 15.
The successful petition effort gives the Green Party
full ballot status in District 1 (Lincoln and
surrounding areas). Nebraska grants ballot status by
district; Nebraska Greens still need to collect
signatures for Districts 2 and 3 and expect to
accomplish this in the summer.
ILLINOIS: Over 45,000 votes were cast for Green
candidates in Illinois's general election on April 5,
2005, in which two of seven Green candidates won local
races. Anna Lempart, a 19 year old student from
Urbana, Illinois was elected to the Champaign-Ford
Regional Board of School Trustees. Scott Summers, an
attorney from Harvard, Illinois, was elected to the
McHenry County College Board of Trustees.
WISCONSIN: In a city council general election in
Madison on April 5, three Green Party incumbents won
reelection despite an unprecedented vote suppression
campaign funded by the county Democratic Party,
leaders of the Chamber of Commerce, and the realtors association.
Austin King won 78% of the vote, . Brian Benford won 55%, and popular
Madison Council President Brenda Konkel was unopposed in her reelection
bid.
The Democratic-Chamber of Commerce smear campaign did claim several Green
victims, however. Despite
spirited grassroots efforts, Lori Nitzel and Sarah
King lost their races with 43% and 45% each. The Democrat-funded automated
phoning and a negative direct-mail campaign suggested that an
"ultra-liberal" political party was about to "seize control" of Madison,
and made thinly veiled references to one candidate's sexual orientation in
urging voters to support candidates who "share our values."
Observers believe that the main purpose and effect of
the last-minute negative campaigning was to suppress progressive voter
turnout. Indeed, Madison turnout was an all-time low for a city council
election. Some local Democratic Party activists have quit their party in
disgust since Tuesday.
In other Wisconsin elections news, Ald. Peter Karas of
Racine fended off a Democratic challenger, winning 73%
of the vote, and first-time candidate Chris Kratochwill won a respectable
33% of the vote against 16-year Democratic incumbent Ken Golden on Madison's
west side.
All of the Green Party candidates in Madison received endorsements from the
American Federation of Teachers, and in some cases, from other unions. Most
also received the backing of the Sierra Club and the Affordable Housing
Action Alliance. No Democrat running against a Green
received an endorsement from any of those organizations, or from the local
labor council.
CALIFORNIA: Aimee Allison has emerged as a
high-profile Green candidate for Oakland City Council
(District 2). Ms. Allison Aimee, an African-American
military veteran and 12-year resident of Oakland, has
collected endorsements from the Sierra Club, Oakland
Teachers Association, and numerous labor and civic
leaders, as well as from other prominent Greens,
including San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi,
former Supervisor Matt Gonzalez, 2004 vice
presidential candidate Pat LaMarche, and 2003
California gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo. For
a list of endorsers, visit
<http://www.aimeeallison.org/Endorsement2_04_08.php>.
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