November 12, 2014

Green Party election results

CALIFORNIA: Led by three present/former Green Mayors, 23 Green Party members were elected on Nov. 4. In Marina (Monterey County), two-term incumbent Mayor Bruce Delgado was elected to his third two-year term. In Richmond (Contra Costa County), Gayle Mclaughlin was elected to the City Council, after having served two four-year terms as mayor, for which she was unable to run again because of term limits. Ms. McLaughlin and four colleagues faced an aggressive but unsuccessful effort by Chevron to defeat them by pouring $3 million into opponents' campaigns (http://richmondprogressivealliance.net/History.html). Three other Greens were elected to City Council Seats: Paul Pitino (Arcata, Humboldt County), Deborah Heathersone (Pt. Arena, Mendocino County) and John Keener (Pacifica, San Mateo County).
MAINE: Three Green candidates were elected. Jonathan Ault finished first among six candidates for Gardiner City Council. John Eder was elected to a school board position in Portland. Water rights activist Nickie Sekera was elevated to the Fryeburg Water District.
MASSACHUSETTS: The Green-Rainbow Party gained ballot status after several statewide nominees drew more than 4%. The state requires at least 3% from one statewide candidate. (http://www.green-rainbow.org/2014_election_results)
NEW YORK: Thanks to Howie Hawkins' campaign for Governor, with Brian Jones running for Lt. Governor, the Green Party made history by establishing itself as the third party in a state crowded with alternative parties because of New York's election rules, which allow fusion. Mr. Hawkins received more than 175,000 votes (about 5%), far above the 59,000 he received in his 2010 gubernatorial run and more than triple the 50,000 necessary for party status. Matt Funiciello received about 11% in his third race for Congress in District 21 in upstate New York. Was endorsed by three local papers. See Mr. Hawkins' Nov. 6 guest column in The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/06/election-green-promise-2016).
OREGON: Measure 90 was defeated; it would have enacted a top-two election system making participation by alternative parties nearly impossible in statewide general elections. (California now has top-two elections.) Michael Beilstein was elected to Corvallis City Council and Matt Donohue was elected to Benton County Circuit Court Judge. Oregon voters legalized marijuana, but a ballot measure requiring labeling of genetically engineered food was defeated by a tiny margin. Greens supported both measures. (More: http://www.pacificgreens.org/pacific_green_party_celebrates_victories)

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