Green Party
Green Party | |
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Basic facts | |
Location: | Washington, D.C. |
Type: | Political Party |
Year founded: | 1984 |
Website: | Official website |
The Green Party of the United States (Green Party) is a political party in the United States. According to its website, the Green Party is "an independent political party that is connected to American social movements, and is part of a global Green movement that shares key values, including our Four Pillars: Peace and Non-Violence, Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, and Social Justice."[1]
Background
Green activists in the United States first convened in Minnesota in 1984 and approved the "10 Key Values" platform. In 1990, Alaska became the first state to put the Green Party on the ballot. In 1996, state Green Party organizations ultimately banded together and formed the Association of State Green Parties. Four years later, the state parties united as affiliates under the national Green Party of the United States. The group officially obtained recognition as a national political party with the Federal Election Commission in 2001.[1]
Party chairs
The Green Party has seven party co-chairs. Margaret Elisabeth, Tony Ndege, and Tamar Yager were elected as co-chairs on July 23, 2022.[2] Craig Cayetano, Darryl! Moch, Alfred Molison, Joseph Naham, and Holly Hart were elected in a special election on March 14, 2023. Bob Stuller was elected in a special election on May 14, 2023.[3]
Party leadership
The governing body of the party is known as the Green Party Steering Committee. It is made up of seven party co-chairs, a treasurer, and a secretary. Members of the Steering Committee are elected for two year terms and have a two term limit.[3]
The Green Party listed the following individuals as party leaders as of April 2024:
- Craig Cayetano, Co-chair
- Margaret Elisabeth, Co-chair
- Darryl! Moch, Co-chair
- Alfred Molison, Co-chair
- Joseph Naham, Co-chair
- Tony Ndege, Co-chair
- Tamar Yager, Co-chair
- Holly Hart, Secretary
- Bob Stuller, Treasurer
For more information on the party's leadership, please click here. For more information on the party's staff, please click here.
Historical leadership
Steering Committee 2021
- Ahmed Eltouny, Co-chair
- Anita Rios, Co-chair
- Christopher Stella, Co-chair
- Garret Wasserman, Co-chair
- Margaret Elisabeth, Co-chair
- Rei Stone-Grover, Co-chair
- Tamar Yager, Co-chair
- Kristin Combs, Co-chair
- Hillary Kane, Co-chair
Steering Committee 2019
- Anita Rios, Co-chair
- Gloria Mattera, Co-chair
- Justin Beth, Co-chair
- Kristin Combs, Co-chair
- Margaret Flowers, Co-chair
- Tony Ndege, Co-chair
- Trahern Crews, Co-chair
- David Gerry, Co-chair
- Hillary Kane, Co-chair
Steering Committee 2017
- Chris Blankenhorn, Co-chair
- Darlene Elias, Co-chair
- Andrea Mérida Cuéllar, Co-chair
- Sanda Everette, Co-chair
- Darryl Moch, Co-chair
- Tamar Yager, Co-chair
- Bahram Zandi, Co-chair
- Jan Martell, Co-chair
- Hillary Kane, Co-chair
Party platform
The Green Party platform is composed of the following issues:
I. Democracy
- Political Reform
"Greens will crack down on political corruption and strengthen the voice of the people at all levels of government." - Community
"Community is the basic unit of green politics because it is personal, value-oriented, and small enough for each member to have an impact. Community involvement is a foundation for public policy." - Free Speech and Media Reform
"Independent, critical media are essential to an informed and healthy democracy." - Foreign Policy
"As we overcome continued conflicts and violence, we realize the difficulties inherent in encouraging democracy and of advancing the cause of peace. We face a more complex set of challenges in how our nation defines its national security. Greens support sustainable development and social and economic justice across the globe. Reducing militarism and reliance on arms policies is the key to progress toward collective security." - Domestic Security
"Greens want to stop the assault on our civil liberties that intensified after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and restore these and other freedoms to all people." - Demilitarization and Exploration of Space
"The Green Party recognizes the need for the inspiration and education that the peaceful exploration of Space provides; the need for space-based systems to monitor environmental conditions on Earth; the many advances in space technology that benefit all people on Earth; and the inspiration provided to children by Space exploration can prompt them to pursue math, science, and other important courses of study."
II. Social Justice
- Civil Rights and Equal Rights
"The foundation of any democratic society is the guarantee that each member of society has equal rights. Respect for our constitutionally protected rights is our best defense against discrimination and the abuse of power. Also, we recognize an intimate connection between our rights as individuals and our responsibilities to our neighbors and the planet. The Green Party shall strive to secure universal and effective recognition and observance of the principles and spirit expressed in the United National Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an international standard that all nations must meet." - Environmental Justice
"The Green Party supports a holistic approach to justice, recognizing that environmental justice, social justice and economic justice depend on and support each other. We believe that no one — including people of color and the poor — should be poisoned nor subjected to harmful levels of toxic chemicals and that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the pollution from industrial, governmental and commercial sources or policies. Across the United States, the poor and people of color do suffer disproportionately from environmental hazards in the workplace, at home, and in their communities. Inadequate environmental laws, lax enforcement, and weak penalties for environmental violations undermine environmental integrity, public health and civil rights." - Economic Justice / Social Safety Net
"We believe our community priorities must first protect the young and helpless. Yet how will state legislatures and agencies, under pressure from more powerful interests, react? We believe local decision-making is important, but we realize, as we learned during the civil rights era, that strict federal standards must guide state actions in providing basic protections. As the richest nation in history, we should not condemn millions of children to a life of poverty, while corporate welfare is increased to historic highs." - Welfare: A Commitment to Ending Poverty
"An unjust society is an unsustainable society. When communities are stressed by poverty, violence and despair, our ability to meet the challenges of the post industrial age are critically impaired. A holistic, future-focused perspective on how we distribute resources in this country would consider the effects of such distribution not just on our present needs, but on the seventh generation to come." - Education and the Arts
"The Green Party supports equal access to high-quality education, and sharp increases in financial aid for college students...Freedom of artistic expression is a fundamental right and a key element in empowering communities, and in moving us toward sustainability and respect for diversity." - Health Care
"The Green Party supports single-payer universal health care and preventive care for all. We believe that health care is a right, not a privilege." - Labor
"The right to organize unions, bargain freely and strike when necessary is being destroyed by employers and their representatives in government. Today, nearly one out of ten workers involved in union organizing drives is illegally fired by employers who wage a campaign of fear, threats, and slick propaganda to keep workers from exercising a genuinely free choice." - Criminal Justice
"Reduce the prison population, invest in rehabilitation, and end the failed war on drugs." - Population
"Humans have a unique responsibility for stewardship of the Earth. No species, especially on the upper end of the food chain, can have unchecked exponential growth without depleting the Earth's carrying capacity — human population expands at the expense of other species." - Housing and Homelessness
"People have a right to a home and to be secure in their tenancy. However the supply of affordable housing is not meeting the need, while in an era of increasing deregulation, many tenants are losing important legal protections."
III. Ecological Sustainability
- Climate Change
"The Green Party calls for an Ecosocialist Green New Deal to achieve 100% clean energy, zero greenhouse gas emissions, and economic security for all within a decade." - Energy
"The Green Party advocates a rapid reduction in energy consumption through energy efficiency and a decisive transition away from fossil and nuclear power toward cleaner, renewable, local energy sources." - Nuclear Issues
"The Green Party recognizes that there is no such thing as nuclear waste "disposal..."The Green Party calls for the early retirement of nuclear power reactors as soon as possible (in no more than five years), and for a phase-out of other technologies that use or produce nuclear waste...The Green Party strongly opposes any shipment of high-level nuclear waste across the U.S....We call for cancellation of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)...We call for independent, public-access radiation monitoring at all nuclear facilities." - Transportation
"The Green Party supports a transportation policy that emphasizes the use of mass transit and alternatives to the automobile and truck for transport. We call for major public investment in mass transportation, so that such systems are cheap or free to the public and are safe, accessible, and easily understandable to first-time users. We need ecologically sound forms of transportation that minimize pollution and maximize efficiency." - Zero Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
"A waste-free society is essential to public health and the integrity and sustainability of the biosphere. Natural ecosystems are self-sustaining and generate no waste. We humans are a part of these ecosystems, and while we obtain resources from them, we have a responsibility to return only those things that can be re-absorbed without detriment. Waste is not an inevitable part of production and consumption, as it is viewed in the current economic model." - Clean Air and Ozone Depletion
"The strict, comprehensive protections of the Clean Air Act must be maintained and enhanced if we are to keep in place effective federal programs that deal with urban smog, toxic air pollution, acid rain, and ozone depletion. State and local clean air initiatives should advance and improve national efforts; for example, moving forward with stricter clean air and fuel efficiency standards, and with vehicle and fleet conversions." - Land Use
"Land use policies must promote sustainable development and respect ecology. Unlimited growth on a finite planet cannot be sustained." - Water
"Water is essential to all forms of life. The Green Party calls for an international declaration that water belongs to the Earth and all of its species. Water is a basic human right! The U.S. Government must lead the way in declaring water a fundamental human right and prevent efforts to privatize, export, and sell for profit a substance that is essential to all life." - Agriculture
"Food is a necessity and a fundamental human right. All people have a right to adequate, safe, nutritional and high quality food; and those who grow it have a right to a fair return for their labor." - Biological Diversity
"Humanity must share the planet with all other species. Our continuing destruction of animal habitats threatens an ever-growing number of species with extinction. This not only deprives these species of their existence, but will deprive future human generations of the enrichment of having these species on the Earth." - Ethical Treatment Of Animals
"Cruelty to animals is repugnant and criminal. The mark of a humane and civilized society lies in how we treat the least protected among us. To extend rights to other sentient, living beings is our responsibility and a mark of our place among all of creation. We call for an intelligent, compassionate approach to the treatment of animals." - Forestry Practices
"From oxygen production to water conservation to carbon sinks to stratospheric ozone regulation to medicines and homes for all kinds of creatures, forests are indispensable to human and animal life and must be protected." - Ocean Protection
"Our oceans, with their enormous diversity of life and function, are essential to life on Earth and must be preserved. - International Environmental Policy
"GPUS believes that an international agreement should be reached which sets (1) an executable and enforceable framework for keeping Earth well within its 7 measurable planetary boundaries (currently including climate change, biosphere integrity, land-system change, freshwater use, biogeochemical flows, ocean acidification, and stratospheric ozone depletion) (2) an executable and enforceable framework for the designation of at least 50% of the planet as a nature reserve and (3) international protections, funding, and legal personhood to large swaths of wildlands like the Brazilian Amazon and Nile River, including rivers longer than 1,500 km and wildlands larger than 1,000,000 acres." - Rights of Nature
"We support the adoption of local, state, and federal laws which recognize the legal rights of natural communities and ecosystems – including wetlands, streams, rivers, aquifers, and other water systems – to exist, flourish, regenerate, naturally evolve, and be restored. We support the inclusion in those laws of the ability of people and communities to file legal actions in the name of the affected natural community or ecosystem, and for courts to require restoration of the natural community or ecosystem back to its pre-damaged state."
IV. Economic Justice and Sustainability
- Ecological Economics
"To create an enduring society we must devise a system of production and commerce where every act is sustainable and restorable. We believe that all business has a social contract with society and the environment — in effect a fiduciary responsibility — and that the concepts of socially responsible business and shareholder democracy can be models for prospering, successful business." - Measuring Economic Health
"We cannot rely on technological progress to solve ecological and long-term economic problems. Rather, we should endeavor to make lifestyle choices that reinforce a general equilibrium of humans with nature. This requires consciously choosing to foster environmentally sound technologies, whether they are newer or older technologies, rather than technologies conducive to conspicuous consumption and waste." - Curbing Corporate Power
"Greens want to reduce the economic and political power of large corporations, end corporate personhood and re-design corporations to serve our society, democracy and the environment." - Livable Income
"We affirm the importance of access to a livable income." - Fair Taxation
"We call for progressive taxation, shifting tax from individuals to corporations, taxing "bads" not "goods," taxing unearned income at the same rate as earned income, taxing speculation on Wall Street, and cutting corporate tax giveaways." - Local Economic Development
"Greens support reforms that give communities more control over their own local economies. Greens support decentralization, and call for a community-based economics whose aim is local prosperity and self-sufficiency." - Small Business and the Self-Employed
"Greens support a program that counteracts concentration and abuse of economic power. We support many different initiatives for forming successful, small enterprises that together can become an engine of (and sustainable model for) job creation, prosperity and progress. Small businesses are where the jobs are being created." - Work and Job Creation
"The Green Party proposes a third alternative to a job or no job dichotomy: that is to provide everyone a sustainable livelihood. The need of our times is for security, not necessarily jobs. We need security in the knowledge that, while markets may fluctuate and jobs may come and go, we are still able to lead a life rooted in dignity and well-being." - Banking and Insurance Reform
"Greens will overhaul the financial industries to end their culture of impunity and to prevent them from committing fraud or malfeasance so severe as to drive our nation into a massive recession or depression." - Pension Reform
"Pension funds are gigantic capital pools that can, with government support, be used to meet community needs and benefit workers and their families directly." - Anti-Trust Enforcement
"The Green Party supports strong and effectively enforced anti-trust regulation to counteract the concentration of economic power that imposes a severe toll on the economy." - Advanced Technology and Defense Conversion
"The Green Party supports defense technology transfer towards a peacetime technology-based economy, particularly new industrial applications and developments in the areas of advanced communications, alternative energy, non-toxic battery technology and waste management." - National Debt
"Our national debt has grown by trillions of dollars to finance tax cuts for America’s wealthiest citizens, war, corporate welfare and bailouts of Wall Street and the automotive industry. The burden of the increasing annual interest payments on the debt falls disproportionately on working people and the small business community. It is not sustainable." - Monetary Reform (Greening the Dollar)
"It is both possible and necessary for Congress to take back its exclusive Constitutional power to create our money (Article1 Section 8) without the creation of debt, and assume the responsibility to spend this money directly into circulation to fund public benefits outlined in the Federal Budget. Only with a Public Money System can the government direct our national wealth to the needs of the people through their local and state governments. A Public Money System will enable millions of good livelihoods, provide sufficient incomes, shrink the debt burden and begin to close the wealth gap."
Party rules and bylaws
The state party is governed by a set of rules and bylaws. Typically, these give structure to the different levels of organization—local, county, and state committees—and establish protocol for electing committee members. The bylaws also typically give details on the party's process for nominating and sending delegates to the national party convention during presidential elections. The following is a summary of the Green Party's rules. This summary focuses on the structure and governance of the party:[4]
- The National Committee shall be the final decision-making body of the Green Party of the United States.
- The Steering Committee shall serve as an administrative committee on behalf of the GPUS to carry out the duties and responsibilities described in this Article.
- The Steering Committee shall be composed of seven Co-chairs, a Secretary, and a Treasurer; and be elected by the National Committee.
- The term of [co-chair] is two years, with a limit of two consecutive terms. Four Co-chairs shall be elected in odd-numbered years and three in even-numbered years.
Party candidates
Note: The following table lists candidates who filed to run for office with this political party in a given year. The list may not be comprehensive if the state's official filing deadline has not passed. This list may not populate if no candidates have filed to run with this political party. The table lists non-presidential candidates who filed to run for office with this political party in a given year. For more information on presidential candidates and elections, please click here.
Using the tools at the top of the table, you can increase the number of candidates shown on your screen or scroll through the table to view additional candidates. To report an error, please email us at [email protected].
2024 Green Party candidates
Arizona
California
Connecticut
Florida
Georgien
Hawaii
Illinois
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
New Jersey
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Texas
Washington
Wisconsin
Elections
2022 elections
In 2022, the Green Party reported that 161 members, across 26 states, ran for public office, winning 39 contests.[5]
The following is an abbreviated list of 2022 Green Party candidates available on Ballotpedia:
- Liana West, Governor of Arizona
- Michael Ernest Kerr, U.S. House California District 10
- Iris Boswell, U.S. House Colorado District 1
- David Jeang, Maryland State Senate District 19
- Ken Krayeske, Attorney General of Connecticut
2021 elections
In 2021, the Green Party reported that 123 members, across 19 states, ran for public office, winning 59 contests.[6]
The following is an abbreviated list of 2021 Green Party candidates available on Ballotpedia:
- Madelyn Hoffman, Governor of New Jersey
- Dominique Faison, New Jersey General Assembly District 11
- Marlene Sebastianelli, Pennsylvania State Senate District 22
2020 elections
In 2020, the Green Party reported that 239 members, across 33 states, ran for public office, winning 42 contests.[7]
The following is an abbreviated list of 2020 Green Party candidates available on Ballotpedia:
- Howie Hawkins, President
- Jed Whittaker, U.S. Senate Alaska
- Andrew O'Connor, Colorado State Senate District 17
- Alia Sarfraz, Illinois House of Representatives District 52
- Timothy Runkle, Pennsylvania Treasurer
2019 elections
In 2019, the Green Party reported that 153 members, across 23 states, ran for public office, winning 51 contests.[8]
The following is an abbreviated list of 2019 Green Party candidates available on Ballotpedia:
- Ronnie Henley, Tennessee House of Representatives District 77
- Jeff Francis, Missouri House of Representatives District 22
- Bob Voorhees, Missouri House of Representatives District 36
- Mirna Martinez, Connecticut House of Representatives District 39
2018 elections
- See also: Green Party candidates, 2018
In 2018, the Green Party reported that 315 members, across 36 states, ran for public office, winning 39 contests.[9]
The following is an abbreviated list of 2018 Green candidates available on Ballotpedia:
- Adam Davis, U.S. House Utah District 1
- Steve Young, U.S. House Michigan District 12
- Eric Allen, U.S. House Florida District 16
- Jason Kishineff, U.S. House California District 4
- Angelica Dueñas, U.S. House California District 29
2017 elections
- See also: Green Party candidates, 2017
In 2017, the Green Party reported that 211 members, across 23 states, ran for public office, winning 76 contests.[10]
The following is an abbreviated list of 2017 Green Party candidates available on Ballotpedia:
- David Kulma, U.S. House South Carolina District 5
- Kenneth Mejia, U.S. House California District 34
- Lisa Durden, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
- Seth Kaper-Dale, Governor of New Jersey
2016 elections
In 2016, the Green Party reported that 320 members, across 30 states, ran for public office, winning 52 contests.[11]
- Jill Stein, President
- Arn Menconi, U.S. Senate Colorado
- Joseph DeMare, U.S. Senate Ohio
- Vanessa Tijerina, U.S. House Texas District 15
- Barry Hermanson, U.S. House California District 12
Conventions
2024 national convention
The Green Party selected its presidential nominee at the 2024 Green National Convention, which took place virtually from August 15-18, 2024.[12] Delegates voted to select Jill Stein (G) as the party's 2024 presidential nominee. Stein previously ran as the Green Party's presidential nominee in 2016 and 2012. Stein selected Butch Ware (G) as her vice presidential running mate.
Prior to the national convention, state primaries and conventions were held to select the presidential nominating convention delegates. These delegates selected Stein at the convention by majority vote.[13]
2020 national convention
The Green Party selected Howie Hawkins as its presidential nominee at the 2020 Green National Convention on July 11, 2020. Angela Nicole Walker was named the Green Party vice presidential nominee. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the convention took place virtually.[14][15][16]
Prior to the national convention, state primaries and conventions were held to select the presidential nominating convention delegates. These delegates then selected a party nominee at the convention by majority vote.[13]
"In the eyes of the nation, the Green Party nominee will be the principal voice of the party. The success of the nominee will determine ballot access in some states and will impact the fortunes of Green candidates in state and local races," the party stated in official documentation.[13]
Jill Stein, the 2012 and 2016 Green presidential nominee, did not run for a third presidential election.[17]
2016 national convention
- See also: Green Party National Convention, 2016
The Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention took place at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, from August 4 to August 7, 2016.[18]
Candidates seeking the nomination were required to meet the Green Party's recognition criteria. Candidates needed to establish a campaign committee and website, demonstrate grassroots support within the Green Party, and achieve fundraising milestones, among other requirements.[19]
The Green Party officially recognized five 2016 candidates: William Kreml, Jill Stein, Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza-Curry, Darryl Cherney and Kent Mesplay.[20]
Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka formally received the Green Party’s nominations for president and vice president, respectively, on August 7, 2016. Stein said during her acceptance, “I want to thank Bernie Sanders supporters who refused to let the political revolution die. We have a tremendous opportunity before us. The American people are longing for a change. They are ready to do something different, and we have to be the vehicle for that difference."[21]
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Green Party of the United States Official website
- National Lavender Greens Caucus (GLBTIQ)
- Green Party Latinx Caucus
- Green Party Youth Caucus
- Green Party Black Caucus
- Green Party National Women's Caucus (NWC)
- Green Party Disability Caucus
- Campus Greens
- Global Greens homepage
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Green Party US, "About," accessed April 30, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
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tag; name "about" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Green Party of the United States, "National Committee Voting," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Green Party US, "Steering," accessed April 30, 2024
- ↑ Green Party of the United States, "Bylaws of the Green Party of the United States," May 9, 2010
- ↑ GPUS Elections Database, "2022 Stats," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ GPUS Elections Database, "2021 Stats," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ GPUS Elections Database, "2020 Stats," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ GPUS Elections Database, "2019 Stats," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ GPUS Elections Database, "2018 Stats," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ GPUS Elections Database, "2017 Stats," accessed May 2, 2024
- ↑ Green Party of the United States, "Election database," accessed June 18, 2016
- ↑ Green Party, "National Meetings," accessed July 11, 2024
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Green Party, "How to Seek the 2020 Green Presidential Nomination," accessed October 21, 2019
- ↑ Green Party, "Greenline August 2019," August 28, 2019
- ↑ Green Party, "Media Advisory - Green Party of the U.S. Presidential Nominating Convention," July 6, 2020
- ↑ Syracuse.com, "Syracuse’s Howie Hawkins is the Green Party’s presidential candidate," July 11, 2020
- ↑ The New York Times, "Green Party, Eyeing the 2020 Presidential Race, Prepares for the Midterms," August 1, 2018
- ↑ Green Party of the United States, "2016 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention - August 4-7, 2016," accessed June 17, 2016
- ↑ Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States, "Article X. Recognition of Declared Candidates for the Green Party nomination for President," accessed February 29, 2016
- ↑ Green Party of the United States, "Press Release: The Green Party recognizes five candidates for the Green presidential nomination," January 14, 2016
- ↑ NPR, "Jill Stein Wins Green Party Nomination, Courting Disaffected Sanders Supporters," August 7, 2016
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