Cleveland OH: The Green Party of Ohio is again making a call for open debates. 5 months ago we issued statement demanding that Green Party voices be included in national and state level debates.

As of today, one Presidential and the Vice-Presidential debate have occurred. Green Party nominees Dr. Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka were not on stage during these events.

Ohio Green Party
www.ohiogreens.org

Contact:
[email protected]

For Immediate Release
October 6, 2016

Nor has the Green Party candidate for US Senate from the State of Ohio, Joe DeMare, been invited to participate in the three debates scheduled by the other candidates in the race, Republican Senator Rob Portman and Democratic challenger Ted Strickland.

This is simply unacceptable. The Democratic and Republican Parties have long acted in concert to silence alternative voices in the political process. They are denying the American electorate the knowledge to make an informed choice at the voting booth.

This election cycle has seen a surge in interest in the alternative parties. By maintaining very narrow definitions of who is, and who is not, a "viable" candidate, the Republicans and Democrats have made a mockery of the process by which we elect those who serve in Washington DC, Columbus, and other cities across the nation.

The time is now for this charade to finally end. Open up the debates on all levels to give the voting public a meaningful choice when they cast their votes. We can have a truly representative government but not until all voices are given the chance to present their case.

Mr. DeMare has made a statement of his own regarding the debates. It can be found here.