February2026 Greenstar
Green Party of PA Elects 2026 Leaders
On January 11, the Green Party of Pennsylvania State Committee met virtually to elect its leaders for 2026. More than 40 elected delegates and friends of the Green Party from 14 counties participated. They elected five officers to the GPPA Steering Committee, while one co-chair and the secretary were in mid-term. GREEN STAR asked the 2026 Steering Committee members to introduce themselves.
[This story includes quotes from new Co-Chair Colleen Schmotzer (Allegheny), re-elected Treasurer J.J. Kondrich (Westmoreland), and three new Steering Committee Members at Large: Tony Dastra (Lancaster), Wendy Keslick (Chester) and Beth Schongar (Allegheny).]
Two members of last year’s GPPA Steering Committee did not stand for election because their terms end in 2027. Bryarr Misner (Allegheny) will remain GPPA secretary, and Tim Runkle (Lancaster) will continue as co-chair.
Incumbent Co-chair Tim Runkle told GREEN STAR, “As I begin the second year of my co-chair term, I want to first thank Theron Gilliland, Jr. (Allegheny), Erin King (Centre) and Barbara Laxon (McKean), the outgoing Steering Committee members for their commitment and hard work. They have contributed to strengthening the Green Party of Pennsylvania. Their efforts have helped sustain the party through challenging times and laid important groundwork for what comes next. I also look forward to working with the incoming Steering Committee members and to seeing them share their knowledge, skills, and experience in ways that will strengthen our collective leadership.”
“During 2026,” Tim continued, “my focus as co-chair will be on practicing servant leadership and helping the Steering Committee continue the construction of a comprehensive, member-driven plan for the future of GPPA. I believe our success depends on meaningful engagement with our members encouraged by listening, inviting participation, and creating opportunities for Greens to lead, organize, and contribute. Rather than imposing a top-down agenda, my hope is that the new Steering Committee will advance a plan shaped by the ideas and energy of our members. When we empower more people to get involved and to take ownership of the direction, we will continue to grow the Green Party as a strong, democratic, and principled alternative in Pennsylvania politics.”
PA Green News
Edited by Chris Robinson
Green Party State Committee Meeting
On January 11, the Green Party State Committee met virtually. The 40 delegates and friends from 14 PA Counties elected their 2026 leadership (see Lead Story above) and decided by consensus on dates for their next five State Committee meetings (see Calendar below). The State Committee also elected their delegates to committees of the Green Party of the U.S.
A straw poll showed that sixty percent of delegates present supported GPPA nominating candidates for state-wide office during 2026.
PA Green Party Taps Lancaster Member for State Leadership
A Lancaster County Green Party member has been elected to serve on the state party’s steering committee this year. Tony Dastra, who ran unsuccessfully for Lancaster mayor and City Council last year, was selected by Green Party delegates to serve as an at-large committee member.
Elizabethtown resident Timothy Runkle, who leads the county’s Green Party and is co-chair of the state party, said Dastra is key to growing support in more areas of the county. “Tony brings some new energy into areas you probably haven’t seen us prior,” Runkle said, noting the Green Party has not had active participation in Lancaster city elections since the local party began in the 1990s.
Dastra is no stranger to third-party politics. Before joining the Green Party, he established the GoldGoose Party and ran under its banner in several citywide races. Dastra said he wants the Green Party to become an organization that people can trust to find solutions, not just campaign for reelection. The key to growth and political change at the national level, he said, will be to encourage involvement at the local level.
Campaign Updates
Edited by Chris Robinson
GREEN STAR will keep you posted about Green Party members who seek the nomination to run for public office. Green Party members who plan to seek the GPPA nomination to run in 2026 and 2027 are welcome to contact GREEN STAR at [email protected].
2026 PA ELECTIONS – IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
EDITED FOR GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES
Before circulating Green Party nomination papers, every Green Party candidate must be endorsed by their county Green Party or by the Green Party State Committee.
March 11 -- First day to circulate and file Green Party nomination papers
April 18 – Last day for Green Party candidates to be registered “Green”
May 19 -- PRIMARY ELECTION
(Best time to harvest signatures on nomination papers.)
August 3 -- Last day to circulate and file Green Party nomination papers
August 10 -- Last day for withdrawal by candidates nominated by Green Party nomination papers
August 10 -- Last day to file objections to Gree Party nomination papers
October 19 -- Last day to REGISTER before the November election
October 27 -- Last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot
November 3 -- Last day for County Boards of Elections to receive voted mail-in or civilian absentee ballots
November 3 – GENERAL ELECTION
Note: All dates in this calendar are subject to change without notice by the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Team Reports
Edited by Patrick O. McNally
Communication Team
Part of changing society is changing the narrative. In moving society away from corporate control, we must tell a new story about working people, our struggle to survive, and the ways in which the Green Party can make change happen. The Communication Team is ready to tell your story -- your Green county story, your Green candidate story, your Green member story. We will use the GREEN STAR monthly, news releases, and emails. For more information, please contact us at [email protected]
Please join the Communication Team right here,
www.gpofpa.org/team_communications_join
Finance Team
The Finance Team includes volunteers who help to manage and plan the finances of the Green Party. Team tasks include membership promotion, fundraising, merchandise, and state event/meeting planning. Our volunteers are spread across the state and perform their organizing remotely while connecting local Green chapters with new membership and supportive organizations.
Please join the Finance Team right here.
https://www.gpofpa.org/team_finance_join
Green Wave Team
The 2026 campaign season is now underway, and the Green Party of PA is actively seeking potential candidates for Commonwealth offices such as PA House of Representatives. YOU CAN HELP by sharing this call for candidates with anyone you feel represents our Four Pillars and Ten Key Values. If you are considering approaching activists you know about running Green, please begin the conversation with them as soon as possible. Candidates who plan to run as Greens must be registered “Green” 30 days before the primary election on May 19, 2026. For more information, please email [email protected]
Please join the Green Wave Team right here.
www.gpofpa.org/team_greenwave_join
Core Team
The Core Team started off 2026 with renewed energy to take on projects that are key to many of the Green Party’s efforts. First for 2026 will be updates and revisions to the new member handbook, and the creation of an onboarding presentation and plan for new Greens. The Core Team meets on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 pm. Join the team’s next meeting at the link below, or check out the link to RSVP via the GPPA calendar page
https://www.gpofpa.org/core_team_meeting_20260202
Please join the Core Team right here.
https://www.gpofpa.org/team_core_join
National Green News
Edited by David Ochmanowicz Jr.
Reclaiming the Radical Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By The National Black Caucus of the Green Party U.S.
As we raise our voices in celebration of his legacy, we honor not the sanitized symbol, but the revolutionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The man whose true vision necessitated his suppression. The powerful have crafted a palatable dream, scrubbed clean of his radical economic analysis, his socialist leanings, and his profound indictment of a system built on the triple evils of racism, materialism, and militarism. It is this edited, non-threatening version that is enshrined in our schoolbooks and national celebrations, a deliberate erasure designed to neutralize his revolutionary call.
Webinar: U.S. Militarism Comes Home
This webinar was presented on January 14, 2026, by the Green Party Peace Action Committee It examined how domestic militarization has evolved, why it has accelerated in recent years, and what risks it poses to democratic governance and civil liberties. Panelists explored whether these trends represent a fundamental shift in how political authority is exercised inside the U.S., and what alternatives may still be available.
Latinx Caucus Condemns the Killing of a Legal Observer by ICE Agents in Minneapolis
This incident shows what happens when state power goes unchecked. A community defender lost her life while protecting the rights of others. No public agency should operate without accountability or consequence. We reject procedural delays and hollow assurances. We demand consequences, full stop.
Webinar: Future of Artificial Intelligence
The EcoAction Committee of the Green Party of the U.S. held a discussion on the future of Artificial Intelligence on January 12, 2026. Currently generative AI uses exuberant amounts of natural resources, through the data centers needed to hold data and run massive computer farms, and impacts local communities with heightened utility bills and pollution. A "nuclear renaissance" to power hyperscale data centers, is being weaponized against the American people and immigrants.
2026 GPUS Annual National Meeting
Greens from around the country get together in person every year in different locations. In non-Presidential years, the Green Party holds an Annual National Meeting (ANM). It is important to us that people of all income levels can attend. Registration for our meetings is always low-cost. There are generally low-cost housing and food options, and we offer waivers to some low-income members. At the ANM, there are many opportunities for Green activists and people who just want to learn more about the Party.
https://www.gp.org/national_meetings
Global Green News
Edited by Hal Brown
The Irish Green Party Condemns Illegal U.S. Attack on Venezuela
“We call on the EU and the UN to use all diplomatic channels to negotiate a peaceful solution and protect the population, resources, and democracy,” reads a message published on the Green Party’s website. The Greens demand respect for multilateral institutions and processes. “While the United States has chosen to ignore them, it is essential that the rest of the world support and strengthen them.”
New Zealand Greens Focus on a Return to Grassroots Politics
As the 2026 election year begins, the co-leaders of the Green Party, Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick, are making a major strategic shift. Recognizing the growing toxicity of social media, they are abandoning algorithms in favor of direct contact with voters.
Mexican Green Party Seeks to Integrate Sign Language into Educational Television
Mexican Green Party senators have submitted a legislative initiative to amend the General Education Law. The goal is to officially integrate Mexican Sign Language (LSM) on digital platforms and educational television channels.
Denmark’s Green Party Achieves Second-best Result in Municipal Elections
The Green Party of Denmark (SF – Green Left) has achieved its second-best result ever in the municipal elections. The party obtained 11.1% of the vote nationally, a 3.5-point increase compared to the 2021 municipal elections, and is now represented in 96 municipalities. (The Greens also won five new mayoral posts.)
GPPA Meeting Dates for 2026
All State Committee Meetings will begin at noon
Sunday, March 8, via Zoom
Saturday, June 13, or Sunday, June 14, hybrid
Saturday, September 12 or Sunday, September 13, hybrid
Sunday, November 15, via Zoom
GPPA Meeting Dates for 2027
Saturday, January 9, or Sunday, January 10, hybrid
GPPA Communications Team
Issue Credits
Editors: Hal Brown, Patrick O. McNally, David Ochmanowicz, Jr. and Chris Robinson
Contributors: Tony Dastra, Wendy Keslick, J.J. Kondrich, Chris Robinson, Tim Runkle, Colleen Schmotzer and Beth Schongar
Layout: Hal Brown, Sherri Miller, and David Ochmanowicz Jr.
Graphic Arts: Kevin Richardson
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The GREEN STAR is an official publication of the Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications Team * 2026.
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