Greens Also Retain Ballot Status in Washington D.C. As Nationwide Results Continue to Roll In

WASHINGTON — Overcoming immense challenges including “anyone but Trump”, pandemic campaigning conditions, nationwide panic about election integrity and four years of smears from the corporate oligarchy, the Green Party emerged from Election Day with 11 wins in the state of California and Oregon, and achievements elsewhere.

Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
November 06, 2020

Contact:
Michael O’Neil, Communications Manager, [email protected]
Holly Hart, Co-chair, Media Committee, [email protected]
Craig Seeman, Co-chair, Media Committee, [email protected]

Greens across the country are celebrating 26-year-old Emmanuel Estrada’s winning the office of Mayor of Baldwin Park, CA. That makes him, along with Mayor Bruce Delgado in Marina, CA the highest elected Green official in the country.

“We’re going in at the right time to reform the image of the city, to reform the image of City Hall, and we’re in the perfect position to do that,” said Estrada, who took out a second job to finance his campaign.

This week’s Green wins add to 10 electoral victories from earlier in the year.

“We have weathered the storm,” said Green Party National Steering Committee member Hillary Kane. “Since 2016, the two-party power structure accelerated their efforts to exterminate us, to scapegoat us for their own failures and corruption. We have endured and we are already rallying to come back stronger than ever.”

Green victories in races that have been called, so far, include:

• Emmanuel Estrada, Mayor of Baldwin Park, CA

• David Grover for City Council of Trinidad, CA (re-elected)

• Sylvia R. Chavez for City Council (At-Large) of Calipatria, CA

• Sharron Parra for Hyampom, CA Community Service District

• Michael Paul Hansen for Humboldt County, CA Community Services District

• John Abraham “Abe” Powell for Montecito, CA Fire Protection District (re-elected)

• Randy Marx, Fair Oaks Water District (Sacramento County) (re-elected)

• Matthew Clark, Granada Community Services District (San Mateo County) (re-elected)

• Jane Jarlsberg for Joshua Basin Water District, Division 3 in San Bernardino County, CA

• Josiah Dean for City Council of Dufur, OR (re-elected)

• Michael Clary for Soil and Water Conservation, Zone 4 in Coos County, OR (re-elected)

In the races of Jake Tonkel for City Council in San Jose, CA and the re-election of Jessica Clayton to the Brick Township, NJ Board of Education, the candidates are awaiting final tabulation of votes.

“Greens are so grateful to our 2020 class of 210 candidates who contested offices at every level of government” said Green Party National Co-Chair Tamar Yager. “We are especially proud of Lisa Savage winning 5% of the vote as the first Green to run in a Ranked Choice Voting Election for US Senate (ME) and Franca Muller Paz for the inspiring ‘Green-Red’ coalition she led in her run for Baltimore City Council, earning 36.6% of the vote,” continued Yager.

“Ann Wilcox’s grassroots campaign for At-Large Member of the Washington DC City Council has renewed ballot access for the DC Statehood Green Party, allowing local Green candidates to remain competitive,” said Kane.

“We are constantly asked why Greens run for citywide and statewide offices, and for president, in lieu of smaller districts,” Kane continued. “In many cases, it’s because we have a candidate with a unique and essential political agenda the Democrats and Republicans will otherwise erase but, just as often, it’s also because rules set up by the duopoly require winning votes for the bigger offices in order to have a ballot line to compete for the local ones,” said Kane.

“2020 has been a rough year for Greens,” said Green Party National Co-Chair Kristin Combs. “It’s been a rough year for the entire country. But the machine that suppresses candidates’ rights and voter choice is breaking down. Almost 1.5 million people in Massachusetts cast ballots in favor of Ranked Choice Voting when many had never heard of it before this year — and the ‘Yes’ campaign team’s grassroots education efforts were severely hampered by COVID-19,” said Combs.

Green leaders also expressed support and appreciation for Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker, the Green Party’s nominees for President and Vice-President.

“Their Eco-Socialist, Left-Unity campaign was desperately needed to offer real solutions for 2020,” said Green Party National Co-Chair Gloria Mattera. “Howie and Angela ran for a Green New Deal. Both Biden and Trump oppose the Green New Deal. They ran for Improved/Expanded Medicare-For-All. Both Biden and Trump reject that. They ran on dismantling the US military empire. Biden and Trump are both war hawks.”

“Now we ask Greens to organize to ensure every vote is counted, which we demand in every election, and organize to win. Spring elections are just around the corner.”

For a list of 2020 Green Party Candidates and Results as They Become Available, visit gp.org/2020_candidates.