The Green Party gained ballot status in Massachusetts and maintained ballot status in Connecticut, the District of Columbia (DC), Michigan, and New York. In DC, Massachusetts and Michigan, multiple candidates got the required votes for ballot status, and Howie Hawkins broke a New York record by winning the ballot line for a third party in three consecutive gubernatorial elections. 

The Green Party lost ballot lines in Arizona, Maryland and Ohio based on the number of votes in the gubernatorial races; however, these races energized members, promoted public discussion of Green Party positions, and set the stage for future wins. The total number of states where the Green Party currently has ballot lines is 19 plus DC. Candidates can run in other states by petitioning to get on the ballot.

Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
November 13, 2018

Contact:
Ann Link, Co-Chair, Media Committee, [email protected]
Justin McCarthy, Co-Chair, Media Committee, [email protected]

GROUNDBREAKING CONGRESSIONAL RACES IN CALIFORNIA:

Millennial candidates Kenneth Mejia and Dr. Rodolfo Cortes Barragan got 25.8% and 22.1%, respectively, in two-way Congressional races against incumbent Democrats in California, despite being heavily overspent by their opponents and receiving little media coverage. Mejia’s and Cortes Barragan’s percentages were the second and third highest in history for a U.S. Green running for a U.S. House seat. Their high-energy, all-volunteer campaigns showed how much the Green Party resonates with young voters.

NATIVE AMERICAN CANDIDATES IN NATIONAL PUSH:

Candidates Sara Mae Williams, State House of Representatives, District 4, in Arizona, and Aaron Camacho, State Senate, District 31, in Wisconsin, were among 55 Native American women who ran for office this year, a record-breaking number.

SOUTHERN GREEN WAVE:

Green Party candidates in southern states were a growing force this year and included general election candidates Joel Milliken, Charleston County Council, 36.12%, Francisco Pierre-Louis, Hillsborough County Soil and Water Board (31.01%), Lilly Taylor, Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor (18.7%), Samson LeBeau Kpadenou, Florida State House of Representatives (15.4%) and David Edmond, South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture (15.08%). Primary candidates earlier in the year included Robin Harris for Orange County Commission District 6 (24.8%) and Elijah Manley for Broward County at-large School District 8 (18.49%). 

Two hundred and eighty-five candidates ran on the Green Party line in 2018 and twenty were elected. Following are the preliminary results of the campaigns for ballot status, candidates elected/re-elected on November 6, and a sampling of the many noteworthy federal, state and local candidates running in this year’s midterms. 

BALLOT STATUS RACES

Connecticut (needed 1% for any office for minor party status for that office)
Peter Goselin got 1.1% for Attorney General

District of Columbia (needed 7,500 votes for any district-wide race for ballot status)
Eleanor Ory got 31,348 votes for U.S. Senate
David Schwartzman got 24,897 votes for City Council, At Large
Lino Stracuzzi got 8,287 votes for Delegate to the U.S. Congress
Ann Wilcox got 19,979 votes for Mayor

Massachusetts (needed 3% in statewide race for ballot status)
Jamie Guerin got 3.6% for Treasurer
Juan Sanchez got 3.8% for Secretary of the Commonwealth

Michigan (needed statewide candidate to get 1% of the vote for the winning candidate for Secretary of State for ballot status)
Kevin Graves got 72,070 votes for Regent of the University of Michigan (candidate with highest number of votes above the threshold maintains the party’s ballot status)
Jennifer Kurland got 28,857 votes for Governor
Marcia Squier got 40,215 votes for U.S. Senate
Sherry Wells got 61,519 votes for State Board of Education

New York (needed 50,000 for governor for ballot status)
Howie Hawkins and Jia Lee got 95,716 votes for Governor/Lt. Governor

GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES ELECTED/RE-ELECTED

Larry Bragman, Marin Municipal Water District Board, CA, first place (re-elected)
Leslie Castellano, Eureka City Council, CA, 47.78% (258 votes) (first-time candidate and first victory in Eureka)
Jacob Coan, South Bay Union School District Governing Board, CA, first place out of three seats (re-elected)
Bruce Delgado, Mayor of Marina, CA, 56.59% (1,937 votes) (re-elected)
James Harvey, Montara Water and Sanitary District, CA, first place (re-elected)
Jose Lara, El Rancho Unified School District Governing Board, CA, 27.58% (6,343 votes) (re-elected)
Beau Perry, Ferndale Library Board, MI
Perry Redd, Neighborhood Advisory Council, DC, 100% (108 votes)
John Roush, Union Registrar of Voters, CT, 16.27% (48)
Dana Silvernale, Northern Humboldt Union High School Board, CA, first place out of three seats (re-elected)
Jim Smith, Canyon Elementary School Board of Trustees, CA, first place out of three (re-elected)
Michael Stewart, Greenville County Soil and Water Commission, SC, 34.14% (46,582)
Laura Esperanza Surls, Canyon Elementary School Board of Trustees, CA, first place out of three
George Wheeler, McKinleyville Community Services District, CA, 27.50% (732) (re-elected)

RACES FOR CONGRESS (over 10%)

Arizona
Gary Swing, U.S. House of Representatives, District 7, 15.72% (12,647)

California
Dr. Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, U.S. House of Representatives, District 40 (LA), 22.1% (17,454)
Kenneth Mejia, U.S. House of Representatives, District 34 (LA), 25.8% (24,593)
Laura Wells, U.S. House of Representatives in District 13 (SF), 12.3% (14,983)

District of Columbia
Eleanor Ory, U.S. Senate, 15.33% (31,348) - second place

RACES FOR STATE OFFICE (over 10%)

Arizona
Beryl Baker, State House of Representatives, District 3, 12% (6,397)
Sara Mae Williams, State House of Representatives, District 4, 15.76% (6,329)

Florida
Samson LeBeau Kpadenou, State House of Representatives, 15.4% (4,580)

Hawaii
Jen Mather, State Representative, District 10, 17.4% (1,137)
Nick Nikhilananda, State Representative, District 13, 26.1% (2,296)
Melissah Shishido, State Senator, District 6, 29.6% (4,337)

Maine
Andrew Howard, State House of Representatives, District 1, 29.84% (1,234)

Maryland
Daniel DelMonte, House of Delegates, District 1C, 16.9% (1,968)
Joshua Harris, House of Delegates, District 40, 13.9% (8,234)
David Jeang, State Senate, District 19, 10.9%, (4,202)
Charlotte McBrearty, House of Delegates, District 2A, 11.4% (5,986)
Jenna Rowland, State Senate, District 2, 26.9% (10,436)

Massachusetts
Daniel Factor, State House, 14th Middlesex, 10%
Michael Moncreaff, State House, 1st Worcester, 21.9%

Missouri
Valorie Engholm, State Representative, 20.62% (1,258)
Bill Hastings, State Representative, 14.18% (2,888)
Carol Hexem, State Representative, 12.97% (192)

New York
Peter Diachun, State Senate, District 62, 13.2% (9,976)

Pennsylvania
Darcelle Slappy, State Assembly, District 10, 25% (1981)
Jay Sweeney, State Senate, District 20, 17.69% (14,350)

South Carolina
David Edmond, Commissioner of Agriculture, 15.08% (201,155)

NOTABLE RACES FOR LOCAL OFFICE

California
Margaret Garcia, Feather River Community College Board of Trustees, 34.93% (2,399)
Amy Martenson, Napa Valley College Board of Trustees, 48.79% (1,050)

Florida
Francisco Pierre-Louis, Hillsborough County Soil and Water Board, 31.01% (115,358)

Illinois
Geoffrey Cubbage, Commissioner, Water Reclamation District, 2-year, 25.2% (171,957)
Rachel Wales, Commissioner, Water Reclamation District, 2-year, 27.25% (187,525)
Rich Whitney, Jackson County Board, 23.89% (572)

North Carolina
Lilly Taylor, Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, 18.7% (93,418)

South Carolina
David Edmond, South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, 15.1% (201,155)
Joel Milliken, Charleston County Council, 36.12% (6,455)

Virginia
Audrey Clement, Arlington School Board, 30.39% (28,666)

Washington
Andrew Saturn, Thurston County Public Utility District, 41.24% (28,988)