I'm proud to announce my campaign for Governor of California in 2026 as a Green Party candidate — not as a politician, but as a father, a scholar of revolution, and a lifelong soldier for justice.

This isn't about "politics as usual." This is a rebellion against a system rigged by corporations — a rebellion for our survival.

Those of you who were with me as the 2024 Vice Presidential nominee for the Green Party will recognize this as a continuation of our unwavering commitment to demand a better future.

If you're newly in the fold, welcome. We are reaching out broadly across the political spectrum to Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and all who are fed up with dysfunctional politics.

We have an unprecedented opportunity in front of us to create a state government that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected. California needs a serious option in the Governor's race outside of the corporate-sponsored parties.

Success in California will reshape the political map of the whole nation; this struggle concerns us all.

Let me be blunt: California is the richest state in the richest country on Earth. It has the fifth-largest economy in the world. Yet, our people burn in wildfires, sleep on sidewalks, and drown in medical debt while politicians like Gavin Newsom play progressive on TV. Enough.

I became an anti-imperialist historian because I know what happens when greed runs unchecked.

I've spent 20 years teaching in community and university settings, like UC Santa Barbara, not just about the past but about how to fight now. I have never hesitated to raise my voice for justice, from Minneapolis after George Floyd's murder at the hands of police to Palestine's resistance today.

Now, I'm bringing that fight to the state of California.

Here's the truth: We don't need "reform," we need a revolution.

We need a revolution where healthcare is a right, not a stock option. A revolution where rents are frozen and social housing rises from the ashes of corporate greed. A revolution where utilities that have burned down our cities pay for their crimes, and our energy is green, public, and ours.

A revolution where California divests from genocide and invests in schools, not prisons.

This is your moment. If we act together NOW in California, the shockwaves will spread across the nation and the world.

The primary is just over a year away. The corporate parties will throw millions at lies and stop at nothing to silence dissent. But they can't buy your voice, your rage, your hope.

Here's what we're fighting for:

• Single-payer healthcare
• Protection of immigrant rights and communities
• Free tuition for higher education
• Renewable, sustainable energy
• Clean, green, public transportation
• State divestment from genocide and war
• Livable wages and job creation
• Affordable housing
• Transform the carceral Police State
• Reparations and Landback
• Return public resources to the People

Here's how we win:

1) Donate $5, $25, $100, or whatever is in your budget right now. This campaign refuses corporate cash: Every dollar comes from you.

2) No money? No problem. Please volunteer. We need your hands, not just your wallet.

3) Forward this email. Send it to everyone who's ever said, "There's got to be another way.”

If you're outside California, please listen up: Donate if you can. This isn't just about one state; it's about proving that a movement of the people, by the people, can topple the richest and most corrupt machine in America.

They think we're powerless. Let's show them they're wrong.

You'll be hearing a lot more from me soon. I can't wait to work with you.

In solidarity,
Butch Ware

P.S. This is Black History Month. Let's make history now. Donate, volunteer, and join the rebellion