{news} Green campaigns for Congress to watch in 2006

[David Bedell]

Candidates:  Please visit some of these Green websites for campaign ideas.


GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Monday, May 15, 2006

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,
mclarty@ greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805,
starlene@ greens.org


Green campaigns for Congress to watch in 2006

Contested Green nominations for U.S. Senate in
California, New York; Green Party 'Peace Slate'
pulls support away from warhawk Democrats in many
races.


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green candidates running for
Congress are picking up support from many voters
frustrated by the lack of Democratic opposition
to the Bush agenda, especially on the invasion
and occupation of Iraq.

A state-based list of campaigns to watch in the
2006 mid-term elections is appended below.  Other
candidates will be featured in future releases.

Most of the candidates are currently seeking the
nomination of their respective state Green
Parties.  In some races, multiple candidates are
competing for the nomination.

"The fact that the Green Party now has contested
nominations shows the growth and maturity of the
party," said Nan Garrett, co-chair of the Georgia
Green Party and spokesperson for the National
Women's Caucus.

For more Green campaign listings, news, photos,
and web sites, visit
<http://www.gp.org/2006elections> (candidate
spotlight page) and
<http://216.92.191.78/elections/index.php?year=2006>
(Green elections database, with a list of all
2006 candidates).


CALIFORNIA

California Greens will decide between three
candidates for the U.S. Senate nomination: Todd
Chretien <http://www.todd4senate.org>, Tian
Harter <http://tianharter.org>, and Kent Mesplay
<http://www.mesplay.org>.  The primary election
will take place June 6.

In House races, Krissy Keefer
<http://www.krissyforcongress.com> is challenging
Nancy Pelosi for her seat in the 8th
Congressional District (San Francisco).  Jeff
Kravitz, a well know professor of constitutional
law and civil rights lawyer, is running in
District 5 (Sacramento)
<http://www.kravitzforcongress.com/>.

Byron De Lear, running in the 28th District (San
Fernando, Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, Van
Nuys, and North Hollywood)
<http://www.DeLearforCongress.org>, was one of
five Greens delivered the party's rebuttal to
President Bush's 2006 State of the Union address
(see video at
<http://gp.org/video/2006stateofunion/>) and has
received a lot of media coverage.

Bill Paparian, former Mayor of Pasadena and Green
candidate for Congress in the 29th District
(Pasadena/Glendale/Burbank)
<http://www.paparian4congress.com>, has been
endorsed by Danny Bakewell Sr., national
Democratic leader and publisher of the Los
Angeles Sentinel, the largest and oldest
black-owned newspaper on the west coast.  Mr.
Bakewell endorsed Mr. Paparian over pro-war
Democrat incumbent Adam Schiff.

DELAWARE

Michael Berg has received wide coverage for his
House campaign <http://www.bergforcongress.us>
and was recently endorsed by antiwar activist
Cindy Sheehan.  Mr. Berg, the father of Nick
Berg, who was taken hostage and murdered in Iraq
in May, 2004, marched in the lead contingent of
the April 30 antiwar protest in New York City
with Ms. Sheehan, Daniel Elsberg, and Rev. Jesse
Jackson.  On Sunday, May 14, Mr. Berg appeared at
a Mother's Day antiwar rally along with Ms.
Sheehan and Susan Sarandon on Lafayette Square in
front of the White House.

MARYLAND

Kevin Zeese,  running for U.S. Senate
<http://www.kevinzeese.com>, is seeking the
nomination of the Green, Libertarian, and
Populist Parties in a Unity Campaign to challenge
the two old parties.  Mr. Zeese had planned to
run on all three ballot lines but 'emergency'
legislation passed by Maryland's
Democratic-controlled legislature is likely to
force him to pick one ballot; he will run on the
Green Party line unless litigation allows him to
run on multiple lines.

NEW YORK

Steve Greenfield
<http://www.greenfieldforsenate.org>, Howie
Hawkins <http://www.hawkinsforsenate.org>, Sander
Hicks <http://www.hicksforsenate.com/>, and Steve
Krulick are seeking the nomination of the Green
Party of New York State for Hillary Clinton's
U.S. Senate seat.  The New York 'Peace Slate'
nomination will take place on May 20.

Jim Brown, running for the 3rd District (Nassau
and Suffolk counties) House seat
<http://www.jimbrownforcongress.com>, is the only
candidate challenging Republican Peter King,
chair of the House Homeland Security Commitee.

PENNSYLVANIA

Four Greens are running for the U.S. House: Dave
Baker in District 2 (West Philadelphia)
<http://www.davebaker2006.com>; Greta Browne in
District 15 (Berks, Lehigh, Montgomery,
Northampton); Derf Maitland in District 19; and
Titus North in District 14 (Allegheny).

SOUTH CAROLINA

The South Carolina Green Party
<http://www.scgreenparty.org> has nominated three
congressional candidates: James E. Dunn in the
1st District, a family and individual councellor
in Myrtle Beach; pastor and community activist
Antonio Williams in the 2nd District (the state
party's first African American congressional
nominee); and C. Faye Walters, a self employed
cosmetologist, in the 4th District
<http://www.fayewalters.com>.

TENNESSEE

Chris Lugo, Green candidate for the U.S. Senate
<http://www.chris4senate.com>, was recently
featured on WKRN (ABC) in Nashville speaking out
against the war in Iraq.  Mr. Lugo, running as a
peace candidate, was interviewed regarding a
peace rally organized by Tennessee Greens, Code
Pink, and the Nashville Peace Coalition in
response to a May 11 speech by Laura Bush at
Vanderbilt University.

In House races, Robert Smith is running in
District 1
<http://1bigtree.tripod.com/robertnsmith_greens>
and Katey Culver in District 7
<http://www.kate4congress.com>.

WASHINGTON

Aaron Dixon is challenging Maria Cantwell for her
U.S. Senate seat <http://www.aarondixon.org/>.
Mr. Dixon's rebuttal to a May 4 op-ed column by
Ms. Cantwell in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
in which he sharply criticizes her support for
the Iraq War, can be read on his web site.

WISCONSIN

Politics1.com has named the Rae Vogeler for U.S.
Senate website <http://www.voterae.org> its 'Site
of the Day': see
<http://www.politics1.com/sotd.htm>.  Ms. Vogeler
is challenging incumbent Herb Kohl.  Earlier in
2006, she traveled the state promoting a
Wisconsin ballot initiative calling for the
withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq; on April 4,
the 'Bring the Troops Home' initiative passed in
24 out of 32 cities, towns, communities where it
appeared on the ballot
<http://gp.org/press/pr_2006_04_05.shtml>.


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193


~ END ~