Green Party of Louisiana explained

Green Party of Louisiana
Lang1:French
Name Lang1:Parti Vert de la Louisiane
Chairperson:Naima Gayles &<br />Christopher Stella
Colors:Green
Ideology:Green politics
Position:Left-wing
National:Green Party of the United States
Website:Official website
State:Louisiana
Country:the United States

The Green Party of Louisiana is a state-level political party affiliated with the Green Party of the United States (GPUS). The nominee of the GPUS has been on every presidential ballot in the state since 1996.

The 2014 convention of the Green Party of Louisiana was held in New Orleans and featured former presidential nominee Jill Stein. The party's 2015 convention was held in Abita Springs, Louisiana.[1]

History

The Green Party of Louisiana was founded during a two-day convention which took place on August 31 and September 1, 2002, in New Orleans.[2] The party was recommended for accreditation with the GPUS in 2003[3] and was officially qualified by the State of Louisiana on August 8, 2005.[4]

In 2016, Dr. Jill Stein was the party's nominated candidate for president.[5]

Candidates

In 2001, former Black Panther Party member and community organizer Malik Rahim ran for New Orleans City Council (at-large). Although the Green Party had not achieved ballot status in Louisiana, his candidacy was supported and endorsed by the nascent party, and the press recognized Rahim as a Green. His platform centered on criminal justice reform, workers rights (including a living wage referendum), and housing issues.[6]

In 2003, the party fielded three candidates. Jason Neville ran for Louisiana State Senate in District 3, the first Green to qualify for state office.[7] He finished in third place with 1,528 votes.[8] Dan Thompson ran for Louisiana House of Representatives in District 105 and garnered 1,152 votes, finishing fourth (8%).[9] [10] Les Evenchick also ran for a House seat in District 93 and garnered 754 votes.[11]

In 2008, Rahim was the Green Party's nominee for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district. His campaign included promises to enforce the Davis-Bacon Act, to push for reopening Charity Hospital, and to protect wetlands.[12] The post-Katrina "right of return" for displaced residents was also a major theme.[13] He finished third in a four-way race with 1,883 votes (2.82%).[14] [15]

A special election was held for Louisiana's 5th congressional district in 2013, and Eliot Barron ran for the office on the Green ticket, finishing 12th (out of 14) with 492 votes (0.5%).[16] Barron ran again for the same office in 2014, finishing in 9th and last place with 1,655 votes (0.69%).[17]

In 2015, Adrian "Ace" Juttner ran for Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, the first Green to seek statewide office in Louisiana. He ran a low-budget campaign,[18] on a platform which emphasized the benefits of legalizing marijuana and protecting honeybees.[19] Although he finished in fourth place, with 36,180 votes (3.5%),[20] this marked the Green Party's strongest showing in Louisiana to date, in terms of total votes or percentage, surpassing even Nader's 2000 presidential run (see below).

Barron again sought congressional office in 2016, this time in Louisiana's 1st district; he finished in 6th place (out of 7) with 6,717 votes (2.1%).[21]

In 2018, Morgan Moss Jr. ran for mayor of Rayville and finished second in a field of three with 219 votes, representing 37% of the vote.[22]

In 2021, Bart Everson ran for New Orleans City Council At-Large as a "climate change activist."[23] He got 6.51% or 4,776 votes.[24]

Advocacy

After the 2016 Louisiana floods, the party called for "the rapid elimination of the fossil fuel economy" in the face of climate catastrophe.[25]

Presidential nominee results

YearNomineeVotes
Ralph Nader4,719 (0.26%)[26]
Ralph Nader20,473 (1.16%)
David Cobb1,276 (0.10%)
9,187 (0.47%)
6,978 (0.35%)
14,018 (0.7%)

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Green Party of Louisiana to hold annual meeting in Abita Springs. Rhoden. Robert. January 25, 2015. The Times-Picayune. 24 August 2015.
  2. https://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/albums/72157606349837960 GPL Founding Convention
  3. Web site: Louisiana Accreditation . Green Party of the United States . 2017-01-18 . RECOMMENDATION: The Accreditation Committee has reviewed the Green Party of Louisiana application and supporting materials, and finds that the Party satisfies GPUS’s accreditation criteria..
  4. https://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/32480172/ Filing
  5. Web site: After election, New Orleans Greens seek to build party through local focus – starting in Gretna. Morris. Robert. 30 November 2016. Mid-City Messenger. en. 4 January 2017.
  6. News: Green Party activist enters race for council. 2001-12-01. Russell. Gordon. The Times-Picayune.
  7. Web site: Jason Neville To Formally Enter State Senate Race on Tuesday. NOLA Indymedia. 2003-08-18.
  8. Web site: Louisiana State Senate elections, 2003. Ballotpedia.
  9. Web site: Louisiana House of Representatives elections, 2003. Ballotpedia.
  10. Web site: Dan Thompson - 2003. Green Party of the United States. 2017-01-26. 2016-03-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20160315024211/https://secure.gpus.org/secure/testdb/details.php?record=2203. dead.
  11. Web site: Les Evenchick - 2003. Green Party of the United States. 2017-01-27. 2016-03-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20160315024212/https://secure.gpus.org/secure/testdb/details.php?record=2225. dead.
  12. News: Two candidates offer alternative views. Krupa. Michelle. 2008-12-02. The Times-Picayune. Donze. Frank. 2017-02-01. 2012-01-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20120111053644/http://blog.nola.com/updates/2008/12/two_candidates_offer_alternati.html. dead.
  13. Web site: San Francisco Bay View » Malik Rahim for Congress Dec. 6!. 2008-11-22. sfbayview.com. 2017-02-03.
  14. Web site: Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008. Miller. Lorraine C.. 2009. Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. 26. 2017-02-01.
  15. News: Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District - Ballotpedia. en. 2017-02-01.
  16. Web site: Louisiana's 5th Congressional District special election, 2013. Ballotpedia. 2017-02-06. en.
  17. Web site: Louisiana's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014. Ballotpedia. 2017-02-06. en.
  18. Web site: Candidate's Affidavit in Lieu of Report. Louisiana Ethics Administration Program Campaign Finance Portal. 2015-11-10. 2017-02-07. en.
  19. News: Money is the issue as Agriculture chief Strain faces three challengers in Oct. 24 primary. 2015-10-21. The New Orleans Advocate. 2017-02-07. en.
  20. Web site: Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture election, 2015. Ballotpedia. 2017-02-07. en.
  21. Web site: Louisiana's 1st Congressional District election, 2016. Ballotpedia. 2017-02-06. en.
  22. News: Staci Albritton Mitchell wins West Monroe mayoral race. Bolden. Bonnie. 2018-03-24. The News-Star. 2018-03-27. en.
  23. Web site: Ravits. Sarah. 2021-10-21. Division 2 Council candidates talk policy at Gambit debate Wednesday night. 2022-02-24. NOLA.com. en.
  24. Web site: Louisiana Secretary of State - Election Results. 2022-02-24. voterportal.sos.la.gov.
  25. News: Al Gore, climate activists use Louisiana floods to push narrative without evidence of link. Richardson. Valerie. 2016-08-22. The Washington Times. 2017-02-06. en-US.
  26. Web site: David. Leip. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 1996 Presidential General Election Results - Louisiana. Nader party was listed on the ballot as Liberty Ecology Community.