Dave Schwab at Green Party Watch:
Al-Jazeera English has published a detailed profile of Farheen Hakeem, a current Green Party US co-chair who has run for office several times in Minnesota, including a recent run for governor:
Every four years the US elects a new president. It is a process that is scrutinised the world over. But the democratic system includes many other, smaller contests which regularly reflect the nation’s character and mood.
The mid-west state of Minnesota was the first to elect and then re-elect a Muslim-American to Congress. And although it was a major milestone for US democracy, it did not necessarily indicate a wave of broad acceptance.
Farheen Hakeem, a maths teacher and girl scout troop leader, wanted to show her students and scouts that democracy is more than just casting a vote and that it can also be about faith.
In the following account filmmaker Sarah Zaman looks at a young Muslim woman that runs for office in Minnesota and tests the system.
Read and watch the whole story at Al-Jazeera English.
Minnesota seems to chronically elect high officeholders with weak pluralities. When are they going to pass instant runoff voting on the state level?
I don’t think there’s much to smile about with this ticket. This was the worst MN Greens showing I can remember. Both the Greens and Pentel were beaten by the Grassroots Party, which hasn’t run a gubernatorial candidate for several cycles.
If the Grassroots Party gets more serious, I would not be surprised if they totally supplant the Greens in this state in a few years.
Yes.
Diversity in candidates makes me smile…