1,792 votes cast, Jill Stein received 1,223 of them, or 68%. Roseanne Barr, who had just entered the race in the last week, picked up 526 votes, or 29%. There were 35 votes for Kent Mesplay, and 8 votes for Harley Mikkelson

GPW reports that Roseanne Barr is very active on Twitter, and had tweeted a challenge to Bill Maher, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to have both herself and Jill Stein on their programs.

They also report that Jill Stein is actively fundraising, has hired at least 3 staff onto the campaign, and has campaigned so far in California, Colorado, Delaware, DC, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Wisconsin, and other additional states as well.

Jill Stein issued a short statement saying “It is great to have Roseanne Barr on the Green Party team. Let’s bring down the house!” Barr has similarly already made positive statements regarding Stein’s candidacy.

An email from the Stein campaign says that

Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate, begins a three day tour of Indiana and Ohio today with a visit to the Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland, accompanied by Cleveland City Councilman and Green Party elected official Brian Cummins and County Executive candidate David Ellison.

Saturday at 11:30am, Dr. Stein addresses the Green Party of Ohio Presidential Nominating Convention in Columbus.

This Sunday, as part of Indianapolis’ Occupy the Super Bowl protests, she rallies with supporters at the state capitol against anti-labor legislation such as “Right to Work for Less.”

The full itinerary of public events is viewable here: http://www.jillstein.org/events

Dr. Stein is especially interested in the Evergreen Cooperatives for providing one successful model, among many, for how economic democracy can provide employment and prosperity for stressed communities. In her recent People’s State of the Union address, Dr. Stein called for a Green New Deal providing for full employment and an immediate transition to a sustainable, more democratic economy. The Evergreen Cooperatives “are pioneering innovative models of job creation, wealth building, and sustainability,” and are, “employee-owned, for-profit companies are based locally and hire locally.”

On Occupy Super Bowl Sunday, at noon, Dr. Stein will rally with supporters and other labor movement advocates at the Indiana statehouse in Indianapolis. Dr. Stein is not only strongly opposed to so-called Right-to-Work legislation (RTW), her Green New Deal includes a “program of immediate creation of 25 million, publicly useful, sustainable, well-paying jobs,” according to a prepared statement. Stein will be joined at the rally by lifelong labor organizer Anthony Prince, and student activist Erika Wolf, both newly hired members of the Jill Stein for President campaign staff.

The Green Party has put out a press release welcoming Stein and Barr to the presidential race:

The Green Party of the United States welcomes two candidates into the race for the 2012 Green presidential nomination, Jill Stein and Roseanne Barr. Ms. Barr and Dr. Stein submitted paperwork to meet the Green Party’s requirements as of the evening of the Feb. 1 deadline.

“We are thrilled to have two strong women running for President as Greens,” said Darryl Moch, national co-chair of the Green Party. “We look forward to a race based on Green ideas and values, and to showing the Democrats and Republicans how to run without the corrupting influence of fat corporate campaign checks and corporate-funded attack ads.”

“Anyone hopeful about the Occupy Wall Street’s challenge to the status quo or disappointed by the Obama Administration’s broken promises of change now has a pair of candidates to watch. Anyone bored or irritated with the Mitt Versus Newt Show by now will be relieved by the breath of fresh air — maybe a Green gale force of righteousness — that’s about to come,” said Tamar Yager, also a national co-chair of the Green Party.

For more information about the candidates, visit the following sites:

Jill Stein: http://www.jillstein.org

Roseanne Barr: http://www.roseanneforpresident.com

2012 Press Information for Green Candidates http://www.gp.org/candidates/index.php

The nominee will be chosen at the Green Party’s national convention, July 12-15, in Baltimore, Maryland (http://www.gpconvention2012.com)

State Green Parties in California, Arizona, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and possibly Ohio are participating in primary elections. Other state Green Parties will choose the nominee they support and apportion delegates during statewide Green conventions. The Green Party currently has ballot access in 17 states. Greens expect to have the presidential nominee and other candidates on the ballot in at least 46 states and the District of Columbia on Election Day 2012.

Past Green Party convention sites and nominees:

2000: Denver, Colorado; Ralph Nader

2004: Milwaukee, Wisconsin; David Cobb

2008: Chicago, Illinois; Cynthia McKinney

“We consider it important to have strong women candidates at a time when women’s reproductive rights are under assult, from the Obama Administration’s decision on the morning-after pill to the Komen Foundation’s withdrawal of funding for breast cancer screening from Planned Parenthood. We’re proud that our presidential nominee in 2008 was a woman,” said Carl Romanelli, Pennsylvania Green and member of the Green Party’s International Committee.

132 Greens hold public office in the United States, including five mayors. The largest city with a Green mayor is Richmond, California, with Mayor Gayle McLaughlin. The Green Party and its candidates accept no money from corporate PACs.

Many Green candidates are promoting the “Green New Deal” in their campaigns (http://www.greenpartywatch.org/2010/08/11/62-green-candidates-endorse-green-new-deal). Greens have been active participants in the Occupy Movement; both Ms. Barr and Dr. Stein have appeared and spoken publicly at Occupy rallies.

Ballot Access News reports that the Associated Press has this story about Roseanne Barr’s announcement that she is seeking the Green Party presidential nomination; here is a Los Angeles Times story about Barr’s candidacy.

Kent Mesplay was featured in the Bloomington Alternative (H/T Green Party Watch).

This article at Green Party Watch has biographical information about four candidates (Stein, Barr, Mesplay and Mikkelson).

Green Party Watch also reports that Cindy Sheehan wrote

In the last election, I supported the Green Party candidate, Cynthia McKinney and her running mate, Rosa Clemente. Unfortunately, the Party is not entirely functional (which party is?), even if many of us do support its 10 Key Principles.
I have also been impressed by the other woman seeking the nomination, Jill Stein–she is bright, articulate, well-informed, truly progressive and dedicated to public service–but if push came to shove, I would support Roseanne.

Barr was a supporter of Sheehan in her race for Congress.

La Grange, IL —

Activists from Near West Citizens for Peace and Justice, Third Unitarian Social Action and Fair Food Chicago will host an informational picket of the Trader Joe’s store in La Grange from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday.

It will be the fourth area picket of a Trader Joe’s store in protest of the chain’s refusal to sign an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) representatives for tomato pickers in Florida.

“CIW has not asked for a boycott of Trader Joe’s,” Riverside resident and Green Party Candidate Laurel Lambert Schmidt said. “I shop there regularly and would not like to stop. Instead, we hope this informational campaign will give management the impetus to sign.”

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Simon Ribeiro of Evanston filed nominating petitions to enter the March 20 Democratic primary against Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston).

Ribeiro’s website describes him as a high school teacher in an Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic school, and a former lifeguard and swimming instructor.

According to the Chicago Tribune, he ran as the Green Party candidate in last November’s election against Schakoweky and Republican Joel Pollak for the Ninth Congressional District. Schakowsky won that election.

Harris was also at one point leading in an internet straw poll at LPMNDC.org. However, as of this writing it appears that Jim Burns has jumped back ahead. The current numbers are:

Jim Burns
137 34.2%

R. J. Harris
124 30.9%

Lee Wrights
64 16%

NOTA
27 6.7%

Angela Keaton
19 4.7%

Wayne Root
9 2.2%

Roger Gary
5 1.2%

Bill Still
5 1.2%

Carl Person
4 1%

John M. Finan
0 0%

Joy Waymire
0 0%

According to the latest update of presidential candidates at LP.org, Gary, Harris, Person and Wrights are the candidates filed with the FEC, along with James Ogle (who is not listed as having a campaign website).

The non-FEC filing candidates listed are Burns, Waymire, Robert Milnes and Bill Still. All of those except Still are listed as having campaign websites.

Of the remaining candidates in the LPMNDC poll, Wayne Root says he has not made up his mind as to whether he will run, although other people widely regard him as a candidate. Keaton announced a candidacy for 2012 back in 2008, but has since stopped her active involvement in LP leadership (and possibly the party as a whole), has not actively pursued the candidacy, and it appears that the announcement was likely to have been either a joke or that she has thought better of it. John Finan was a candidate for the 2008 nomination; if he is running again this time, this is the first I can remember having heard of it.

Also, at one time the poll listed Tom Knapp, who was previously an announced candidate for the nomination but has now quit the LP and electoral politics and had his name removed. He had some votes in the poll prior to being removed; I don’t know what was done with those votes.

Other candidates who had at one time been running for the 2012 nomination include Michael Jingozian, who has since announced that he will not run, and Jim Duensing, who may or may not have dropped out (I have been unable to find out for sure).

-paulie

ROCKFORD (WREX) -The Illinois Green Party wants people to be more aware of the dangers of nuclear energy.

Director of Nuclear Energy Information Service Chicago Dave Kraft says residents and lawmakers should be concerned because Illinois has four reactors the same type and vintage as the ones in Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Kraft said today was a chance to raise awareness in political circles about the state of nuclear energy in Illinois and hopefully inspire legislators to take a hard look at safety at our nuclear reactors.

He said it’s also time to consider alternative sources of energy and cut our dependence on nuclear energy.

By Wayne Allyn Root, Former Libertarian Vice Presidential Nominee and creator of ROOTforAmerica.com

The U.S. economy is crumbling. Businesses are collapsing in record numbers. Jobs have disappeared. Tax revenues are down dramatically. Coincidence?

Everything happening today under Obama resembles the storyline of Ayn Rand’s famous book, Atlas Shrugged, one of the most popular books of all time, selling over 7 million copies. Now, under President Obama, Atlas Shrugged has come to life. Rand prophesized a country dominated by socialists, Marxists and statists, where looters, free loaders and poverty promoters live off the productive class. To rationalize the fleecing of innovative business owners and job creators, the looter class demonized the wealthy, just as Obama and his socialist cabal are doing in real life today.

The central plot of Atlas Shrugged is that in response to being demonized, over-taxed, over-regulated, and punished for success, America’s business owners were disappearing — dropping off the grid, and refusing to work 16-hour days to support those unwilling to put in the same blood, sweat and tears. They were going on strike. Because of that the original proposed title of “Atlas Shrugged” was “The Strike.”

They were going on strike to teach that civilization cannot survive when people are slaves to government. That without a productive class of innovative business owners willing to risk their own money and work 16-hour days, weekends and holidays, there are no jobs and no taxes to pay for government. If you punish the wealthy, the risk-takers, the innovators, you kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. In Obama’s America, fiction is becoming fact.

The lesson of Atlas Shrugged is that without the $100,000+ earners paying into Social Security, there are no pensions for the poor and lower middle class. Without the wealthy owners of million-dollar mansions paying $25,000 and $50,000 annual property tax bills, there is no funding for public schools. Without the wealthy paying into Medicare, there is no “free” healthcare for the elderly. Without capitalists motivated by profit, there are no discoveries to eradicate polio or create miraculous cancer and AIDS drugs. Without capitalists motivated by profit, there are no jobs, period! That is what happens when the producers of society go on strike to protect themselves from the looters.

Ayn Rand was warning the looters that there are consequences to their overzealous actions. She was warning that if the productive classes felt used, demonized, ripped off, and taken for granted, they would go on strike — stop working, retire early, go underground, or move to places where achievement is celebrated and they feel appreciated.

The latest U.S. Census proves Ayn Rand right. Under Obama the wealthy are striking, voting with their feet. They are moving to low-tax red states in droves, escaping from high-tax blue states where they are being demonized and punished by the millions.

The Census proves that Obama’s tax and spend philosophy is a dismal failure, an economic disaster killing jobs. It is no coincidence that 1.9 million FEWER Americans are working than before Obama’s stimulus. It is no coincidence that jobs are not returning to the private sector. It is no coincidence that tax revenues have dropped dramatically and cannot support Obama’s bloated Big Brother government. The innovators, risk-takers, and wealthy he demonized and punished are on strike.

The high tech revolution has killed the progressive-liberal tax-and-spend dream. Because of the Internet, email, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Satellite TV, I-phones, I-pads, and cell phones, business owners are no longer prisoners of Big Brother. Take a look at states where the latest Census shows Americans moved during the past decade: Nevada, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alaska, Virginia — all low- or no-tax red states, states that lead the USA in economic freedom.

Now look at states they escaped from: New York, New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan. Taxpayers, business owners, jobs creators, retirees with assets are fleeing the high tax, big spending, Big Brother states — the states being run like Obama is running the nation.

Progressives be afraid, be very afraid. If Obama is re-elected, these valuable producers will pick up and leave America altogether. There is a big world out there begging them to come. Places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Monte Carlo, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Bahamas, and Cayman Islands are low-tax havens that appreciate business owners and their sacrifices. They welcome wealthy ex-patriates. They celebrate individual achievement. They reward instead of punish business owners and financial risk-takers. They are wonderful places to live and are aggressively pursuing Americans.

I am just one small businessman, a third-party Libertarian political leader. Yet I personally have heard from thousands of fans, friends and supporters who have left America, are thinking of leaving America, are visiting other countries right now to decide where to go, or making preparations to leave in case Obama is re-elected. Just as Ayn Rand predicted, business owners are going on strike. Permanently.

The high tech revolution has freed them to run their businesses from anywhere in the world. The same high tech tools and toys that toppled a powerful and invincible 30-year dictator in Egypt and now threaten to topple powerful leaders throughout the Arab world, also offer mobility and freedom to U.S. taxpayers. Obama better learn the lesson of Mubarek before millions more business people decide they do not need to put up with looters, free loaders, and politicians who despise them.

Atlas is shrugging. Ayn Rand is saying “I told you so.”

And The Strike has begun.

Wayne Allyn Root is a former Libertarian vice presidential nominee. He now serves as Chairman of the Libertarian National Congressional Committee. He is the best-selling author of “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gold & Tax Cuts.” His web site: www.ROOTforAmerica.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Two bills before the Illinois legislature offer a stark contrast for reform. One would open up the ballot to more competition, while the other would restrict the right to run for office, for people who vote in a party primary.

HB 2009 is a bill which would make it illegal to run for office as an independent candidate, if a person votes in a party primary. Many independents choose to vote in Illinois’ open primary system, a system which has benefited political parties, since independents who vote in a primary are more likely to vote for that party in the general election. HB 2009 would take away their right to run for office as independents.

HB 2854 is a bill that would make it easier to run for office as an independent, especially for lower income candidates who cannot afford litigation. The bill would give candidates two choices for getting on the ballot: either the current system of gathering a very large number of signatures on a petition, often followed by extensive litigation; or a filing fee.

Illinois is one of the most difficult states in the nation for independent candidates. For instance, independents need to collect 25,000 signatures to get on the ballot for Governor, while Democrats and Republicans need only 5,000. If independents manage to do this, extensive challenges and litigation follow, based on obscure rules which are often selectively enforced.

As well as helping those not experienced with “working the system,” HB 2854 would help lower income candidates, as the cost of litigation is almost always higher than the proposed filing fee. The State must also pay employees for petition review and judicial proceedings, whereas filing fees would generate revenue instead.

“HB 2854 is a win-win for everyone except party bosses,” said Christina Tobin, Chair of The Free & Equal Elections Foundation, which recently wrote a letter supporting the bill. “HB 2009 would take away voting rights. Legislators face clear choices, and the people of Illinois are watching.”

###

Free & Equal is a nonpartisan, non-profit public-policy advocacy organization dedicated to election reform and improving ballot access laws in the United States.

407 S. Dearborn Street ♦ Suite 1170 ♦ Chicago, IL ♦ 60605   (312) 320-4101 ♦ FAX (866) 309-7803

CONTACT: Christina Tobin, Founder and Chair
Phone: 312-320-4101
Email: christina@freeandequal.org
Web: www.freeandequal.org

As smart as Jones is, adds Hartman, he was not smart about running for office.  “Why don’t you sit down and think about a strategy?” she asked him. “Why don’t you study Barack Obama? He had a plan. He wasn’t jumping up to run for anything that popped up in front of him. He was running for what he could win. Start with the state Senate, or an aldermanic seat. You don’t walk into a company and say, `I’m an intern, and I’m applying to be President.’”

Jones has accepted her advice. He told me in a telephone conversation Sunday evening that while he doesn’t regret running for the U.S. Senate—he said he got statewide name recognition that would have cost him millions in advertising to replicate—his next race will be for a seat in the Illinois House. He is angling to be appointed to the 26th District seat now occupied by Will Burns, who won the 4th Ward aldermanic race—the seat held by Toni Preckwinkle. Burns will resign his seat on May 16th. The Democratic committeemen—one of them Preckwinkle, now President of the Cook County Board—will decide who serves out the rest of Burns’ term. If Jones doesn’t get the 26th District appointment—he acknowledges “residency issues” since he currently lives in the 31st District—he says he will start planning for 2012. He’ll run in the 31st District against Rep. Mary Flowers, 59, a member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.

The only candidate resembling a progressive, City Clerk Miguel Del Valle, limped home with 9% of the vote: a sad reminder that populism is entirely dead in Chicago. He did inspire a fairly impressive ground game, but these don’t amount to votes in the era of the “googoo,” because these foul creatures demand that you have the endorsement of the daily rag for their approval. They will mock your leaflet, spite your populist rhetoric, disparage you for questioning the status quo, and flock to support anyone given the nod by the Trib or Sun Times

Here we see ourselves mourning the death of the machine, for it has been replaced with something even worse. We have gone from blue-collar semi-populist sensibilities to the singular class: the amorphous class of supposedly well-intentioned yuppies. While the machine diverted union interests to the corporate-laded Democratic Party to no one’s benefit, at least their organization required that support. On occasion, the unions could still flex their muscle in this old game. Nowadays, Rahm managed to win despite airing commercials dissing public sector workers, and calling for an era where they work on a purely contractual basis.

I spent the day campaigning for del Valle and myself in a vanity Green Party run for alderman in an abundantly “googoo” ward. Without much time and money, I primarily used my campaign as a chance to stump for Mr. Del Valle. In this ward, the corporate press manufactured an “upset,” by endorsing a nonentity of a googoo over the anointed machine hack (I did not participate in the corporate press endorsement process.) The victor, Ameya Pawar, is a 30-year old with no meaningful political background or coherent political philosophy. This is quite possibly the greatest political upset I have ever witnessed, as he knew little about the dynamics of campaigning, evidenced by the lack of “union bugs” on his material, and the absence of any visible ground game. The “corporate press” now possesses the unencumbered capacity to anoint victors. The unimaginative populace has almost no ability to think on their own, beyond trivial dichotomies. Both corporate newspapers painted this as an “us vs. them” race of a “David vs. Goliath” nature, wherein the longshot got their approval, in large part because he was a harmless googoo running against a machine charlatan.

I spent nearly the whole of Election Day striking up conversation with machine goons at polling places. We stood out in the cold, passing palm cards to voters as they trickled in. One yuppie googoo, en passant, refused both of our palm cards, declaring: “You’re the machine hack, and you’re a left-wing nut! Don’t bother me!” That was the microcosm of our day.

Green Party

• Alberto Bocanegra, even after raising tens of thousands of dollars and an impressive list of endorsements, received only 6.6 percent (321 votes) in the race for Chicago’s 12th ward alderman.  He was not one of the top two vote-getters, and will not be moving onto the general election.
• Devon Reid, and 18-year-old candidate, received 17.7 percent (1,263 votes) in a two-way race in Chicago’s 26th ward.  His opponent, since he received over 50 percent, has won the election.
• Matt Reichel, who has also run for Congress with the Greens, received only 3.6 percent (605 votes) in a four-way race in Chicago’s 47th ward, in which another young candidate received over 50 percent and won the election.
• In Carbondale, the Green candidate for mayor was eliminated by coming in last out of four candidates.  He only lost by 13 votes, receiving 291 total.
• Carbondale City Council candidate Jessica Bradshaw moved on with 11 other candidates, out of 16 running in the primary, in a race for three council seats.  Her vote total was in the middle of the pack at 366 (7.5 percent), with the highest vote-getter receiving 926 (way ahead of the rest) and the lowest who still moved on receiving 155.
• Two Greens ran for East St. Louis City Council, a race with 11 candidates in which the top 8 moved on to the general election.  Matt Hawkins received 225 votes for 2.19 percent , which put him in 9th place.  Courtney M. Johnson received 397 votes for 3.97 percent, putting her in 8th place, meaning that she will be moving on to the general election.

Libertarian Party

Although candidates are running with Libertarian Party endorsements, no results were available online.

CHICAGO (Feb. 21) – Today, State Representative Jim Watson (R-97, Jacksonville) introduced House Bill 2854, a ballot access reform bill for Illinois elections. HB2854, originally proposed by the Free & Equal Elections Foundation, would allow candidates for public office an alternative to Illinois’ unequal and burdensome signature requirements by paying a filing fee in its place.

The bill would allow candidates to pay a filing fee equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office sought in lieu of gathering signatures. Illinois requirements for independent candidates are in many cases a great deal more restrictive than they are for political party candidates, effectively preventing independents from getting on the ballot. HB2854 would make the requirements equal for independents and recognized party candidates, so that Illinois voters have a choice.

According to ballot access expert Richard Winger, if the bill were to pass, Illinois would join Louisiana, Florida, and Oklahoma in allowing certain candidates to pay a filing fee in lieu of the petition requirement.

“Currently, Illinois’ ballot access laws disadvantage independent candidates by requiring them to obtain hundreds and even tens of thousands more signatures than their Republican and Democratic counterparts,” said Christina Tobin, founder and chair of the Free & Equal Elections Foundation. “A filing fee option will put independent candidates on a more equal footing.”

The filing fee option would also save the state money, by bringing in additional revenue through the filing fees, in addition to reducing the amount of time the state has to pay employees to verify signatures. According to Ms. Tobin, “the filing fee option will help Illinois in this time of fiscal crisis, while also opening up the electoral process to more choices and new ideas, producing more competitive elections and better government.”

Free & Equal is a nonpartisan, non-profit public-policy advocacy organization dedicated to election reform and improving ballot access laws in the United States.

BURNET, Texas (Feb. 23) – Since I signed on as the campaign manager of the Lee Wrights for President Exploratory Committee I’ve taken some heat from some of my radical and anarchist friends in the libertarian movement, people I love and respect, for getting involved in electoral politics. Some of them have even called me a statist, which is very hurtful.

Now I understand libertarians may have disagreements about tactics, and I understand that some in the movement refuse to participate in electoral politics because it’s based on force and violence. I understand and I agree with many of these views. But a true libertarian attitude is to respect each other’s choices, not condemn them.

I’ve chosen to become involved in the electoral process because I’m driven to do it. I’m driven to do it first because I love and respect R. Lee Wrights and what he stands for, and second because it’s a way to use the networking infrastructure of electoral politics to educate the mainstream about radical libertarianism, the heart and soul of libertarianism.

That’s why I think it’s the right thing to do and I’ll continue to do it. I have no problem with disagreements and arguments over tactics. But disagreement is no reason for good people in the movement to be mean to one another. As Lee has said, libertarianism is a way of life. I’m a libertarian because of what I do, not what I say. If we in the libertarian movement can’t respect the right of each of us to make our own decisions, what kind of message does that send to people outside the movement? What ammunition does that give to our real opponents?

All of us in the libertarian movement are on different parts of the journey. I came from a conservative, classical liberal background and I evolved. We all evolve over time. Some will take a little longer to get to that point where we are not afraid to think about a society without the state. We are all afraid because we have been conditioned to be afraid by the state, by government schools, by our society.

From the classical liberal to the anarchist, no matter where you are on that journey towards freedom I’ll work with you because you are my friend, you are a friend of liberty. I’ll never call you a statist because you participate in electoral politics. I’ll work with anyone wanting to maximize freedom and minimize coercion.

Lee Wrights has earned a well-deserved reputation as a radical, passionate warrior for freedom and liberty. He’s devoted his life to working within the Libertarian Party, one small part of the libertarian movement, in order to secure a freer tomorrow.

Lee chose to participate in electoral politics and the Libertarian Party because he believes Americans can’t vote for liberty and freedom unless there are Libertarian candidates on the ballot. That’s also why he’s made sure ballot access drives were a key component of Libertarian Party activities, including running successful ballot access drives in his home state of North Carolina.

He believes, as I do, that the Libertarian Party should promote a message that represents the views of all libertarians — radicals, reformers, minarchists, anarchists – whatever label you want to apply to yourself. We are all on the same team, we just play different positions. This campaign is focused on representing and celebrating libertarianism in the Libertarian Party.

The message of this campaign is a message all libertarians can and should embrace – stop all war. But before we make peace with the world, we must stop all war within ourselves, and within the libertarian movement.

All of us in the Wrights 2012 campaign agree with Lee that Stop All War is the message the Libertarian Party must champion in 2012. If we don’t, nobody else will. To spread that message across the country, we will need the help of anyone who desires to be free and who opposes tyranny in any form.

All libertarians should join us to stop all war.

-30-

Thomas Hill is chair of the Lee Wrights for President Exploratory Committee. He is also executive director of Stop All War and regional coordinator for the Campaign for Liberty. In 2008, he served as aide de camp for the Dr. Mary Ruwart for President campaign. Hill is a past chair of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina and a charter member of the Cabarrus County LP, where he has served as chair, treasurer and membership secretary. He was a candidate for Cabarrus County Commission in 2002 and 2004, the Cabarrus County Board of Education in 2006 and 2008, the N.C. Senate in 2008 and the U.S. House 2010. The North Carolina native now lives in Illinois.

Contact:
Brian Irving
Press Secretary
WRIGHTS 2012 EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE

http://www.wrights2012.com

On Tuesday, Feb. 22, Municipal primaries will be held in several towns across Illinois, including a few locations where Green Party recognized candidates are running.

CHICAGO

The following Illinois Green Party-recognized candidates are running in the Chicago aldermanic election:

Alberto Bocanegra, 12th Ward, www.vote4bocanegra.com
Devon Reid, 26th Ward, www.devonreid.org
Matt Reichel, 47th Ward, www.mattreichel.com

Any candidate that receives more than 50% of the vote in Chicago’s Feb. 22 election is elected. If no candidate receives more than 50%, there will be a run-off between the top two vote-getters on April 5, 2011.

CARBONDALE

In Carbondale, Brent Ritzel is one of four candidates for mayor. The top three vote-getters will advance to the April 5 Consolidated Election. For more information, visit www.ritzelformayor.org.

Green Party member Jessica Bradshaw will be one of 16 candidates on the ballot for three Carbondale city council seats. The top 12 vote-getters will advance to the April 5 Consolidated Election. For more information, see Bradshaw for City Council on Facebook.

EAST ST. LOUIS

In East St. Louis, there will be an aldermanic primary, where the top 8 candidates will go on to compete in the April 5 Consolidated Election. Illinois Green Party members running in that race are Matt Hawkins andCourtney Johnson. For more information on Hawkins and Johnson, visit www.alliance1820.com.

ELECTION NIGHT PARTY

Matt Reichel for Alderman will be hosting an election night gathering at 7 p.m. at O’Shaughnessy’s, 4557 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, to watch returns. All are invited.

________________________________________________________

The following candidates are listed on the Libertarian Party’s website, although it is unclear if they were running in the past or are currently running:

• Edwin Everly – Rantoul Township High School Board (217-390-4695) email
• Karen Green – Bloomington City Council Ward 2 (309-828-9828) email / web
• Steve Hellin – O’Fallon District 90 School Board email / web
• Doug Marks – Carpentersville Village Trustee (847-428-8349)
• Jeff Ready – Bloomington City Council Ward 6 (309-319-0856) email / web
• Don Stover – Greenville City Council email
• Karin Vermillion – Mahomet Library Board email
• Brian Sasso – Lincoln-Way School Board email

_______________________________________

Because the primaries are non-partisan, many candidates not endorsed by either major party are also running.

Tuesday Feb 15, the Logan Square Green Party in Chicago Illinois are meeting at the Green Party office on Fullerton Ave.

The Northeast Ohio Greens will meet tonight at Mac’s Backs Bookstore 1820 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights – 7pm-9pm.

Wednesday Feb. 16 the Los Angeles Greens in California meet at 7 PM at the Peace Center on W. Third St.

The Charleston County (SC) Green Party will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 16, 7-8pm at Earth Fare on Folly Rd Blvd. Look for us in the cafe.

Thursday Feb. 17 the Detroit Greeens are meeting with the Tri-County Greens at the Phoenix Cafe in Hazel Park, MI.

San Fernando Valley Greens will have a candidates forum on February 21.

Do you know of local or state Green Party meetings or other Green Events that we should add to our Events Calendar? Post them here as a comment or send by email to GPW@GreenPartyWatch.org

IPR note: if other parties would like to start putting together a calendar like this to post their weekly meetings around the country, we can work on that here as well.

Alberto Bocanegra, Jr., Chair of the Cook County Greens, has apparently raised over $50,000 in his campaign for the 12th Ward Alderman in Chicago against incumbent George Cardenas and 3 other challengers. Cardenas has raised over $135,000 according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

From his website:

12th Ward Committeeman Alberto Bocanegra, Jr. was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and is a Native son of the 12 ward. Alberto graduated Shield Elementary, located in the 12th ward, and Curie High School. He also attended Fox College.

By the time Alberto was 20 years of age, he opened a successful Labor Employment Agency where he employed over 2,000 people every day. Throughout his business career Bocanegra demonstrated care and concern for people. His revolutionary policy of providing free transportation to job sites encouraged the city council to entertain an ordinance codifying a similar idea.

Alberto is a proud member of the organization that made the March 10th Immigration and May Day mega marches possible. He was featured on newscasts seen worldwide as he confronted Minutemen organizers. As the Chairman of the Cook County Green Party, Bocanegra has fought against corruption and injustice in all parts of the city. Alberto has fought hard for affordable housing, particularly in the 12th ward. Active supporter of F.A.D Families Against Drugs where he received a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of many selfless hours spent working to improve Brighton Park.

Reichel claims debate victory; Admonishes Mainstream Press for Failing the Public

This Wednesday, the four contenders for the now-vacant 47th ward aldermanic seat met in a packed gymnasium at Coonley Elementary School, and discussed a number of issues ranging from TIF’s to environmental policy.

Reichel emerged from the debate as upbeat as ever: “This debate marked a clear victory for the Reichel camp. I was the most energetic, determined and progressive of the candidates, and provided the most well-founded and realistic solutions to the problems facing this city.”

While the debate remained civil throughout, the candidates did find room to inject friendly jabs at one another. In response to Reichel’s pleas to the community to join him in cleaning out the ward organization and removing the machine influence that exists there now, Tom O’Donnell disparaged Reichel and claimed “This isn’t about “machine” this or “machine” that. This is about getting things done.” Reichel retorted: “With all due respect, Mr. O’Donnell, the Democratic machine is very real, and poses a real road block to getting anything done for the 99% of us that are not integral members of it.”

Mr. O’Donnell is a long-time member of Ald. Schulter’s ward organization.

Reichel continued: “Our progressive and populist message resonated most with voters in attendance, who were also impressed by the enthusiasm of our campaign. Today, we have made a big step forward to victory on February 22nd.”

Reichel also took the chance on Thursday to comment on the thorough lack of mainstream press coverage of the event:

“I don’t know if anyone at the Sun Times, Tribune or NPR has gotten the memo, but THERE IS AN OPEN ELECTION IN THE 47TH WARD. YOU MIGHT WANT TO COVER IT.”

“The press serves the public function of making people aware of civic and political affairs. In this, the first open election in this ward in 36 years, you would think that there would be interest in providing comprehensive election coverage for our neighbors in the 47th ward. To this extent, the mainstream press is collectively failing us.”

The event received no coverage in any of Chicago’s major papers or television news programs.

################################

Reichel for the 47th

www.mattreichel.com

info@mattreichel.com

(773) 803-1185

After the announcement of incumbent alderman Gene Schulter’s departure from the 47th ward aldermanic election, Green Party candidate Matt Reichel has pronounced himself the favorite:

“I am the only remaining candidate who has been actively campaigning and organizing in this ward for nearly two years, as part of my congressional campaign. “

(Reichel was previously the Green party candidate for Congress in the 5th District.)

Reichel, who will now occupy the top ballot spot, continued: “Thirty- Six years ago, this ward elected its first Democrat in the form of a young 20-something with a German last name. This year, we are going to elect Chicago’s first Green alderman in the form of a German descendant with top ballot position.”

The Reichel campaign recently survived a 6-week long legal battle to maintain its ballot spot, due to a relentless challenge by Schulter’s ward organization.

Reichel said: “Schulter’s intent was to get his chosen successor on the ballot, Tom O’Donnell, and then to eliminate any meaningful opposition. Fortunately, their legal challenge to my candidacy was purely a wild goose chase. I am proud to announce that the people of the 47th won in the courts, and on February 22nd, I am confident that we will win this race for the working people of the ward.”

Reichel’s website has more information about his stance on the issues: www.mattreichel.com

#################################

Reichel for the 47th

4543 N. Hamilton

Chicago, IL 60625

www.mattreichel.com

matt@mattreichel.com

(773) 803-1185 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (773) 803-1185      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Berwyn, IL —Rita Maniotis knew that running a campaign for school board in Morton High School District 201 would be  difficult, but she didn’t anticipate a legal fight just to get on the ballot.

Paul Nosek of Berwyn and Alejandro Rueda of Cicero have filed a formal objection to Maniotis’ nominating papers and thrown her candidacy into legal limbo.

Maniotis would represent the fourth candidate for the three open seats up for grabs in April’s election. A successful objection to her candidacy would ensure that incumbents Jeffry Pesek and Micheal Iniquez win back their seats, and newcomer Mark Kraft would fill the seat vacated by Derek Dominick.

“I realize it’s legal to object to anything you want to, but it’s not necessarily ethical,” Maniotis said. “They even objected to the signature of my son and daughter…”

Maniotis filed 79 signatures, but needed only 50 to be put on the ballot. If the county determines she has enough valid signatures, the technical objections will be heard.

Although school board elections are supposed to be non-partisan, Maniotis has previously run for state representative as a green party candidate, and Nosek is listed by the Illinois State Board of Elections as the treasurer of the Democratic Citizens of Berwyn.

The Free and Equal Elections Foundation held a press conference yesterday at 1pm to introduce the language for a proposed ballot access bill. State representative Jim Watson (R-97, Jacksonville) has expressed interest in sponsoring the proposed bill.

If passed, the bill would open Illinois elections, improving democracy for Illinois voters, and saving Illinois residents millions of tax dollars.

You can find the proposed language on our website, as well as charts showing signature and filing fee requirements for statewide office in all 50 states, for both primary and generalelections. A majority of states use filing fees for primary elections.

Christina Tobin, founder and chair of Free and Equal Elections Foundation, is scheduled to speak about the bill to the Chicago Bar Association’s Election Law Committee on January 14.