Monday, July 17, 2006
Greens in Minnesota get on the ballot!
In a press release, the Minnesota Greens announced that they have secured enough signatures to run candidates this fall, and introduces them. Check it out behind the "Read more!" link...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17 July, 2006
MINNESOTA VOTERS ASK FOR GREEN PARTY CHOICE ON BALLOT, CANDIDATES TO FILE
OVER 15,000 SIGNATURES FOR BALLOT ACCESS IN NOVEMBER
Contact: Rhoda Gilman, Green Party of Minnesota 651-224-6383,
Minneapolis ** Green Party candidates for US Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, Attorney General, and US House of Representatives will file over 15,000 signatures with the Secretary of State Tuesday, July 18 at Noon, representing Minnesota voters nominating the Green Party candidates for partisan office. They will be joined by two candidates for the legislature who have also achieved ballot status.
As a minor party in the state of Minnesota, Green Party candidates needed to collect from 500 signatures for state legislative seats, to 2,000 signatures for each of the state constitutional and federal offices, between July 4th and July 18th to appear on the ballot. "Placing seven candidates on the ballot by petition is a huge accomplishment and is more than any other 3rd party has done in recent history." said Rhoda Gilman, Green Party of Minnesota Politics Chair. An eighth candidate, Farheen Hakeem, who is running for Hennepin County Commissioner, says: "I have been humbled by the amount of support and enthusiasm we as Green party endorsed candidates have received throughout this process."
Candidates filing Tuesday are Michael Cavlan for US Senate, Ken Pentel and Danene Provencher for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Dave Berger for Minnesota State Auditor, Papa John Kolstad for Attorney General, and Jay Pond for US House in District 5.
"This was a truly amazing grassroots effort." said Michael Cavlan, US Senate candidate. "We had a very short amount of time to collect thousands of signatures, and people really came together to make it possible for us to provide a voice for peace, justice, ecology, and democracy to Minnesota voters."
Cavlan's platform focuses on creating a universal single-payer health care system, ending the occupation of Iraq, implementing sustainable energy and agricultural policies, and ensuring transparency and accountability of elections and voting technologies.
"The best part of the whole experience was meeting people from all over the state, one on one, and hearing their concerns. I most enjoyed shaking the hands of young women, telling them that I was running for office and someday they could too," said Danene Provencher, candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
Provencher is running alongside Ken Pentel, Green Party candidate for Governor. "I am honored to be the Green Party's endorsed candidate for Governor, and it is a responsibility I do not take lightly," Pentel said. "My main goal as Governor of Minnesota would be to establish an honest democracy and an economy which is linked to ecological healing."
"The Green Party has 10 Key Values." said State Auditor candidate Dave Berger. "These values show that we are interested in fair politics, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and many other important issues that appeal to people of many backgrounds." Berger's campaign message includes showing how a single-payer health care system will save millions of dollars for local governments, families, and small businesses in our state and provide coverage for everyone at the same time.
"As a member of the State Board of Investment," he says, "I could encourage the state to divest its $52 billion worth of investment from companies that do not promote equal rights. An objective State Auditor treats all citizens equally regardless of race, class, gender, religious preference, political views, or sexual orientation. The fact that my DFL and Republican opponents have supported the Bachmann Amendment shows that they cannot be fair auditors."
Papa John Kolstad is the Green Party Candidate for Attorney General. "I'm happy to be able to bring some real solutions to the table in the race for Minnesota Attorney General." said Kolstad. A small business owner, and community and civic activist, Kolstad will promote a single payer health plan, strong, enforceable environmental laws, electoral reform, and ending corporate welfare.
As the Green Party candidate for US House of Representatives in the 5th Congressional District, Jay Pond has an exciting vision of how "politics as it was meant to be" could work. Of the signature-gathering process he says: "During this two-week period while the media was covering the political bickering of the major parties, we were asking people for their signatures and thoughts. What a great experience! People are committed to helping create change. For starters they want the war stopped, health care, and the ability to purchase energy that comes from renewable sources. We must ensure equal civil rights and liberties for everyone. That means providing equal rights for everyone to marry, and it means reforming our immigration laws and protecting the rights of immigrants."
Julie Risser, the Green Party endorsed candidate for Minnesota Senate in District 41 collected over 700 signatures and filed last week. "During a week marked by record-setting temperatures Green Party candidates were out petitioning for ballot access so that they can promote basic issues: single-payer universal health care, withdrawal from Iraq, and clean, renewable energy," Risser said. "People want clarity not empty rhetoric."
Jesse Mortenson, the Green Party candidate for Minnesota House in District
64A, agrees. "Gathering signatures was another chapter in our strong grassroots campaign," he said. "We?ve already spoken with folks door-to-door through almost a third of the district."
For more information on the Green Party, see: www.mngreens.org
(http://www.mngreens.org)
For more information on the candidates, see:
Michael Cavlan for US Senate _www.cavlan.org_ (_http://www.cavlan.org_
(http://www.cavlan.org) )
Ken Pentel/Danene Provencher _www.kenpentel.org_
(_http://www.kenpentel.org_ (http://www.kenpentel.org) )
Dave Berger _www.berger4auditor.org_ (_http://www.berger4auditor.org_
(http://www.berger4auditor.org) )
Papa John Kolstad _www.millcitymusic.com_ (_http://www.millcitymusic.com_
(http://www.millcitymusic.com) )
Jay Pond, US House of Representatives, Minnesota?s 5th Congressional
_www.JayPond.com_ (_http://www.JayPond.com_ (http://www.JayPond.com) )
Farheen Hakeem for Hennepin County Commissioner _www.farheenhakeem.org_
(_http://www.farheenhakeem.org_ (http://www.farheenhakeem.org) )
Jesse Mortenson for MN House District 64A _www.jessemortenson.com_
(_http://www.jessemortenson.com_ (http://www.jessemortenson.com) )
Julie Risser for MN Senate District 41 _www.voterisser4senate.com_
(_http://www.voterisser4senate.com_ (http://www.voterisser4senate.com) )
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
17 July, 2006
MINNESOTA VOTERS ASK FOR GREEN PARTY CHOICE ON BALLOT, CANDIDATES TO FILE
OVER 15,000 SIGNATURES FOR BALLOT ACCESS IN NOVEMBER
Contact: Rhoda Gilman, Green Party of Minnesota 651-224-6383,
Minneapolis ** Green Party candidates for US Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor, Attorney General, and US House of Representatives will file over 15,000 signatures with the Secretary of State Tuesday, July 18 at Noon, representing Minnesota voters nominating the Green Party candidates for partisan office. They will be joined by two candidates for the legislature who have also achieved ballot status.
As a minor party in the state of Minnesota, Green Party candidates needed to collect from 500 signatures for state legislative seats, to 2,000 signatures for each of the state constitutional and federal offices, between July 4th and July 18th to appear on the ballot. "Placing seven candidates on the ballot by petition is a huge accomplishment and is more than any other 3rd party has done in recent history." said Rhoda Gilman, Green Party of Minnesota Politics Chair. An eighth candidate, Farheen Hakeem, who is running for Hennepin County Commissioner, says: "I have been humbled by the amount of support and enthusiasm we as Green party endorsed candidates have received throughout this process."
Candidates filing Tuesday are Michael Cavlan for US Senate, Ken Pentel and Danene Provencher for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Dave Berger for Minnesota State Auditor, Papa John Kolstad for Attorney General, and Jay Pond for US House in District 5.
"This was a truly amazing grassroots effort." said Michael Cavlan, US Senate candidate. "We had a very short amount of time to collect thousands of signatures, and people really came together to make it possible for us to provide a voice for peace, justice, ecology, and democracy to Minnesota voters."
Cavlan's platform focuses on creating a universal single-payer health care system, ending the occupation of Iraq, implementing sustainable energy and agricultural policies, and ensuring transparency and accountability of elections and voting technologies.
"The best part of the whole experience was meeting people from all over the state, one on one, and hearing their concerns. I most enjoyed shaking the hands of young women, telling them that I was running for office and someday they could too," said Danene Provencher, candidate for Lieutenant Governor.
Provencher is running alongside Ken Pentel, Green Party candidate for Governor. "I am honored to be the Green Party's endorsed candidate for Governor, and it is a responsibility I do not take lightly," Pentel said. "My main goal as Governor of Minnesota would be to establish an honest democracy and an economy which is linked to ecological healing."
"The Green Party has 10 Key Values." said State Auditor candidate Dave Berger. "These values show that we are interested in fair politics, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and many other important issues that appeal to people of many backgrounds." Berger's campaign message includes showing how a single-payer health care system will save millions of dollars for local governments, families, and small businesses in our state and provide coverage for everyone at the same time.
"As a member of the State Board of Investment," he says, "I could encourage the state to divest its $52 billion worth of investment from companies that do not promote equal rights. An objective State Auditor treats all citizens equally regardless of race, class, gender, religious preference, political views, or sexual orientation. The fact that my DFL and Republican opponents have supported the Bachmann Amendment shows that they cannot be fair auditors."
Papa John Kolstad is the Green Party Candidate for Attorney General. "I'm happy to be able to bring some real solutions to the table in the race for Minnesota Attorney General." said Kolstad. A small business owner, and community and civic activist, Kolstad will promote a single payer health plan, strong, enforceable environmental laws, electoral reform, and ending corporate welfare.
As the Green Party candidate for US House of Representatives in the 5th Congressional District, Jay Pond has an exciting vision of how "politics as it was meant to be" could work. Of the signature-gathering process he says: "During this two-week period while the media was covering the political bickering of the major parties, we were asking people for their signatures and thoughts. What a great experience! People are committed to helping create change. For starters they want the war stopped, health care, and the ability to purchase energy that comes from renewable sources. We must ensure equal civil rights and liberties for everyone. That means providing equal rights for everyone to marry, and it means reforming our immigration laws and protecting the rights of immigrants."
Julie Risser, the Green Party endorsed candidate for Minnesota Senate in District 41 collected over 700 signatures and filed last week. "During a week marked by record-setting temperatures Green Party candidates were out petitioning for ballot access so that they can promote basic issues: single-payer universal health care, withdrawal from Iraq, and clean, renewable energy," Risser said. "People want clarity not empty rhetoric."
Jesse Mortenson, the Green Party candidate for Minnesota House in District
64A, agrees. "Gathering signatures was another chapter in our strong grassroots campaign," he said. "We?ve already spoken with folks door-to-door through almost a third of the district."
For more information on the Green Party, see: www.mngreens.org
(http://www.mngreens.org)
For more information on the candidates, see:
Michael Cavlan for US Senate _www.cavlan.org_ (_http://www.cavlan.org_
(http://www.cavlan.org) )
Ken Pentel/Danene Provencher _www.kenpentel.org_
(_http://www.kenpentel.org_ (http://www.kenpentel.org) )
Dave Berger _www.berger4auditor.org_ (_http://www.berger4auditor.org_
(http://www.berger4auditor.org) )
Papa John Kolstad _www.millcitymusic.com_ (_http://www.millcitymusic.com_
(http://www.millcitymusic.com) )
Jay Pond, US House of Representatives, Minnesota?s 5th Congressional
_www.JayPond.com_ (_http://www.JayPond.com_ (http://www.JayPond.com) )
Farheen Hakeem for Hennepin County Commissioner _www.farheenhakeem.org_
(_http://www.farheenhakeem.org_ (http://www.farheenhakeem.org) )
Jesse Mortenson for MN House District 64A _www.jessemortenson.com_
(_http://www.jessemortenson.com_ (http://www.jessemortenson.com) )
Julie Risser for MN Senate District 41 _www.voterisser4senate.com_
(_http://www.voterisser4senate.com_ (http://www.voterisser4senate.com) )
// posted by Gregg Jocoy @ 11:01 PM 
