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Green presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney wins the DC Statehood Green Party primary with 41.48%
Ms. McKinney will visit DC on Tuesday, Feb. 19 and speak at Howard University; details to be announced
According to unofficial election night results released by the DC Board of Elections and Ethics, Cynthia McKinney has won the DC Statehood Green Party primary in the February 12 presidential primary in the District of Columbia.
The DC Statehood Green Party is one five state Green Parties participating in their respective state primaries in 2008.
On Tuesday, February 19, Cynthia McKinney, a former Georgia member of Congress, will visit Washington, DC, for an evening appearance at Howard University, a press conference, and other area appearances. Details of Ms. McKinney’s visit will be announced soon.
The board’s unofficial summary report announced the following numbers and percentages, as of 11 pm Tuesday evening:
Registered DC Statehood Green voters 4,532 Primary Election Day turnout of Statehood Greens 10.86% 492 votes
• Cynthia McKinney 41.48% 202 votes
• Jared A. Ball * 3.90% 19 votes
• Kat Swift 4.11% 20 votes
• Jesse Johnson 2.87% 14 votes
• Kent P. Mesplay 3.08% 15 votes
• Howie Hawkins** (for Ralph Nader) 6.57% 32 votes
• No candidate 11.09% 54 votes
• Write In *** 26.90% 131 votes
Source: DC Board of Elections
Party leaders attributed the low turnout to very poor weather Tuesday evening, with freezing rain and ice-covered streets and sidewalks, and the lack of coverage of Green candidates in the District’s major media.
In recent elections, DC Statehood Green candidates have collectively won more votes than Republican candidates, including the 2006 election, when the two parties ran the same number of candidates for partisan office. The Statehood Green Party is now ‘DC’s Second Party’ in terms of electoral clout. Statehood Green candidates receive most of their votes in the general election from voters registered in other parties.
DC Statehood Green leaders look forward to a possible milestone in 2008: the Green
presidential candidate placing second on Election Day, ahead of the Republican candidate.
* Dr. Jared Ball had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Ms. McKinney; however, his name was submitted before his withdrawal and remained on
the February 12 ballot.
** Howie Hawkins consented to serve as a ‘placeholder’ candidate on the DC ballot for
Ralph Nader until Mr. Nader announces his intentions for the 2008 election. Mr. Nader has established an exploratory committee for the 2008 race.
*** The names of the write-in candidates on 131 of the Statehood Green ballots have not been released yet. The DC Statehood Green Party anticipates learning the names of the write-ins from the Board of Elections and Ethics, in case any of them received enough votes to affect the party’s apportioning of delegates.
GREEN PRIMARIES AND THE CONVENTION
The DC Statehood Green Party has qualified to send 16 delegates to the Green Party’s 2008 Green National Nominating Convention in Chicago, July 10-13, at which 836 Green delegates will choose the party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees.
Results from the four states where Green Parties that participated in the February 5 Super Tuesday primaries showed a landslide for Ralph Nader in California (61%), a lead among candidates for Cynthia McKinney in Arkansas and Illinois, and close but unconfirmed numbers for Ms. McKinney and Mr. Nader in Massachusetts. Green Parties not participating in primaries are choosing presidential candidates by caucus voting and by election of national convention delegates at state party conventions.
The Green Party has vowed to achieve 51 ballot lines in 2008 in all the states and the District of Columbia, and has committed party resources for this purpose. Greens currently have ballot access in 21 states, including Washington, DC
Web sites of presidential candidates on the
February 12 DC primary ballot:
• Jared Ball (withdrawn from the race)
http://www.jaredball.com
• Jesse Johnson
• Cynthia McKinney http://www.runcynthiarun.org
• Kent Mesplay
• Howie Hawkins http://www.draftnader.org
• Kat Swift
Filed under: cynthia mckinney, election, elections, Green Party Websites, presidential race, Press Release, Ralph Nader, third party Tagged: | Ralph Nader, third parties, unreasonable man
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