November 5, 2014

Cheers erupted as the results of yesterday's elections came in to the Green-Rainbow Party election night gathering at the Middle East Restaurant in Cambridge.   The tally showed that the Green-Rainbow Party had succeeded in gaining official recognition as a major political party in Massachusetts.  Each of its three candidates for statewide office polled above the 3% threshold needed to win official recognition.

Reported election results show that the GRP candidates for Secretary, Treasurer, and Auditor polled 3.6%, 4.1%, and 4.0% respectively.  The 82,138 votes recorded by Ian Jackson, the GRP Treasurer candidate, was the high count for any independent candidate in Massachusetts, and all three GRP candidates tallied more votes than any of the three independent candidates for governor.

Ian, Danny, and Merelice celebrate the returns at the Middle East Restaurant on election night

According to party co-chair John Andrews "Winning ballot status ends the repressive fundraising restrictions that were forbidding our party and all its chapters from spending more than $500 statewide in aggregate to support any one candidate.  That was an average of only $1.42 per candidate per town.  We've had to compete against Democrats and Republicans who have been given permission for unlimited spending.  The outrageously tilted playing field is now slightly more level and GRP candidates are going to be increasingly competitive."

The votes also awarded ballot status for the GRP in the upcoming 2016 presidential races.  The party will hold a presidential primary in the spring of 2016 and its presidential nominee will be on the November ballot.

The Green-Rainbow candidates were interviewed on a national livestream broadcast set up to report on Green Party races around the nation.  Results indicated that voters were increasingly disenchanted with the two dominant parties, and that Green candidates were benefiting from this.

"We've had recent successes in winning seats on town select boards. And our mayoral candidate in Fall River, a major city, won 32% of the vote.  Now that we have ballot access, we're looking ahead to recruiting more candidates to run for local and legislative seats" said Andrews.

"I'm proud of the the Green-Rainbow Party for being the voice of conscience on so many issues that were being ignored by the big party candidates" said Danny Factor, GRP candidate for Secretary of State. "We were the only party that advocated a determined effort to address the problems of poverty and income inequality in Massachusetts.  We were the only party that advocated a serious effort to address the looming catastrophe of global warming.  We were the only party that stood for universal single-payer health care.  We have an important role to play in speaking up for the 99% when other parties are focused on doing more favors for the elite 1%."

"Voters are hungry for a different kind of politics" added M K Merelice, candidate for State Auditor.  "They want to see elected officials who can show true compassion and concern for their constituents.  They are tired of politicians who simply do favors for their big campaign donors.  The difference we represent is evident in our Community Uplift Initiative that would empower struggling communities to undertake local action to create good jobs and abolish poverty."

"The Green-Rainbow Party is a key voice for badly needed policy changes that are being ignored by establishment politicians" according to Ian Jackson, candidate for State Treasurer.  "We have an important role to play in focusing attention on the need for single-payer health care, a public bank of the Commonwealth, a plan to end fossil fuel dependence, ending the student debt crisis, and addressing the failed economic policies that have created poverty and unemployment in our communities.  We have some important work ahead of us."

Election Results, November 4, 2014, 100% of Precincts