FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 7th, 2006

CONTACTS:

Colby E. Peterson
Communications Director
6 Houghton Court #3
Leominster, MA 01453
(978) 895-0650
communications.director@green-rainbow.org

Ron Francis
(617) 230-2835
44 Benton Road
Somerville, MA 02143

Green-Rainbow Party meets in Worcester, nominates candidates for governor, lt. governor, treasure, secretary, auditor

Newcomers Ross, Van Horne, Fortune enter race joined by veterans Jill Stein and Jamie O’Keefe

Green-Rainbow Party (GRP) members from across the commonwealth converged on Worcester's Clark University Saturday to meet at this year's Nominating Convention. After hours of discussion, the party left with a culturally diverse five-member team of candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, secretary of the commonwealth, and auditor. Members entered the convention fired up for the day of party building, nominating candidates, and creating campaign strategies to address the vital issues of the coming year.

GRP co-chair Ron Francis summed up the party’s attitude, "No other party is serious about solving problems. Only we talk about abolishing poverty, housing for all people, a single payer healthcare system that covers everyone for less money, and treating drug addiction like the medical condition that it is. It's time to get serious and make our society work in the way people want it to work." Much of the discussion of the day revolved around the electoral strategy that best addresses the problems Francis described, and by the end of the day, five nominee hopefuls had become full-fledged GRP candidates.

Worcester resident, former GRP co-chair, and longtime low-income organizer Grace Ross received the GRP nomination for governor. Ross is the first lesbian to run for governor.

"In this time when so many of us have been made to feel despair and disempowered, our campaign is a call of renewal in the struggle for peace and justice," said Ross, "we cannot wait for leaders elected through our present corporate-driven system to fight for these ideals. Our team of candidates will fight for our dreams as we call on the people of this commonwealth to fight for theirs. We must show our faith in ourselves and begin the process of building the road to a new beloved commonwealth."

Ross’ running mate, Lunenburg resident, nurse, and GRP co-chair, Wendy Van Horne, was nominated for lieutenant governor. An excited Van Horne reflected on the upcoming race, “I am honored and thrilled to be working with these four GRP members who represent the party’s ideals in their own special ways. I look forward to running a full throttle campaign with them as a united team across our very diverse Commonwealth!” Van Horne represents a lot of firsts for Massachusetts, as she is the first person of Asian descent to be nominated for statewide office by the Green-Rainbow Party and is also the first Asian American to run for any statewide office in Massachusetts. Also, at age 22, she is the youngest candidate for lieutenant governor in recent Massachusetts history. Finally, Whately resident, school board member, and onetime legislative candidate Nat Fortune will be running for state auditor. But Green- Rainbow veterans James O’Keefe and Jill Stein will join these three statewide newcomers.

James O’Keefe, who ran for treasurer in 2002 and received 8% of the vote, will be returning for a second run for treasurer. Jill Stein, Green candidate for governor in 2002 and one-time legislative candidate, will also be returning to the statewide race, but this time she will be running for for secretary of the commonwealth.

Aside from the candidates, other members of the party expressed their plans for the election year and the issues the GRP should focus on. Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner used his keynote address to renew party focus against the war on drugs, “There is nothing more important to the Black and Latino community across the country than the legalization of natural drugs. The war on drugs is a very effective way to pull Latino and Black men off the street, and this war has done nothing to stem the flow of or the use of drugs in this country.” The other keynoter, 1990 independent candidate for governor Dottie Stevens, talked about her campaign and its focus on poverty issues, “People don’t really know what poverty is… and for us, it means having no money to buy food, clothes, education, or medicine! Pretty simple!” Cambridge resident and GRP member Elie Yarden stated his expectations clearly upon arrival, "I expect the Green-Rainbow Party to give the voters of Massachusetts an alternative to leaving the real decisions in the hands of corporate interests and their lackeys!"

The party will now begin the formal campaign towards election day, with the hopes to bring ignored issues to the forefront of the debate, register new members, and offer residents a progressive choice this election year. It is clear that with the Green- Rainbow entering the race, the already dramatic political landscape has been once again been changed.

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