[WestMALocals] Candidate Exploratory Committee

[Owen Broadhurst]

Dear GRP members,

You are invited to participate in the recruitment of
candidates who will run next year for statewide office
under the Green-Rainbow Party banner.

At its annual convention in June, the Party mandated
the formation of a diversely constituted Exploratory
Committee to explore recruitment of a slate of diverse
candidates to represent the party in next year's
elections.  The State Committee (StateCom) is
currently processing approval of a plan that calls for
each Local, Club, Campus Green, or Affinity Group to
send representatives to be part of an Exploratory
Committee that will determine what state-wide
candidates it can support races for and to enlist
party members to stand for election in those races.
Formal approval of the overall plan by StateCom is
currently underway via email.

In addition, the state-party co-chairs are being
empowered to invite additional individuals to
participate based on: (1) the need to diversify the
committee further, and/or (2) the need to obtain
representation from areas not currently covered by a
local.  All members of the Exploratory Committee must
be party members, either by registration as a GR, or
as a dues-paying member of the party.  Representatives
will be expected to meet in central Massachusetts one
or more times, as necessary, and to participate in
additional telephone conference calls.  The first
meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 10.  The
committee is expected to wind up its work by early
November.  Once the slate is identified, a convention
of all party members will be called to nominate the
slate.  (It is possible that there may be two
candidates for one position of course).

State-wide offices up for election next year are:
Governor/Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of
the Commonwealth, Treasurer, Auditor, and U.S. Senate
(Kennedy).

Because the GRP is a grassroots organization, it is
vital that it have widespread participation in this
effort.  We realize August is not the best time to be
reaching people, but we need to identify the
candidates we will support soon so they can begin the
task of organizing the signature-gathering necessary
to get on the ballot.  This means the committee must
begin its work as soon as possible.

If you are interested in working on this committee,
and are NOT one of the two representatives chosen by
your local, would you please contact either of the
party co-chairs (listed below) by Sunday Aug 28th, to
indicate your interest.  People of color, women,
low-income individuals, and people from other often
underrepresented communities are strongly urged to
apply.

Please include a simple statement about what you think
that you would add to the committee.  We will respond
to your application and inform you if you will be
considered a voting member of the Exploratory
Committee by Monday the 5th of September.  Please
understand, we are trying to create a diverse
committee so that not everyone who replies may wind up
being a voting member of the committee.  (Meetings
will be open to all members of course).  Anyone not
chosen for the committee will be welcome to
participate as a non-voting member.

Thank you for all you are doing to promote reason in
politics, and for your support of the Green-Rainbow
Party.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact Information:

Wendy Van Horne     Ron Francis
State Party Co-Chair    State Party Co-Chair


wmv01462 at hotmail.com    ronwf777 at yahoo.com