The Green Party Calls for Candidates for Statewide Office

GPWA would like to run a statewide candidate in 2020!

Are you someone who might be up to this task, either as a candidate or a campaign support volunteer?

–> Keep reading and if you see yourself as a potential candidate for any of these positions, please download and complete our Candidate Questionnaire so that we may consider supporting your campaign:

Word version | PDF version

Also, if you would like to volunteer to support a Green Party campaign, please let us know!


Content provided by Noah Martin, South Sound Greens, GPWA Campaign Committee member

There are multiple statewide executive positions up for election in 2020. I have listed most of them here. I particularly believe that GPWA would benefit from running someone for Commissioner of Public Lands, since it is a position that “fits” the Greens’ mission very well and the Democrats who are running are “Green capitalists” from King County who have little appeal in places where the Commissioner of Public Lands’ actions are felt the most like Eastern and Southwestern Washington. In addition, it has directly translatable experience for a race for a conservation district, which are among the most winnable nonpartisan local races for Greens.


Benefits of running a statewide campaign

While GPWA is probably not yet able to win races at the state level, having a statewide candidate has several benefits for the state party:

  • Raising key state-level issues that might not otherwise be mentioned in the race
  • Linking the party to those state-level issues and leveraging them to grow the party
  • “Filling out” the ballot so Greens are not just a top-heavy ticket with a presidential candidate, but are shown to have a real presence in the state
  • Building out GPWA’s statewide campaign infrastructure so it can better compete in local races
  • Researching policy positions, creating messaging, and collecting voter data that can be built on in follow-up local campaigns.
  • Allowing a candidate to build name recognition and a statewide fundraising network before running for local office

Offices up for Election in 2020

Due to limited capacity, GPWA may decide to focus on a single statewide office. However, there are several statewide offices that can have a watershed effect on down ballot races or leverage a particular issue.


Governor — This is the primary executive of Washington State, and it touches pretty much every state-level issue. This would be a particularly good position if someone wants to raise issues that have more to do with the legislature and/or the governor’s legislative priorities, or if there are issues that the Democratic administration needs to be pushed on.

Good qualifying professions: Administrative positions of various stripes, lawyers, workers… Almost any profession can make a case for Governor if the messaging is done right.

Possible Issues: Legislative dysfunction, dam removal, dirty energy, carbon fees, ecosocialism

Local Races that Benefit: Most of them, particularly legislative races


Superintendent of Public Instruction — The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is one of the largest executive departments of Washington State and oversees the execution of education policy. Maintaining education is THE fundamental constitutional duty of the State of Washington, and our current legislators have been making a mess of it. Much of the game of chicken in the legislature every year is around the education budget, which means this position could be a great opportunity to discuss the budget, charter schools, curriculum, child poverty, and other pressing issues in WA.

Good qualifying professions: Teacher, school administrator, childcare worker, pediatrician, artist, school bus driver, and other professions that work directly with children

Possible Issues: Budget, charter schools, curriculum, education conditions, child poverty

Local Races that Benefit: School boards


Secretary of State — The Secretary of State’s primary role in WA is to oversee elections. This is a great position for people with election or administrative experience in general, especially in a high-paced environment.

Good qualifying professions: Election worker, campaign manager, programmer, auditor, public administrator

Possible Issues: Voting reform, election technology, transparency

Local Races that Benefit: All of them, particularly partisan races like County Auditor


Commissioner of Public Lands — The Commissioner of Public Lands is an increasingly important position that is charged with overseeing both the state’s relationships with extractive industries like fishing, logging, and farming and the state’s management of state parks, conservation efforts and forest fires.

Good qualifying professions: Biologist, ecologist, farmworker, firefighter, fisherperson, park ranger, emergency management, surveyor

Possible Issues: Effects of climate change like forest fires, pesticide use, land use, and other ecological issues

Local Races that Benefit: Conservation District boards


Auditor — The State Auditor is charged with overseeing efforts for government transparency and accountability at the state, county, and local levels. This is constitutionally supposed to be the most “independent” position, which makes it a good office for a third party to run for “to keep the fox from guarding the henhouse,” so to speak. Independents tend to perform better running for this position.

Good qualifying professions: Financial analyst, ombuds, journalist, human resources, lawyer, accountant

Possible Issues: Government transparency (particularly Senate Bill 6617 and its subsequent iterations), corruption, partisanship

Local Races that Benefit: All of them, particularly County Assessors and County Auditors


Treasurer — The chief financial officer of the state of Washington. This position is currently held by an incumbent Republican, and Democrats will be hungry to win it back. This means there will probably be more space on the left for Greens to find a niche.

Good qualifying professions: Accountant, financial planner, actuary, worker in the financial sector

Possible Issues: Taxes, the budget, public banking

Local Races That Benefit: City Council and legislative races, County Assessors


Link to the Washington Secretary of State for a list of 2020 State Offices Open for Election:

https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/candidates/offices-open-for-election.aspx


Follow the declared candidates on Ballotpedia:

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Natural_Resources_Commissioner_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_gubernatorial_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Superintendent_of_Public_Instruction_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Treasurer_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Secretary_of_State_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Auditor_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_lieutenant_gubernatorial_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Insurance_Commissioner_election,_2020

https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Washington,_2020


–> If you are interested in running for office with the Green Party, please download and complete our Candidate Questionnaire:

Word version | PDF version

If you would like to volunteer to support a Green Party campaign, please let us know!

GPWA Annual Spring Gathering – May 2020

The Green Party of Washington will hold our Annual Spring Gathering on Saturday May 23rd, 2020 from 9:30 AM – 5 PM.

Click here to register to attend!

Due to social distancing restrictions, this meeting will be held online.

You are invited to join us for any part or all of the meeting. The online meeting link and password will be shared with all those who register to attend.


Meeting agenda:

9:30 AM – Welcome and introductions – orientation for meeting attendees – learn how to use Jitsi online meetings – click here to read our Jitsi training guide

10 AM – Nature’s Rights and Community Civil DisobedienceKai Huschke, Northwest and Hawaii Organizer for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, Democracy School lecturer, and advisor to the Oregon Community Rights Network and Washington State Community Rights Network

11 AM – Confronting the Climate Justice CrisisShaylon Stolk, Climate Justice Activist with Extinction Rebellion Seattle and Extinction Rebellion Justice. Shaylon is a statistician who has worked in the renewable energy industry since 2011. She is passionate about wind farms, revitalizing her peoples’ Indigenous languages, and vegan baking.

12 PM – Lunch break – discussion and proposal on Community Resilience with Kaedden Michael Landy

1 PM – GPUS Presidential Candidate presentations* Howie Hawkins / Angela Walker, Dario Hunter / Darlene Elias, and David Rolde

2 PM – Local and Statewide Candidate presentations

3 PM – GPWA State Coordinating Council, GPUS National Committee, and GPUS Presidential Nominating Convention delegate and alternate candidate introductions and nominations **

4 PM – Chapter reports, volunteer opportunities, and social time

* Presidential candidates recognized by the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) are invited to present. 

** GPWA State Coordinating Council: nominations are open for Treasurer, Deputy Treasurer, and 5 at-large council members. In nominating candidates for the coordinating council, members should have as their goal the inclusion of differences in as many areas as possible, including but not limited to race, gender, and geography. For more information, see our bylaws. Our State Coordinating Council also includes an elected representative from each affiliated local chapter.

** GPUS National Committee: nominations are open for 2 delegates and 2 alternates.

** GPUS Presidential Nominating Convention: nominations are open for 5 delegates and 5 alternates. The Green Party 2020 Annual National Meeting and Presidential Nominating Convention will take place July 9-12, 2020 online.

All votes will be cast by Green Party members on a ranked-choice ballot sent out via email (or postal mail) after the Gathering.

Ballots and candidate statements will be emailed (or postal mailed to members without email addresses) within one week after the Spring Gathering, and returned ballots must be sent back (emailed or postmarked) no later than 21 days after the close of the Gathering. Members may choose to return their ballot via email or postal mail.

More information on the 2020 Green Party Presidential candidates.

Unofficial Wikipedia results and pledges to date for the US Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention.


–> Is your Green Party membership up to date?

Membership is free for those experiencing economic hardship at this time.

Click here to join, renew, or check your membership status.

New members must join the Green Party of Washington by April 23, 2020 to participate in our nominating process for president, down-ballot, and GPWA candidates. Returning members and those whose membership has lapsed can renew their membership by May 23rd.


Click here to register to attend our 2020 Spring Gathering!

Please Support Unist’ot’en Camp!

The Green Party of Washington supports the sovereign Wet’suwet’en Nation whose leaders are opposing all pipelines through their territories. If completed, these pipelines will deliver tar sands oil down the coast of British Columbia through the Puget Sound and on to Asian ports. With all the vessel traffic already in the Sound, the likelihood of a tanker collision or oil spill such as what happened to the Exxon Valdez is extremely high.

The Unist’ot’en Tribe of the region have informed the pipeline company that they have not given free, prior, and informed consent to do work on their land. Therefore, the Green Party of Washington State is standing with the Green Party of Canada and other allies in opposing ALL pipelines that violate indigenous peoples’ rights and sovereignty and are a danger to our collective ecosystem.

The GPWA Coordinating Council has voted to contribute $500 to the Unist’ot’en Camp for legal defense.

We encourage all Green Party members and supporters to add to the contribution for this important cause!

PLEASE DONATE to the Unist’ot’en Camp:

http://unistoten.camp/support-us/donate/

Read the news and recent updates from Unist’ot’en: http://unistoten.camp/

In solidarity,

Green Party of Washington

https://greenpartywashington.org/

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Donations always appreciated and put to good use!

🌻#WeAreGreen