Comments on: Green Party Member Wins New York State Mayoral Race

By: David Gaines

David Gaines — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:01:15 +0000

Interesting. I grew up in nearby Connecticut and was never aware of this. So Jason West, who is constantly hailed as an elected Green Party mayor (and even self-identifies as such) is really an elected “Innovation Party” mayor? Did the residents of New Paltz know of his GP affiliation when he ran?

By: Eric Prindle

Eric Prindle — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:31:55 +0000

In many New York villages, there is a tradition of candidates declining to run on the ballot lines of established parties and instead creating temporary local slate “parties.”

So, for example, Noonan’s opponent was the candidate of the “Village” slate. When Jason West was elected mayor of New Paltz in 2003, he ran on the “Innovation” slate against the candidates of the “Village,” “Community,” and “Environmental” slates. And so on.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:50:59 +0000

The Open Government Party wasn’t just a vehicle for him. It was a true local party that also elected its candidates for Village Trustee. The other members of the Open Government slate aren’t Greens.

By: David Gaines

David Gaines — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:19:37 +0000

Not likely he would ever get elected to Congress as a 3rd party candidate, especially in New York. Nice slam on Ralph Nader’s strategy, though. Not.

My question is why he made up a party name (or created a new party) instead of simply running as the Green Party candidate? If his goal is to build the Green Party, how does one do that by avoiding that party and its name?

By: Deran

Deran — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:21:06 +0000

See, this is building a candidate that can one day get elected to state leg and US congress. Or that’s the theory, eh? Of course, if they then go and become Nader’s VP, well, there you have it.