On March 15th, the State of Ohio will be holding primary elections for all three accredited political parties. The Green Party of Ohio is the only alternative party that holds a current ballot line in the state. By the time the Ohio Primary comes around, several other states will have already held primaries or caucuses to determine the eventual Democratic nominee. The expectation is that the nominee will be Secretary Clinton. As of this morning (3-2-16), thanks to Super Tuesday victories in 7 states, Ms. Clinton has a delegate count of 1055, compared to Senator Sanders at 418. (Per CNN)
As Sanders supporters have told us since he declared his candidacy, we should make sure that our progressive message is carried forth by the most viable candidate. But where does that leave the agenda if Sanders stalls out? Given the likelihood of Secretary Clinton emerging victorious in most of the intervening contests between now and March 15th, what is the best way for Sanders supporters to show their support for the progressive agenda espoused by the Senator? At that point, if your support is truly about the agenda, then it makes sense to work with the Green Party to build and grow.
Regarding our agenda…what exactly are we talking about? Here are important highlights from our national platform:
- A foreign policy based upon human rights and adherence to international law
- Opposition to the death penalty
- The end of privatization of public education and free education from preschool to college
- Abolition of student loan debt
- Electoral reform, including proportional representation and instant runoff voting
- Single-payer healthcare
- A living wage
- The right to organize and collectively bargain
- Deployment of resources currently used for wars for oil toward developing a green economy
There’s so much more to this, and if you are about the agenda over the candidate, you will be pleasantly surprised to see how detailed our platform is.
Isn’t that a platform you can get behind?
Our Green Party nominee will be on the ballot either way in November. If the current momentum holds true, it will likely be Jill Stein, but we have five candidates in the running.
By voting in the Green Party of Ohio primary you will not only be supporting a progressive agenda, you will have the opportunity to cast a vote for one of our several local and statewide candidates.
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- Joe DeMare for US Senate
- Joe Manchik for US Congress
- Dennis Lambert for US Congress
- Constance Gadell-Newton for Ohio Statehouse
- Bob Fitrakis for Franklin County Prosecutor
Voting in the Green Party of Ohio primary will also afford you the chance to influence the local committees and State Central Committee that guide the direction of our party. In many counties across the State, candidates for seats on those committees will also be on the ballot.
And, finally, voting in the Green Party of Ohio primary will allow you to participate and vote on our Presidential choice at our Nominating Convention being held in Columbus on April 3rd, 2016.
Senator Sanders has brought forth a progressive vision for the country and we thank him for that. The Democratic Party nomination process is not favorable to progressive ideals though. The best way to maintain a positive influence on our nations governance is to not give up your voice. Maintain your voice and your ideals by voting for the Ohio Green Party and the Green Party of the United States, on March 15th and again on November 8th.