Greens do well in US vote
Candidates of the Green Party USA won 11 seats in local elections in November, according to latest figures compiled by the party. Eighty Green candidates ran for national, state and local offices in 13 states. They polled more than 560,000 votes, for an average showing of 16% in the elections in which they stood.
Prior to the elections, Greens already held 50 seats in local offices ranging from town councils and mayors to county commissions and boards of education. The current nationwide total of Green officeholders is now 56 in 14 states.
In Hawaii, where the Green Party has mounted a serious challenge to the Democratic Party, Greens placed second (beating Republican candidates) in four races. In the best Green Party showing for a national office, Linda Martin's candidacy for US Senate polled 50,000 votes (over 13%) against powerful Senator Daniel Inouye.
A total of 18 Green Party candidates ran in Hawaii. Keiko Bonk-Abramson's successful Green Party bid for a seat on the Hawaii Council was the first victory by any third party in Hawaii.
The largest number of Green candidates ran in California. Thirty-five candidates polled a total of nearly 340,000 votes, for a statewide average of 13%.
Green Party candidates made good showings in other state elections. In a bid for the New Mexico governorship, Abraham Guttman won 42% of the vote against an incumbent Democrat. Mark Dunlea won 41% in a New York State Assembly race. Kelly Weaverling, the current Green Party mayor of Cordova, Alaska, polled 23% in his bid for the Alaska State Assembly.