[GPCA Updates] NEWS ADVISORY: Green Party candidates make impact in CA Primary

[Jim Stauffer]

                   News Advisory
           THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
              http://www.cagreens.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 7, 2006

For a URL of this release see www.cagreens.org/press/pr060607.shtml
For a complete breakdown of Green Party candidates, see www.cagreens.org

	      
Green Party Primary Results:
Todd Chretien wins US Senate nod, teacher nearly forces
runoff in state schools chief race, anti-war advocate makes
Oakland City Council runoff, Camejo leads state slate again

SACRAMENTO – The Green Party of California chose its slate of statewide and
federal candidates for the November election Tuesday, including Todd
Chretien, who won a three-way race for the right to meet Sen. Dianne
Feinstein in the US Senate race and make the war in Iraq the defining issue
in the Fall.

Another Green candidate, seventh-grade teacher Sarah Knopp, nearly pulled
off a major upset in the state Supt. of Public Instruction race, garnering
more than a half million votes and almost forcing incumbent Jack O'Connell
into a runoff. Knopp finished second with 17.3 percent of the vote.
O'Connell had 52.1 percent, barely enough to avoid the runoff.

And, in Oakland, Green candidate Aimee Allison, a community activist and
Gulf War veteran who won conscientious objector status, finished second and
forced a November runoff with Patricia Kernighan  in an Oakland City
Council race. 

Chretien (45.5 percent), who defeated Tian Harter (37.6) and Kent Mesplay
(16.9) in the contested Green party US Senate race, said he will make his
race against Sen. Dianne Feinstein a "referendum on her support for the war
in Iraq" in November. 

In the first-ever contested Green Party State Assembly primary, Ricardo
Costa edged Philip Koebel to win the party's nomination in the 44th
Assembly District (Pasadena/Los Angeles). Seven other Greens won their
uncontested legislative races, five for Assembly and two for state Senate.
 
Green voters also nominated Peter Camejo as their gubernatorial candidate.
Camejo was
was the party's 2002 General and 2003 Recall Election candidate, and Ralph
Nader's 2004 vice-presidential pick. Also running on the state ticket will
be Donna Warren, Lt. Gov; Mike Wyman, Attorney General; Forrest Hill,
Secretary of State; Mehul Thakker, Treasurer; Laura Wells, Controller and
Larry Cafiero, Insurance Commissioner.  

Seven Greens won their primaries in House races, including two civil rights
lawyers – Bill Paparian (29th CD, Pasadena), a former Pasadena mayor, who
successfully represented an environmentalist and anti-war activist wrongly
accused of domestic terrorism and Jeff Kravitz (5th CD, Sacramento), a
constitutional law professor and radio talk show host.   

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Some statistics as of Wenesday morning with 99.9% of precincts reporting.  
  
The Green Party had contested primaries in two races:
  
  U.S. Senate
  
    Todd Chretien       9,957   45.5%   
    Tian Harter         8,239   37.6%   
    Kent P. Mesplay     3,713   16.9%
    
    Mappped results   http://vote.ss.ca.gov/Returns/ussen/mapJG.htm
  
    
  State Assembly Dist. 44    

    Ricardo Costa       203   60.6%   
    Philip Koebel       132   39.4% 
    

Turnout:

    Statewide   27.9%

    Green Party*  18.2%
    
    
* Estimated from highest vote total of candidates for statewide offices.



Election web sites:


    Secretary of state   http://vote.ss.ca.gov/
    
    Green Party  http://216.92.191.78/elections/races.php?stateId=6&year=2006