Green Party Watch, February 21st:
Jill Stein has easily won the Illinois Green Party presidential preference vote, with nearly 87% of the total votes cast. The voting was as follows: Stein 119 (86.9%), William P. Kreml 5 (3.6%), Kent Mesplay 2 (1.5%), Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza-Curry 1 (0.7%), Darryl Cherney 0 (0.0%), uncommitted 10 (7.3%).
According to the Illinois Greens, the voting serves as the state party’s internal primary election for its presidential nominee and determines the makeup of the ILGP delegation to the 2016 Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention” in August. The Illinois delegation will consist of 20 Stein delegates, two uncommitted delegates, and one delegate pledged to Kreml.
About the Illinois Green Party, from Wikipedia:
The Illinois Green Party is a statewide political party in Illinois.
The party is state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. Its stated mission and purpose are to advance the Ten Key Values of the Green Party in Illinois through political means and to support individual members and the formation of Green Party locals.
In 2006, the party ran its first statewide candidates led by Rich Whitney, candidate for Illinois Governor, who received 361,336 votes for 10% of the total vote, making the Green Party one of only three legally established, statewide political parties in Illinois, in addition to the Democratic and Republican parties. Though after the 2010 election the Illinois Green Party lost their established party status, because none of their candidates for statewide office broke the 5% threshold, which determines established parties in Illinois.
There are currently 12 local chapters affiliated with the party,[1] as well as ten members holding elected office in the state.[2]
At the 2007 Green National Meeting the Illinois Green Party submitted a Proposal to host the 2008 Green Party National Convention. [2] Greens from four cities had submitted proposals for the 2008 convention but in the end The National Committee chose Chicago.[3]
As an established party it was entitled to a presidential primary, if at least two candidates qualify for that primary.
In 2007, Illinois law required all candidates in the presidential primary to submit 3,000 signatures by November.[4] On November 5, 2007 the deadline for candidate petitions to run in the Green presidential primary, four Greens filed Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay,Jared Ball and Howie Hawkins. (Hawkins was believed to be a stand-in for Ralph Nader).[5] Only eight state affiliates of the Green Party held presidential primaries in 2008 (other states nominated by caucus or convention).
