Nomination of Willmeng for Boulder County Commissioner, Martinez for Denver council, Kirsch for Fort Collins council

The Green Party of Colorado (GPCO) announces their nomination of the campaign of Cliff Willmeng for Boulder County Commissioner, at the party’s state nominating convention held on March 31, 2018 in Longmont, CO.

Willmeng is a registered nurse in Lafayette, CO, and is a well-known activist for community rights in Boulder County. He was a founding board member of Coloradans for Community Rights, which sought to strengthen the sovereign rights of municipalities to ban oil and gas extraction within their boundaries. He is also a founding member of East Boulder County United, which focuses on fighting oil and gas extraction via non-violent direct action. Willmeng is also an executive board member of the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 7, the largest labor union in Colorado.

“The part of his campaign that really resonates with me, is that Cliff, as a socialist, would use his position as commissioner to strengthen the grassroots of Boulder County, bring in the individuals and groups dedicated to the needs of people and the environment, and have them directly shape policy,” said Longmont Green Party chair, Josh James, who was the local that sponsored Willmeng for nomination. “It’s been enlightening and inspiring these last couple of years working with Cliff and the community of people dedicated to community rights, basic democracy, and fighting corporate power,” James continued.

To donate or learn more about Cliff Willmeng’s campaign, visit willmengforgrassrootspower.com.

The GPCO also endorsed the candidacies of two local races, Fred Kirsch for Fort Collins city council, District 6; and Annie Martínez running for Denver city council District 3. These elections will be held in 2019, on April 2 and May 7, respectively.

Fred Kirsch is a highly-engaged member of the Fort Collins community, having founded Community for Sustainable Energy in 2006 to build

support for, and raise awareness of, local energy possibilities in Colorado. Kirsch is running on a platform of “Transparency, Integrity and Performance,” to improve how the Fort Collins city council operates and responds to the community and its issues.

“Fred’s dedication to clean, renewable energy is unrivaled in Fort Collins. He works tirelessly to push the city to lead on this issue. He is solutions oriented and has a deep understanding of the issues that face this city,” noted Dave Bell, GPCO co-chair and Fort Collins resident.

To donate or to learn more about Fred Kirsch’s campaign, visit fredkirsch.wordpress.com.

Annamarie “Annie” Martínez is an attorney in Denver, working as a public defender and guardian ad litem in Denver and Arapahoe counties. She is the vice president of the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, as a board member of the Denver Justice Project and as a member of the Eviction Legal Defense Advisory Committee launched this year by members of Denver City Council. Both her professional and activist areas of focus have been in addressing systemic oppression in law enforcement, fairness for homeless residents, immigration, and economic justice for children and families. Her campaign will focus on the repeal of Denver’s urban camping ban, more oversight for the Denver Police and Sheriffs departments, rent control and affordable housing

and improving access to public land trusts to support grassroots efforts to address housing costs.

“Annie is a working-class kid ‘done good’ but who has not forgotten her roots,’ stated Julie Bañuelos, co-chair of the Denver Green Party. “Annie has been in a lifelong preparation for this run, and her track record of advocacy on behalf of the working-class families of West Denver is well established,” Bañuelos expressed.

To donate and learn more about Annie Martinez’s campaign, visit anniefordenver.com.