With 2020 approaching, undercard Presidential candidates in third parties have been working extra hard to get their message out. With the third Democratic Debate fast approaching and two Republican Primary challengers to President Trump, election season has officially kicked off. While the Republican and Democratic candidates have had extensive coverage, little has been given to third parties. The Libertarian Party has relied on mostly Libertarian outlets to cover their scattered field, but what about the Green Party?

While the Libertarian Party is officially the third largest party in the U.S. – whatever that means – the Green party has also gained traction in recent years. In 2016, the Green Party ran Dr. Jill Stein, who made it onto 45 states ballot. For 2020 the Green Party has a large list of contenders for the nomination. However, only two of the candidates running as Green Party have been officially recognized by the party.

Howie Hawkins

Howie Hawkins is the candidate who has raised the most money. Hawkins is the co-founder of the Green Party and was the Green Party candidate for New York governor in 2010, 2014, and 2018. He actually beat out Libertarian stalwart Larry Sharpe in the last New York election.

Hawkins ran for New York’s 25th Congressional District in 2008 and U.S. Senate in 2006 for the party. He got his start in the Civil Rights Movement in his teens. He became one of the founders of the Green Party in 1984 as well. Additionally, Hawkins is a veteran of the Vietnam War, but was and still is a critic of the war.

Hawkins calls himself an “Ecosocialist” and claims that Capitalism “cannot solve the central problems of our time”. He supports the socialization of most of our economy, an economic bill of rights, and his own version of the Green New Deal. Additionally, he is running on a platform of decreasing military spending, ending the Afghanistan war, and nuclear disarmament, with a transition of the military to a defense force.

Dario Hunter

Dario Hunter is the second 2020 candidate recognized by the party. Hunter is a former Lawyer and teacher who is a member of the Youngstown, Ohio Board of Education. Dario claims to run on the “official” party platform. This includes free education, socializing the economy, transitioning to 100% renewable energy, and single payer healthcare. However, Hunter’s signature policy is his “Person of Color Bill of Rights”. Hunter proposes this as a solution to the violations of the rights of many, specifically people of color. Some of the rights included are equal access to justice, locally controlled education systems, and the recognition of the sovereignty of Native American peoples.

The Unrecognized Green Party Candidates

Four other candidates have filed with the FEC to run for president as a Green Party candidate, but have yet to be recognized by the party yet. However, the other four candidates still have time to be officially recognized. Firstly is self-help author Roland Aranjo who is running on addressing climate change and the U.S.’s military presence around the world. Second is the People’s National Convention organizer and 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza Curry running to end “white privilege and white supremacy”. The third is U.S. Army Veteran and Green Party candidate of Ohio’s sixth Congressional District in 2014 Dennis Lambert running on the platform of a $25 an hour minimum wage. Finally is the former co-chair of the Maryland Green Party and nominee for Maryland’s governorship in 2018 Ian Schlakman, who is running as an “anti-imperialist”, anti-capitalist”, and “anti-colonialist”.

In addition to these candidates, the party has one “protest candidate”. David Rolde is the candidate who is protesting the “hoops” the Green Party has for candidates to be recognized. Rolde has not registered with the FEC and doesn’t even have a campaign website. The only official campaign outlet he has is his facebook page.

Moving forward for the Greens

The Greens have already had two debates, with Dario Hunter and Howie Hawkins in the lead for the nomination in the only national poll. The third debate is scheduled for September 20th and will be the last debate before the convention, though as of now it is unclear who the nominee will be.

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