The Green Party’s candidate for president barnstormed through the North Country yesterday. Jill Stein, a doctor from Massachusetts, joined a rally in Washington County and then held two events in Glens Falls hoping to boost Green candidates from the region.

Thursday afternoon, Paul Rosati a former union member at the General Electric plant in Fort Edward stood on the sidewalk outside the company fence. "They closed the plant about two years ago. The last week or so the last members left," he said. General Electric’s decision to close down its operation here sparked a lot of anger.

The major party candidate are coming with enormous toxic baggage

Jill Stein, who is expected to be on the ballot in November as the Green Party’s presidential candidate, said one of her main goals is to reduce the power of companies like General Electric in American politics. "The major party candidate are coming with enormous toxic baggage," she said. "Simply to liberate the White House to be responsive to everyday people and not be carrying the baggage of predatory banks, fossil fuel giants, and war profiteers who are the ones who are running the show and who are funding the Republican and the Democratic candidates just moves us light years ahead."

A Green Party surge in the North Country?

he Greens are also fielding more local candidates, Steve Ruzbacki running for the 45

District State Senate seat and Robin Barkengagen running for 114

District State Assembly seat.

This is an interesting moment in the North Country for the Green Party. Stein campaigned here in part to support Matt Funiciello, who is running for the 21District Congressional seat. T

Barkenhagen said Funiciello’s campaign two years ago sparked the party to life. "It's been a struggle, obviously uphill for many years. But Matt made a big breakthrough last year and it brought a lot of us around to decide we could orgaqnize and get things done this year," he said.

During her appearance in Fort Edward, Stein repeated her call for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders to abandon the Democrat Party and run in the fall on the Green Party ticket. "My hope is that Bernie will be as big as his movement," she said, describing Hillary Clinton's campaign as "a graveyard."

So far, Sanders has shown no interest in running as a Green.