The Green Party is running 14 13 candidates for U.S. Senate across the nation, from Arkansas to West Virginia. Midge Potts in Missouri has dropped out after failing to get the 10,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot. Mel Packer in Pennsylvania collected over 20,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot, which were challenged, forcing him off the ballot. This number matches is one shy of the 2006 election when 14 candidates for US Senate were on the ballot. There are 37 US Senate elections this November (3 are special elections).

The Green Senatorial Campaign Committee, a political action committee of the Green Party of the United States, has a new website that is worth checking out. The GSCC raises money for Green Party candidates for Congress.

2010 Candidates for US Senate on the Green Party ticket

Colia Clark – New York Ms. Clark is a veteran of the civil rights movement. Her work has included activism in the fields of women’s rights and workers’ rights, as well as activism and advocacy for homeless people and youth. Most recently, she has worked with the Cynthia McKinney for President campaign with “Power to the People”. Clark is a chair of Grandmothers for the Release of Mumia Abu Jamal. During the Civil Rights era, Colia Clark was a Special Assistant to Medgar W. Evers, field Secretary for the NAACP. Clark later joined the Mississippi Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) doing voter registration work.

Cecile Lawrence – New York Ms. Lawrence is originally from Jamaica, and has been living in upstate New York for over 18 years. She has worked in college administration, non-profit administration and in college teaching. Dr. Lawrence has been active in the fight for universal health care and opposing the method of drilling for natural gas called High Volume Horizontal Hydrofracturing that threatens the health and welfare as well as the water of all of the residents of New York State. She has a PhD in Philosophy, Interpretation & Culture from Binghamton University (S.U.N.Y.) and is a graduate of the University at Buffalo (S.U.N.Y.) Law School. A resident of Tioga County, shes been a board member of local civic organizations such as the YWCA and the Southern Tier Independence Center, and is currently a member of Tioga Peace and Justice.

Natasha Pettigrew – Maryland Natasha Pettigrew was tragically killed on in September when an SUV hit her while she rode her bike in the early morning hours. The Maryland Green Party may replace her name on the ballot but otherwise she will appear on the November ballot. Pettigrew was 30 years old at the time of her death. She had taken a leave from Law School to run for US Senate, was a former Americorps volunteer, and a deeply compassionate person.

Tom Clements – South Carolina Tom Clements got a huge boost in his campaign for US Senate in South Carolina when a virtual unknown with a questionable legal history won the Democratic primary. Liberals in South Carolina are taking a second look now at Tom Clements, who is coming across as a very appealing choice. Clements worked for 13 years for Greenpeace International, and was the Executive Director of the Nuclear Control Institute in Washington DC.

Jesse Johnson – West Virginia Jesse Johnson is an outspoken activist against mountain top removal and opponent of the mining interests that run West Virginia. He was the West Virginia Mountain Party’s candidate for Governor in 2004 and US Senate in 2006, before the Mountain Party became a state affiliate of the Green Party. Johnson sought the Presidential nomination of the Green Party in 2008.

LeAlan Jones – Illinois LeAlan Jones has been speaking truth to power for 17 years about poverty, inequality and justice. In 1993 LeAlan made headlines with his NPR documentary “Ghetto Life 101“ which he made with 14 year-old Lloyd Newman and producer David Isay. He continued writing and producing work about poverty and inner city violence, was the youngest recipient of the prestigious Peabody award. LeAlan Jones has been polling between 4% and 9% and has demonstrated that he is a serious and viable candidate for Barack Obama’s Senate Seat.

John Gray – Arkansas Gray is a retired engineer and the Mayor of Greenland, Arkansas. He is a strong environmentalist and corporate critic. Last cycle Arkansas did very well in congressional races, largely due to the Republicans and Democrats opting not to run against each other. In the US Senate race in 2008 Rebekah Kennedy got over 200,000 votes for 20.56% of the vote in a head to head match up with Democrat Mark Prior. This year is far more competitive with Democrat Blanche Lincoln being challenged by Republican John Boozman and Independent Trevor Drown.

Bob Kinsey – Colorado Kinsey ran for US Senate in Colorado two years ago, getting 46,000 votes for 2.13% in a four way race. He is a Marine Corps veteran, a retired history teacher, and retired United Church of Christ clergyman with forty years of advocacy for the Just Peace theology.

Jerry Joslyn – Arizona Jerry Joslyn’s history is as a small businessman in computers and publishing. He served with both the California Air National Guard and Arizona National Guard. This is an interesting race with John McCain being challenged by a Democrat and by a strong Libertarian candidate David Nolan, former Chair of the Libertarian Party and inventor of the “Nolan Chart”. Josslyn is a great candidate as well, Iracm currently watching his live streamed debate here.

Duane Roberts – California As a community activist, Roberts has been a defender of immigrant rights, a critic of police misconduct and abuse, and has even exposed political corruption. In 2003, he helped organize what then was one of the biggest anti-war demonstrations in Orange County since the Vietnam War at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. Roberts has been involved in many demonstrations and marches and has used his extensive knowledge of police behavior to protect the civil rights and liberties of protesters.

Candy Neville – Oregon I have not been able to verify that she is running but according to this she was nominated by the Pacific Green Party. If anyone has more information on this race please let me know. (Candy Neville is NOT a Green Party candidate for US Senate ~RKH)

Jim Brewer – Hawaii I don’t have much information about this race. If you have any, please let me know.

Jeff Russell (Write in) – Connecticut Russell is a new candidate, running as a write-in option in Connecticut. Last year Ralph Ferrucci ran for US Senate in Connecticut and won 6,387 votes for less than 1 percent.

Richard Weir (Write in) – North Carolina I’ll confess I am out of time, so I am referring you to this interview on Z Blogs with Mr. Weir. I would vote for him if I could.

Election History for US Senate

The first candidates to run for US Senate on the Green Party ticket were Linda Martin of Hawaii and Mary Jordan in Alaska, both in 1992. Martin got over 13% of the vote in a four way race, Jordan got over 8%. The following cycle Barbara Blong ran for US Senate in California and took in 140,000 votes. Four candidates run for US Senate in 1996, three more in 1998, and then ten candidates joined Ralph Nader on the ballot in 2000 as the Green Party began to really grow across the nation. Nine ran in 2002, eight in 2004, 14 in 2006, and seven in 2008.