Illinois Green Party

Political positions

Like the national party, the Illinois Green Party promotes the "Ten Key Values" of the Green Party platform: ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, decentralization, community-based economics, feminism, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility, and a focus on the future.

Elections

2008

At the 2007 Green National Meeting the Illinois Green Party submitted a proposal to host the 2008 Green Party National Convention in Chicago, which was chosen by the party's national committee over submissions from four other cities.

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. On November 5, 2007 the deadline for candidate petitions to run in the Green presidential primary, four candidates filed: Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, Jared Ball and Howie Hawkins. Illinois was one of only eight state affiliates of the Green Party to hold presidential primaries in 2008.

In 2008, 32 Green Party candidates filed petitions to run in the Illinois Green Party primary before the filing deadline. The party also had the power to fill ballot vacancies in races where nobody was picked in the February 5 primary. Following the primary and state party convention, the party fielded 60 candidates for the November general election.

2010

In 2010, Rich Whitney again ran for Governor of Illinois. LeAlan Jones, a journalist and activist from Chicago's South Side, ran for Senate. Both were uncontested in the June primary. Both Whitney and Jones were excluded from televised debates, despite the Green Party's 'Major Party' status. Whitney and Jones filed a lawsuit against Public Broadcasting Station member WTTW for excluding them. A private vendor of ballots misspelled Rich Whitney's name as Rich 'Whitey' in 23 Chicago wards, about half of which were in predominantly African-American neighborhoods. There is no evidence this was intentional.

Jones was polling as high as 14% in a June 2010 poll, but ended up with 3.18% of the vote. In August 2010, Whitney polled 11% in a Public Policy Polling survey, but finally received just 2.70% of the vote. As neither candidate received over 5% of the vote statewide, the Illinois Green Party lost its 'Major Party' status.

2014

Scott Summers ran for governor and Sheldon Schafer ran for secretary of state as write-in candidates after being knocked off the statewide slate.

2016

In 2016, the Green Party ran Scott Summers for U.S. Senate and Tim Curtin for Illinois Comptroller.

Dr. Jill Stein was the party's nominee for President.

2020

In 2020, Howie Hawkins won the nomination over Dario Hunter. In the general election, Howie Hawkins received 30,494 votes, less than 1%.

References

• https://www.stlpr.org/news-briefs/2024-08-26/green-party-qualify-u-s-house-illinois-13th

References

1. "Elected ILGP Government Officeholders". Illinois Green Party.
2. "Greens in Office".
3. "Illinois Green Party - Affiliates".
4. "Illinois Green Party Elected Officials".
5. "Platform of the Illinois Green Party".
6. "2007.08.30: Greens choose Chicago for 2008". gp.org.
7. "Ballot Access News - Illinois Greens Determined to Have a Presidential Primary". ballot-access.org.
8. [http://www.ballot-access.org/2007/11/05/illinois-democratic-green-presidential-primary-filing-deadline-is-today/ Illinois Democratic, Green Presidential Primary Filing Deadline is Today] Ballot Access News, November 5, 2007
9. (September 2024). "Local News for Grundy County". Morris Daily Herald}}{{Dead link.
10. "Welcome to nginx!".
11. https://openmindsandopenhearts.blogspot.com/2008/04/illinois-greens-field-60-candidates.html {{dead link. (September 2010)
12. "Rich Whitney, Lealan Jones, and the ILGP File Suit Against WTTW over Debate Exclusion :: 2010-10-31 00:00:00".
13. (October 15, 2010). "A Vote for 'Rich Whitey'". [[The Atlantic]].
14. "Illinois Candidate's Name Misspelled As 'Rich Whitey' On Electronic-Voting Machines". [[Talking Points Memo]].
15. (August 18, 2010). "Brady Expands Lead over Quinn". [[Public Policy Polling]].
16. (2 September 2014). "2 Green Party candidates to run as write-ins". Chicago.
17. "It's Official We WILL be Able to Vote for the Greater Good in Illinois".
18. (21 February 2016). "1 Stein easily wins Illinois Green Party presidential preference vote". Green Party Watch.
19. (25 October 2016). "Brown: Greens say GOP ploy adds 'insult' but no injury". Chicago Sun Times.
20. (December 4, 2020). "Official Canvass of the 2020 Illinois General Election". Illinois State Board of Elections.