On September 13, Peter Camejo died. He was 68 and had been living with cancer for several years. Peter Camejo had been the Socialist Workers presidential candidate in 1976. Some years later, he rejected doctrinaire Marxism, but always considered himself a socialist. He was the Green Party candidate for California Governor three times, and he was Ralph Nader’s running mate in 2004. Although he had been born in the United States, his parents were Venezuelan and he grew up in Venezuela. He was on the 1960 Venezuelan Olympics sailing team. He was a successful financial planner and a very good orator.
Camejo was a fierce fighter for fair election laws and practices in the United States, and his death is a painful event. See here for Ralph Nader’s statement.
This is very sad news. Peter was a great guy and a wonderful activist. He will be missed.
This is incredibly sad. Peter Camejo’s commitment to social justice and the radical reform of the two-party system goes back many decades. I remember when he was the presidential candidate of the Socialist Workers Party in 1976, and his vote total that year was the highest ever received by an SWP presidential candidate. Even after he left that group and moderated his socialist views, he continued to be a powerful mouthpiece for change, especially in California where he did as much as anybody to help the Green Party with his well-publicized runs for governor.
Most recently, his devotion to Ralph Nader’s causes and campaigns over the last five years or so was incredibly steadfast and he was a terrific running mate in 2004. To think of how many people in the Hispanic and other communities became interested in socialism, or the Green Party, or the idea of instant runoff voting, or the cause of better ballot access, or maybe all of the above, because of an encounter with Peter or watching one of his campaign appearances, in California and across the nation. What great work he did.
His last major public appearance was just a few weeks ago, when he basically dragged himself away from his cancer treatment, knowing he was dying, and went to Sacramento to the Peace & Freedom Party’s presidential nominating convention to make what I consider to be one of the most astonishing and moving pleas on behalf of a candidate ever made (it’s on YouTube, and I defy anyone not to tear up while watching it). He practically begged the assembled delegates to give their nomination to Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez, and they did so, in no small measure because of Peter’s speech, of that I have no doubt.
Regardless of where one stands on the various intraparty squabbles that have taken place within the Green Party, and on Peter Camejo’s strategic decisions in particular, I hope everyone involved with the GP can agree that these things seem very insignificant at the moment. I also hope that we all can recognize the contributions this man made to making the lives of those of us engaged in this kind of political activity a little easier, and that we continue to be inspired by his example.
I heard the news earlier this morning,-glad i saw hi on 8/2/08 in
Sacramento at the Peace and Freedom Part Convention live. He and I were associates,- I’ll miss Him.
My deepest condolences. As a Venezuelan myself, I regarded him as one of my role models. He fought for what he believed in until the very end.
Peter & I did a several speaking engagements together in 2004–he was running for governor, & I for Anaheim city council. I will never forget his warmth, intelligence, good humor & encouragement.
Craig Merrihue
See Camejo’s last public speech 8/2/08:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0M7iVFz8FUc
link from, “Ralph Nader endorsed by Peter Camejo”(2008) Source: youtube
I was particularly fond of Camejo’s run for Governor in 2003. He was the best candidate in the debates.
To learn about Peter Camejo’s adventures with Ralph Nader on the 2004 campaign, read the new book “What Was Ralph Nader Thinking?” available at http://thewomandirector.com
Peter was a fantastic speaker and his work and integrity were both highly valuable and inspiring. I am extremely sorry to hear of his death.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-camejo14-2008sep14,0,5153282.story