On June 17, the New York legislature passed A8363 and S5753, identical bills which move the presidential primary from February to April 24. Any qualified party in New York is free to choose the Republican Party’s presidential primary rules. The Republican Party’s presidential primary rules in New York enable any presidential candidate to appear on his or her party’s presidential primary ballot without a petition. The candidate must either be mentioned in the news media or else must be eligible to receive primary matching funds.
These rules will make it practical for the Green Party to hold its second presidential primary in New York state. The Green Party was ballot-qualified in 2000 and had four candidates in its presidential primary that year: Ralph Nader (445 votes); Jello Biafra (87 votes); Joel Kovel (79 votes); and Stephen Gaskin (24 votes). Thanks to Josh Putnam for the news about the New York legislature’s recent action.
At least something is going right in Empire state politics right now. New Yorkers are used to getting the weiner.
I was a Green in New York in 2000 and my recollection is that there was indeed a Green Presidential Primary in New York. If I remember correctly there were four candidates, including Nader, Joel Kovel (there were two competing national Green “parties” at that time and Joel was the candidate of the GPUSA group), a candidate whose name I can’t remember from “The Commune” in Kentucky or Tennessee, and Jello Biafra. Nader finished with about 75% of the votes, again if memory serves.
If I remember correctly, the 2000 primary was non-binding. Something in they bylaws about the result was only an advisement to the state convention. I’m not sure about that, though.
thank you very much, #2 and #3. There was a 2000 presidential primary for the Green Party. I re-wrote the post.
February is too early because the freaking cold weather in NY in Feb. makes it difficult for petitioners to gather petitions.
RE: Jello Biafra – Bill Cosby says “PUDDING!”
what does “in the news media” mean?
#7, good question. Many states provide that candidates for president should automatically be on the presidential primary ballot if the candidate is discussed in the news media. These laws are very vague. Generally, state election administrators throw up their hands when trying to interpret this law as applied to minor party presidential primaries, and just tell the minor party’s state chair to turn in a list of candidates to the state, and the state uses that list.
Stephen Gaskin (from The Farm,) was the other candidate in 2000. A party’s State Committee in NY can nominate statewide candidates by convention, (with a winner and candidates getting 25% of the vote allowed to ask to be on the ballot).
The primary was how the candidates were designated, and Nader did win by a significant margin.
The Republican “news media” rules are not familiar to me, the GP not using such rules.