On February 28, Arizona conducted a presidential primary for the Green Party. The results: Jill Stein 350, Kent Mesplay 40, Michael Oatman 37, Richard Grayson 35, Gary Swing 30, Gerard Davis 14. Only registered Greens were eligible to vote in this presidential primary. The Green Party has approximately 5,000 registered members in Arizona.
Obviously, the primary would have been more interesting if Roseanne Barr’s name had been on the ballot. But, she didn’t declare in time to file for the Arizona primary. Nor is Barr on the ballot in Green Party primaries in the District of Columbia, or in Massachusetts.
It appears that the only Green government-administered presidential primary that will include Barr’s name is the California Green Party primary, set for June 5. The New York Green Party has told the state not to hold a presidential primary for itself.
With 506 votes, there was about a 10% turnout.
The Arizona Green Party said it would allocate its five delegates to the Green Party presidential nominating convention only among the two party-“qualified” candidates on the ballot, Jill Stein and Kent Mesplay.
Since she received over 89% of the two-candidate vote, she should be given — under the AZGP’s own rules — 4 or 5 of the delegates.
It’s pretty obvious to anyone not a moron that Jill Stein is the Green Party’s presidential nominee this year. Even Roseanne Barr seems to have admitted that and has joined the race to raise awareness of the Green Party and its platform and ultimate presidential candidate.
Since at least some of the top leadership of the Arizona Green Party were vigorously supporting Kent Mesplay, this is a pretty dismal showing for him, a recognized or “qualifed” candidate, barely finishing ahead of Michael Oatman, Gary Swing and myself, all fairly unserious candidates from the Tucson Weekly’s Project White House.
Digging deeper into the election results: in three counties — La Paz, Santa Cruz and Greenlee — there was a three-way tie for first place, or for last place, since nobody voted in the Green primary.
Jill Stein and Michael Oatman each got 100% of the vote in a couple of counties. That was one vote.
I came in second in four counties — Pima, Pinal, Mohave, and Navajo (with as little as one vote) — and tied for second (with one vote) in Cochise County, so I can truthfully say that with less than 7% of the vote, I finished no lower than tied for second place in a majority of Arizona’s (15) counties. Other candidates can similarly “brag” in a statewide primary that has a “theater of the absurd” quality to it.
I wonder: what was the lowest total number of votes ever in a state-run U.S. presidential preference primary?
So how does that workout with the cost per vote in having a Green Party primary or Republican Party primary, that was paid for by taxpayers.
#1, good question about what was the lowest total number of votes ever in a state-run U.S presidential primary. I am guessing that the answer is the Liberty Union presidential primary in 1996 in Vermont, when the results were: Mary Cal Hollis 42 votes, 4 write-in votes, total 46 votes cast.
Thanks, Mr. W. You are a national treasure.
Thanks for the story, and positive contributions of Mr. Grayson, and Mr. Winger.
Dr. Jill Stein is to again be congratulated for a sterling performance.
Rosanne Barr is a GREAT help to the Green Party. Breaking the big media blackout. Pulling people to the Green Party.
Over at Green Party watch, the site owner, wrote a couple days ago an excellent story on the Greens nomination process. Understood him to write that Dr. Stein will still not be able to win the necessary delegates for nomination before the convention.
The excitement and attention Rosanne brings to the Greens is an enormous plus. So as long as Rosanne remains a potential Green Party nominee it’s good for the Green Party, and Dr. Jill Stein.
Hope to see you on the ballot for U.S. House in 2012 as Green Mr. Grayson.
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I’m pretty sad to see such a low turnout among the Greens.
I myself voted for Stein because she seemed the most together and plausible of the candidates on the ballot.
One thing I was not pleased to see was the number of Democrats slumming on the Green ticket, because the Dems were not holding a primary. Could this have been part of the reason for the low turnout? Last time we had the Republicans interfering, this time the Democrats…
It actually gives you a bit of hope for third parties when the Republicrats feel they have to mess with us….