On September 8-9, the California Green Party held a general assembly in Riverside, California, to decide which candidates to list on its presidential primary. Seven names were submitted to the California Secretary of State: Jared Ball, 35, of Washington, DC; Elaine Brown, 64, of Atlanta, Georgia; Jesse Johnson, 48, of Charleston, West Virginia; Cynthia McKinney, 52, of Atlanta, Georgia; Kent Mesplay, 44, of San Diego, California; Ralph Nader, 73, of Winsted, Connecticut; and Kat Swift, 34, of San Antonio, Texas.

Although Cynthia McKinney has announced she is not seeking the nomination, her name will remain on the ballot unless she notifies the California Secretary of State to delete her name.

The American Independent Party (California branch of the Constitution Party) has asked the Secretary of State to list these presidential candidates on its presidential primary ballot: Don Grundmann of San Leandro, California; Michael Hadlock of San Diego, California; Max J. Riekse of Fruitport, Michigan; and Diane Templin of Escondido, California.

The Peace & Freedom Party of California has been holding a presidential primary ever since 1972. It didn’t hold a presidential primary in 1968, the first year it was on the ballot. It will be holding one again on February 5, 2008. California election practices (for minor party presidential primaries) involve the party’s state chair telling the Secretary of State which presidential candidates to list.

The Peace & Freedom Party State Executive Committee met on September 16, and set its list of presidential candidates. Six candidates are also seeking the nomination of the Socialist Party, which holds its presidential convention in St. Louis October 19-21, 2007. Most or all of these six will withdraw from the PFP primary if they don’t get the Socialist Party nomination. These six are: Stewart Alexander of Murrieta, California; Eric Thomas Chester of Montague, Massachusetts; Mary Alice Herbert of Putney, Vermont; Stanley Hetz of Smithfield, Pennsylvania; Brian Moore of Spring Hill, Florida; and Dwight Welch of Carbondale, Illinois. Candidates may withdraw until early November 2007.

The other three presidential candidates who will appear on the PFP primary, unless they withdraw, are John Crockford of Fresno, California; Gloria LaRiva of San Francisco; and Ralph Nader.

Candidates need not formally declare their candidacy to appear on the California presidential primary. The legal criteria is that they have been mentioned in media as potential candidates for the party. Since the media don’t cover minor parties very well, the custom for the California Secretary of State has been to simply let the party leadership tell her which candidates to list.