Green Party: Two want to be governor
To Maria Allwine supporters, Corrogan Vaughn is nothing more than a Green Party crasher.
Allwine has run four times as a Green candidate, winning 17 percent of the vote in the 2007 Baltimore City Council president race. Vaughn was, until Tuesday, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.
Each filed paperwork just hours before the deadline to run as the Green Party candidate for governor.
The party has 8,000 Maryland members, mostly in Baltimore City and Montgomery, Howard, Anne Arundel and Frederick counties, said co-chairman Brian Bittner. It's up to party leaders to choose whose name will appear on the November ballot. (The September primary election is reserved for Democrats and Republicans.) They'll do so at a meeting July 18.
Allwine said she views Vaughn as "someone who feels he can utilize our ballot line ... This is why people are so fed up with politics."
She said she is running for governor because "Democrats have ruled the state for decades, and they will not take the steps necessary to alleviate the burdens that ordinary families are facing."
Attempts to reach Vaughn -- both by telephone and email (his handle is vaughngop1) -- were unsuccessful. His web site for the U.S. Senate race includes the motto "It's about people and principles," as well as a photograph of him with conservative Fox News personality Sean Hannity.
Bittner, who has been active in the Green Party for five years, says he had never heard Vaughn's name before seeing it Tuesday listed as a Green candidate for governor. His explanation of how the party will choose its candidate makes it seem clear that Allwine will be the one on the ballot.
Requirements include meeting with the chapters -- a process that Allwine has begun but Vaughn hasn't. Allwine also has completed the requisite questionnaire that Vaughn hasn't. A third requirement is that the nominee be a registered Green Party member, which both are.
However, Bittner said, when they registered will have a bearing on the choice. "And we'd probably prefer someone who registered more than a week ago."
Although there's a Green Party battle for governor, many other candidates face no challenge at all.
Comments
This is a fairly obvious attempt to damage the Green Party and/or confuse the voters.
The values espoused by the Republican Party and Sean Hannity are almost the antithesis of Green Values. This stunt speaks volumes about the tactics and ethics of some on the right.
Maria Allwine has long represented the Green Party and it's values and is obviously the legitimate candidate. However, I am confident that the Green Party will give Mr. Vaughn a hearing, if he choses to ask for one, before deciding on a candidate.
Greens believe in practicing democracy, not just talking about it. Their selection process in completely open and democratic.
Posted by: Craig Herud | July 8, 2010 8:41 AM
I disagree whole-heartily with this article's assessment. Although I don't know Vaughn very well, from what I have read his views are a refreshing middle of the road and present a bridge that transcends the hyper-partisan politics we find today. Despite my being a life-long Green party member and while Vaughn is considered a Republican, I've found my views are not all that different from his. He offers a refreshing brand of populism that bridges the divide. He can count on my support. It's my sense that he switched because he feels more comfortable with us than with the Big business, party before principles, Republicans. I, for one, welcome him with open arms.
Posted by: Joe S | July 8, 2010 3:43 PM
Seems like kind of a dumb strategy. If the GOP wants to siphon votes away from O'Malley, they should donate heavily to Allwine so there's a viable Green Party candidate, not some sham candidate that no one will vote for. Green Party voters will never vote Republican, but some Democratic voters may vote Green.
Posted by: Eric | July 8, 2010 11:43 PM