Independent vice-presidential candidate Matt Gonzalez
announced today he has left the Green Party.
Photo by Luke Thomas
By Luke Thomas
March 4, 2008, 6:15 a.m
Vice-presidential candidate Matt Gonzalez ended weeks of speculation about his political party affiliation, announcing today he has left the Green Party.
In a statement released to Fog City Journal, Gonzalez said he made the decision to withdraw his Green Party affiliation “to increase ballot access for the Nader/Gonzalez ticket.”
According to Gonzalez, states including Delaware, Idaho and Oregon do not allow members of political parties to run as independents.
“I have enormous respect for the Greens but I don’t want to create additional hurdles for the campaign by remaining in the party,” Gonzalez wrote. “I expect to work in tandem with future Green campaigns, and remain committed to alternatives to the two-party system.”
Hansu Kim, a senior advisor to Gonzalez, stated, “As a prominent member of the Green Party, Gonzalez has been credited with helping recruit candidates and raise money for campaigns. He will remain committed to all progressive political efforts as an independent.”
Gonzalez currently serves as the treasurer of Green Party school board president Mark Sanchez’s bid for the District 9 Supervisorial seat being vacated by Tom Ammiano.
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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March 5, 2008 at 9:40 am
I’m disappointed. I hope he comes back to the greens after his run. We don’t have a system that supports more than two parties, but someday we will.
In California we do have a party called the American Independent Party that is a “paleoconservative” party according to wikipedia! Ithas ballot status I think only because many people who want to register as independent mistakenly join this party. To register outside of a party, you must check the “decline to state” box on the registration form.
But I’m sticking with the Greens. Never had power so they’ve never been corrupted!
March 4, 2008 at 9:48 pm
The Burning Questions on Everyone’s Minds at the moment are these:
Now that Hillary Clinton appears to have made a comeback, will Matt Gonzalez pen a critique of her? And to which on-line publication will he submit it?
March 4, 2008 at 9:02 pm
In Louisiana you register as “No Party” to be considered an independent.
March 4, 2008 at 6:25 pm
@Matt: While I don’t encourage folks to follow Matt’s lead and leave the Green Party, ticking the box in front of “Decline to State” is California’s version of registering as an “independent”.
March 4, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Hey Matt,
There isn’t an Independant party. You can decline to state your party affiliation and that is what people mean by Independent.
Best,
Robert
March 4, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Why leave the Californian Green Party? I understand the national party, but where does it say in Oregon that he cannot belong to the California Green Party and be an independent nationally?
Looking for clarification…
March 4, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I was trying to change my affiliation to “Independent” as well but there was only something called the “American Independent Party” which is an organization for a bunch of nutbags and screwballs. Does anybody know how to do what Matt is doing? Thanks!