Green Party of New Jersey

The Green Party of New Jersey is the state party organization for New Jersey of the Green Party of the United States. It was founded in January 1997 by Nick Mellis (chair from 2008 to 2009) and Steve Welzer.[3]

Green Party of New Jersey
Co-chairsLily Benavides
Kim Muedt
FoundersNick Mellis
Steve Welzer
FoundedJanuary 1997 (1997-01)
Youth wingYoung Ecosocialists Caucus[1]
Membership (2021)Increase 11,758[2]
IdeologyGreen politics
Eco-socialism
Progressivism
Political positionLeft-wing
National affiliationGreen Party of the United States
Colors  Green
Seats in the US Senate
0 / 2
Seats in the US House
0 / 12
Seats in the NJ Senate
0 / 40
Seats in the NJ House
0 / 80
Local offices2
Website
gpnj.org

Activity

The Green Party of New Jersey is an active Green Party of the U.S. state affiliate, having nominated over 150 candidates for office since it began in 1997. The party experienced its first non-partisan electoral victory in 1999 when Gary Novosielski was elected to the Board of Education of the Rutherford School District.[4]

In January 2003, Matt Ahearn, a New Jersey state legislator who had been elected to the New Jersey General Assembly as a Democrat in 2002, switched his registration to the Green Party, becoming the party's first state-level representative.[5] Ahearn ran for re-election as a Green Party candidate in 2003 but lost to Robert M. Gordon, the Democratic candidate for office.[6]

In 2012 2012, medical marijuana advocate Ken Wolski was the Green Party nominee for U.S. Senator. He finished fourth out of eleven candidates.

In May 2016, the Green Party of New Jersey saw a spike in registration with as many new voters in two months as it had in the past four years.[7] By the end of 2016, there were 3,252 voters registered as Green.[8]

In the 2016 election, Green Camden City Council candidate Gary Frazier received 6% of the vote, and Green Congressional candidates Raj Mailiah and Steve Welzer each received 0.7%.[8]

The Green Party of New Jersey's 2017 gubernatorial candidate was Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale of Highland Park with Lisa R. Durden of Newark as his running mate.[9] By November 2017, ten New Jersey counties had local affiliates recognized by the state party: Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Gloucester, Essex, Camden, Bergen, Union, Mercer, and Morris.

Two candidates ran in the 2018 general election: professor and activist Madelyn Hoffman for U.S. Senate,[10] and attorney and activist Diane Moxley for Congressional District 7.[11] Hoffman received 25,150 votes and Moxley received 2,676 votes.[12]

State party co-chair Craig Cayetano ran for Hawthorne Council in 2019 and 2020. Madelyn Hoffman ran for U.S. Senate again in the 2020 election, winning 38,288 votes and coming in third.[13] Incumbent Jessica Clayton ran for a second term on the Brick, NJ school board and lost after a very close recount.

Green Party affiliate[14] Dr. Corey Teague serves on the Paterson Board of Education after being elected in 2019 with the largest number of votes.[15]

As of August 2021, there were 11,758 registered Greens in New Jersey. The party plans to run multiple candidates for state assembly and for statewide office, including governor, in future elections.

Officeholders

Current
  • Rev. Dr. Corey Teague, Commissioner, Board of Education, Paterson (2019–present)[16]

Former
  • Gary Novosielski, Board of Education, Rutherford (member April 1999-December 2015, president January 2014-December 2015).[17]
  • Jessica Clayton, Board of Education, Brick (2018-2020)[18]

Endorsed candidates

In 2019, Green Party endorsed candidate Corey Teague, who won a seat on the Paterson School Board.[15]

Election results

Governor
Year Nominee Votes[9]
1997 Madelyn R. Hoffman 10,703 (0.44%)
2001 Jerry L. Coleman 6,238 (0.28%)
2005 Matthew Thieke 12,315 (0.54%)
2009 None n/a
2013 Steve Welzer 8,295 (0.39%)
2017 Seth Kaper-Dale 10,053 (0.47%)
2021 Madelyn R. Hoffman 8,450 (0.32%)

U.S. Senate
Year Nominee Votes[19] %
2018 Madelyn R. Hoffman 25,150 0.79
2020 Madelyn R. Hoffman 38,288 0.86

Presidential nominee results
Year Nominee Votes[20]
1996 Ralph Nader 32,465 (1.06%)
2000 Ralph Nader 94,554 (2.97%)
2004 David Cobb 1,807 (0.05%)
2008 Cynthia McKinney 3,636 (0.09%)
2012 Jill Stein 9,888 (0.27%)
2016 Jill Stein 37,772 (0.99%)
2020 Howie Hawkins 14,202 (0.31%)

See also

References
  1. "Young Ecosocialists Caucus Officially Recognized By The Green Party of New Jersey As Its Youth Wing: A New Era in GPNJ Politics". Insider NJ. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  2. "Statewide Voter Registration Statistics Archive". Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  3. Personal communication, Steve Welzer, 4/14/18.
  4. "Greengram". gpnj.org. Green Party of New Jersey. May 1999. Retrieved 10 October 2007. Congratulations to longtime GPNJ member and outgoing Chair, Gary Novosielski, who was elected to the Rutherford, NJ Board of Education on April 20.
  5. "GREEN ASSEMBLYMAN MATT AHEARN VOWS FIGHT FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM" (Press release). The Green Party of New Jersey, updated 28 March 2003. 26 January 2003. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2007. State Assemblyman Matthew Ahearn (G - Fair Lawn), who left the Democrats for the Green Party last week, vowed today to battle for campaign finance reform, a key Green issue, when he returns to the legislature
  6. Kornacki, Steve (5 November 2003). "In huge win for McGreevey, Democrats win control of Senate, gain six Assembly seats". nownj.org. National Organization for Women, New Jersey. Archived from the original on 3 November 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2007. former Fair Lawn Mayor Robert Gordon and Fort Lee Councilwoman Joan Voss won the 38th districts seats of Heck and Green Party Assemblyman Matt Ahearn.
  7. Symons, Michael (30 May 2016). "Thanks, Clinton & Trump: Huge boon for third parties in NJ". nj1015.com. Townsquare Entertainment News. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  8. "Statewide Voter Registration Summary" (PDF). nj.gov. State of New Jersey Department of State. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  9. "New Jersey Department of State - Division of Elections". nj.gov. State of New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  10. Biryukov, Nikita (July 17, 2018). "20 years later, Hoffman again running with Green Party". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  11. Stack, Liam (August 1, 2018). "Green Party, Eyeing the 2020 Presidential race, Prepares for the Midterms". The New York Times. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  12. "New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections". Retrieved December 30, 2018.
  13. "Official General Election Results 2020". New Jersey Division of Elections. December 18, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  14. "Paterson: Corey Teague receives New Jersey Green Party endorsement in BOE race". Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  15. "2019 School Board Results". Passaic County, NJ Election Results. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  16. "DR. COREY L. TEAGUE, COMMISSIONER ON PATERSON BOARD OF EDUCATION AND MADELYN HOFFMAN, GREEN PARTY OF NJ's CANDIDATE FOR U.S SENATE IN 2020 POINT OUT FLAWS IN " BABY BONDS" PROGRAM". InsiderNJ.com.
  17. Gary Novosielski on LinkedIn
  18. Mikle, Jean. "NJ Election: Here are your Ocean County results". Asbury Park Press.
  19. "NJ DOS - Division of Elections - 2018 Election Results". www.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  20. "New Jersey Department of State - Division of Elections". nj.gov. State of New Jersey Department of State. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
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