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Green Party Continues Presence on Illinois Election Ballots
The Green Party will have more than 30 candidates on the ballot for next fall, counting candidates who are running for the legislature or county boards around the state. But they hope to have more.

Rich Whitney, the Green Party candidate for governor, is the most notable Green who has filed petitions with the State Board of Elections. He won more than 10 percent of the vote in 2006 against then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Republican Judy Barr Topinka. Because Whitney won more than 5 percent of the vote, the Green Party won major-party status through next year's election, meaning they can have primaries, and the number of petitions needed to get candidates on the ballot is the same as it is for Republicans and Democrats.

But Whitney is not thinking about hitting 5 percent next year. He's aiming for 35 percent. He says next year could be the Green Party's year, given voter discontent for both Democrats and Republicans. He says many people who signed his petitions told him that if the Green Party can't win in 2010, they don’t know what it'll take to oust the ruling Democratic and Republicans parties from the executive mansion.

Whitney supports an income tax increase, mostly for schools, along with property tax relief and higher personal exemptions to keep lower-income folks from paying more in taxes. A list of Green Party candidates for the state's constitutional offices and the U.S. Senate race can be found by CLICKING HERE.

(Illinois Radio Network)
11 03 09 by Newsroom
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