Illinois Green Party

The Illinois Green Party is a legally established, statewide political party in Illinois.

The party is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. Its stated mission and purpose are to advance the Ten Key Values of the Green Party in Illinois through political and non-political means and to support formation of Green Party locals. It is a non-profit voluntary association of individual members and Green Party locals in Illinois.

In 2006, the party ran its first statewide candidates led by Rich Whitney, the "Green Party" candidate for Illinois Governor, who received 361,336 votes for 10% of the total vote, making the Green Party one of only three legally established, statewide political parties in Illinois, in addition to the Democratic and Republican parties.

As of October 2008 there were seven Illinois Green Party members holding elected office.

At the 2007 Green National Meeting the Illinois Green Party submitted a Proposal to host the 2008 Green Party National Convention. Greens from four cities had submitted proposals for the 2008 convention but in the end The National Committee chose Chicago. 

The Illinois Green Party is entitled to a presidential primary, but the state won’t hold one unless at least two candidates qualify for that primary. Illinois law requires all candidates in a presidential primary to submit 3,000 signatures, and they are due in November 2007. On November 5th the deadline for candidate petitions to run in the Green presidential primary, four Greens filed Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, Jared Ball and Howie Hawkins. (Hawkins is believed to be a stand-in for Ralph Nader).

2008 Candidates
Candidates below are not necessarily endorsed by any Green Party local or the state party. In all 32 Green Party candidates filed petitions to run in the Illinois Green Party primary by the filing deadline. The party also had the power to fill ballot vacancies in races where nobody is picked in the Feb. 5 primary. Following the primary and state party convention the party has fielded sixty candidates for the November general election.

U.S. Senate

 * Kathleen Cummings

Congress

 * Jerome Pohlen - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 3rd District
 * Omar N. López - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 4th District
 * Alan Augustson - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 5th District
 * Morris Shanfield - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 9th District
 * Jason Wallace - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 11th District
 * Rodger Jennings - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 12th District
 * Steve Alesch- U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 13th District
 * Scott Summers- U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 16th District
 * Sheldon Schafer - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 18th District
 * Troy Dennis - U.S. House of Representatives Illinois 19th District

State Legislature

 * Tom Durkin - State Senate, 7th district
 * John Basco - State Senate, 21st district


 * Ante Marijan - State Representative, 2nd district
 * Tim Quirk - State Representative, 12th district
 * John Beacham - State Representative, 14th district
 * Drew Valkanas - State Representative, 15th district
 * Rita Maniotis - State Representative, 21st district
 * Jeremy Karpen - State Representative, 39th district
 * Heather Benno - State Representative, 40th district
 * Kevin O'Connor - State Representative, 41st district
 * Dane Willman - State Representative, 43rd district
 * Sandra Lezon - State Representative, 50th district
 * Rob Sherman - State Representative, 53rd district
 * Dan Kairis - State Representative, 55th district
 * Gerry Woods - State Representative, 68th district
 * James Dunsing - State Representative, 70th district
 * Gerard Schmitt - State Representative, 95th district
 * Jen Witt - State Representative, 96th district
 * Charlie Howe - State Representative, 115th district

County Offices

 * Walter Pituc - Champaign County Board, Dist. 7
 * Kostas Yfantis – Champaign County Board, Dist. 7
 * Joe Futrelle - Champaign County Board, Dist. 8
 * Todd Reardon – Cole County State's Attorney
 * Michael Snow - Cole County Coroner
 * William Edgar - DuPage County Board, Dist. 4
 * Don Crawford - Fayette County Board, Dist. 7
 * Vince LaMie - Iroquois County Board, Dist. 5
 * Dale Strough – Iroquois County State's Attorney
 * Julie Schmitt – Kane County Board, Dist. 20
 * Adrian Frost - Kendall County Board, Dist. 1
 * James Geocaris - McHenry County Board, Dist. 3
 * Frank Wedig - McHenry County Board, Dist. 5

Special Districts
Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (3 positions)
 * Jack Ailey - Metropolitan Water Reclamation Board
 * Nadine Bopp - Metropolitan Water Reclamation Board
 * Rita Bogolub - Metropolitan Water Reclamation Board