Green Party of Rhode Island

The Green Party of Rhode Island (GPRI) is one of the oldest active Green parties in the United States. The party was founded on March 6 1992 at a meeting of 40 activists, from Rhode Island's environmental, peace, neighborhood, and human rights movements. Over the subsequent 16 years, the party's candidates have run for municipal councils in several cities and towns, for Mayor of Providence, for the state's Senate and House of Representatives, for U.S Congress, and for lieutenant governor. In 1996 and 2000, GPRI put Ralph Nader on the Rhode Island ballot for U.S. President, and Nader's vote share in 2000 (5.85%) was enough to win Rhode Island Greens full party status. In 2004 the national party's presidential nominee, David Cobb, failed to win at least 5% in Rhode Island, and GPRI lost that ballot status. In statewide races, the party's best result to date was for Jeff Johnson's 1994 campaign for Lieutenant Governor (6.25%). In 2002 David Segal became the first Green to gain public office, when he won a four-way partisan election to the Providence City Council.

Party platform

The political program of the Green Party of Rhode Island is based on the U.S. Green movement's Ten Key Values. For more information see http://www.greens.org/ri/keys.html and http://www.greens.org/ri/platform.html .

National significance

Although small, the Green Party of Rhode Island has played an important role in U.S. Green politics. In November 1996, GPRI was one of 12 founding parties in the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP). In 2001, when ASGP became the Green Party of the United States, GPRI was again a founding member. Several Rhode Island party leaders have served as officers of the national Green Party, and in June 2004 GPRI hosted a diplomatic visit by Miguel Angel Pimentel, President of the Partido Verde Dominicano (Dominican Green Party).

Looking to the future

Despite losing major party status in 2004, the party continues to support Green candidates as an independent political organization. During this period Jeff Toste won about 30% of the vote in Providence's 5th Senate district, which remains the nation's highest-ever vote share, by a Green candidate for State Senate. Former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney attended the party's state convention in 2007, recruiting volunteers for her 2008 presidential campaign.

Sources

*Green Party of Rhode Island (http://www.greens.org/ri/).
*Green Party of the United States (http://www.gp.org).
*Martin, Linda. Driving Mr. Nader (Leopold 2000).
*Nader, Ralph. Crashing the Party (St. Martin 2002).
*Rensenbrink, John. Against All Odds: The Green Transformation of American Politics (Leopold 1999).