D.C. Statehood Green Party

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The D.C. Statehood Green Party, also known as the D.C. Statehood Party, is a leftwing political party in Washington, D.C. The party is the D.C. affiliate of the national Green Party, but has traditionally been involved primarily with issues related to D.C. Statehood. Party members sometimes call it the second most popular party in the city because in the 2006 election its candidates won more total votes than the Republican candidates.[1] About 1 percent of D.C. voters are registered with the D.C. Statehood Green Party, while 6 percent are Republicans and 76 percent are Democrats.[2]

History

The party began in 1971, when Julius Hobson announced his candidacy for the District's non-voting Congressional Delegate position as a member of the D.C. Statehood Party. Though he lost that race to Walter E. Fauntroy, he would later serve on the D.C. Council. In 1973, the Party was a strong proponent of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which gave limited self-government to the city. From the creation of the city council in 1975 until 1999, the party always had one of the at-large seats, first occupied by Hobson and then by Hilda Mason.

Throughout the 1970s, the party and its members on the council sponsored several initiatives aimed at giving the District more autonomy from the federal government. The high point was the passage of the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment by Congress in 1978, which would have given the District the rights of a state; the amendment failed to receive approval from the necessary 37 states by 1985, and thus did not become part of the United States Constitution.

The statehood movement lost much of its momentum after this and other defeats, though the party continued to field candidates for local offices. It merged with the Green Party prior to the 2000 elections, and endorsed Ralph Nader's campaign for president.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sherwood, Tom (2006-11-29). "What's Old Is New Again ... At RFK?". NBC4.com. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  2. ↑ District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (December 31, 2013). "Monthly Report of Voter Registration Statistics: Citiwide Registration Summary as of December 31, 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-01-17.

External links