GREEN PARTY-ENDORSED CANDIDATES TO REVEAL STADIUM POSITIONS

Minneapolis - May 10, 2005

Join the 5th Congressional District local of the Green Party of Minnesota (5CDGP), as it presents its six endorsed candidates for the 2005 Minneapolis municipal elections. It is the largest contingent of candidates in the eight-year history of the small but growing organization. Five candidates were endorsed in 2001, resulting in three Greens being elected into office. In 2004, two state legislative candidates ran competitive races, and the Green Party candidate for the US House of Representatives earned over 18,000 votes. The press conference will be held next to the Father of Waters, in the Rotunda of Minneapolis City Hall on Thursday, May 12th at 9:00 a.m.

5CDGP Chair Stephen Eisenmenger said, "We believe in quality before quantity, and when we run, we like to make an impact. In 2001, we saw a Green Party-endorsed candidate register arguably the largest upset for a city council seat in the history of Minneapolis, when Natalie Johnson Lee unseated Jackie Cherryhomes. The Green Party's presence at City Hall has produced a rollback of the corporate giveaway policies of the 1990's. These candidates are committed to engaging the citizens of Minneapolis to ensure their voices are reflected in the policies that come from City Hall and the Park Board."

The question and answer portion of the press conference will start at 9:15 a.m.
The six candidates endorsed this past Sunday are:

• Farheen Hakeem for Mayor of Minneapolis
• Annie Young for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board - Citywide
• Cam Gordon for Minneapolis City Council ­ Ward 2
• Aaron Neumann for Minneapolis City Council ­ Ward 3
• Natalie Johnson Lee for Minneapolis City Council ­ Ward 5
• Dean Zimmermann for Minneapolis City Council ­ Ward 6

Endorsement of Reggie Birts for Minneapolis City Council Ward 8 will be considered at the next membership meeting of the 5CDGP to be held on Saturday, July 23rd from 1-4 p.m. at Matthews Park, Minneapolis.

For further information, contact:

• Stephen Eisenmenger, Chair, 612-747-2854, stephen@mngreens.org
• Eric Makela, Spokesperson, 612-782-2118, eric@mngreens.org
• Darrell Gerber, Spokesperson 612-824-7366, darrellgerber@earthlink.net

For further information about the 5th Congressional District Green Party or the endorsed candidates, visit the website at http://5cd.mngreens.org

A Message to the Minnesota Green Party from Annie Young --

Hello to my Green friends and family:

It is with pleasure that I ask the 5th District chapter of the Green Party of Minnesota for its endorsement on Sunday, May 8th. I am seeking to be re-elected to my 5th term as a citywide Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner. Almost nine years ago, I went through a political transformation and joined the Green Party. I have been honored to carry the GP endorsement in my last two election cycles.

The 10 Key Values are very important to me, not only in my public and professional life, but in the way I live day-to-day. I recently served on the 5th District steering committee, but have spent much of my time doing Green work by helping with campaigns and events. I have written a Candidate How-To Manual for those running Green campaigns, have helped to conduct workshops for candidates, and recently served as National Scheduler for the 2004 GP Presidential Campaign.

In my election campaign, I run citywide, reaching out to the over 1 million voters of Minneapolis in hopes of receiving 35-40,000 votes - this is what it takes to win a citywide seat on the Board. Because there are not enough Greens in Minneapolis to equal that many votes or more, and because it is a non-partisan race, I find it is important to seek and receive support from members of all the political parties. Electoral work requires work in Collaboratives and the ability to compromise, negotiate and work together for the common goals of the office. My experience and history with the Park Board make me the front runner and most experienced candidate in the race - but one is a fool if they consider winning as a sure thing. Therefore, I have my work cut out for me these next eight months. My race this year is more difficult than in the past, and will be more expensive. The political landscapes of both Minneapolis and Minnesota have made significant changes in the last four years, along with the importance and addition of the Internet to campaign work.

I will do everything I can to remain connected to Greens by attending meetings and, more importantly, inviting you to serve on Commissions and Advisory Councils on topics important to the Board. This will help with the hard work of making Minneapolis a greener city.

I have been going through the screening and endorsing process with several organizations and Unions. At this time, I have received endorsements from the Green Party Women's Circle and the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus.

If anyone has any questions for me or concerns about endorsing my candidacy, please email me or call me at 612.729.3359 or cell: 612-236-5985. I will do my best to address any questions or concerns in a complete and timely manner.

You may also visit my website for a variety of information both personal and campaign-related.

I look forward to seeing you all at the endorsing convention, May 8th, if not before, in the May Day parade and other GP activities these next two weeks.

I ask you for your vote not only on May 8th, but Sept. 13th and Nov. 8 besides.

Thank you for being Green and holding up our 10 Key Values for all to see.

Annie Young,
seeking Green party endorsement for a citywide seat on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.




The Green Life website has a feature on the relatively new phenomenon of "greenwashing."