GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA SALUTES MATT GONZALEZ, LOOKS TO BUILD ON SF CAMPAIGN SUCCESSES IN 2004

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS ADVISORY
For immediate release: December 9, 2003

Contacts:
Beth Moore Haines, GPCA Spokesperson, 530-277-0610,
Ross Mirkarimi, GPCA Spokesperson, 415-412-7526,
John Strawn, GPCA Spokesperson, 805-689-2840,
Sara Amir, GPCA Spokesperson, 323-654-2058,

SAN FRANCISCO - While San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez fell just short Tuesday in his longshot bid to become the first Green mayor of a large metropolitan city, the Green Party of California saluted the efforts of both the candidate and the hard-working campaign that galvanized a broad coalition of progressive, labor and tenant groups.

San Francisco Supervisor Gavin Newsom, the hand-picked successor of current Mayor Willie Brown, spent over $4 million - mostly in corporate donations - to squeak into the mayor's office by a 52-48 percent majority in Tuesday's runoff election.

In a statement issued for the GP of California, Kevin McKeown, mayor pro-tem of Santa Monica, said: "Matt succeeded in championing progressive values and demonstrated the incredible growth of Green strength, tripling Peter Camejo's San Francisco percentage from 2002. The Green Party is proud of Matt's inspiring campaign and we're proud he continues as President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors."

"Despite the fact that a narrow majority of San Franciscans elected the status quo, we expect that Supervisor Matt Gonzalez will continue to work with the coalitions he has already built to make San Francisco a better place," said Larry Cafiero, press secretary for the Green Party of California.

Yet the windfall of Green Party support garnered in San Francisco, coupled with coalitions built around opposing politics-as-usual, could translate into success for other Green Party candidates throughout the state in the upcoming 2004 elections.

"People are waking up to the Green Party message and realize that the Green Party has arrived. "Matt's campaign is clearly a victory for Green candidates in upcoming elections next year," Cafiero added

The Green Party will run a record number of candidates for state and federal offices in 2004 with 15 members up for seats in the California Legislature, the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
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The Green Party of California
http://www.cagreens.org
P.O. Box 2828, Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 448-3437
gpca@greens.org