Large state Latino political group shuns Democrats, leaves door open for support of Green for President, other elected seats

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release: Monday, Oct. 4, 2004

Contacts:
Cres Vellucci, State Press Office, 916-996-1970,
Beth Moore Haines, GPCA Spokesperson, 530-277-0610,
Sara Amir, GPCA Spokesperson, 310-270-7106,

MONTEREY PARK – Breaking with tradition, one of the state's oldest and most prominent Latino political organizations decided this past weekend at its 2004 Endorsement Convention here to not endorse a Democrat for President, and instead left the door open for Latino support for a Green for President.

Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), announced to the convention he had decided to re-register Green because "the Democrats are not helping us." Others joined him in re-registering from Democrat to Green.

The decision not to endorse a Democrat for President followed two extremely well-received keynote speeches by David Cobb, the Green Party nominee for President, and Peter Miguel Camejo, the former Green Party state gubernatorial candidate and now vice-presidential candidate on the independent ticket with Ralph Nader.

Lopez has also personally endorsed the campaigns of several Green candidates.

MAPA gave its special award to another Green, Matt Gonzalez, the San Francisco supervisor who nearly made history in his bid to become San Francisco's mayor late last year. Gonzalez is currently sponsoring a ballot measure in November in San Francisco to allow non citizens to vote in school board elections.

MAPA, formed in 1960 with chapters throughout the state and the U.S., also approved resolutions consistent with the Green Party of California on state ballot propositions and other important national and state issues.

"I felt a real surge of new political solidarity seeing MAPA overwhelmingly pass resolutions based on Green positions like opposition to the war, the draft and the Patriot Act," said Santa Monica's Green Mayor pro tem Kevin McKeown, who attended the event and congratulated Nativo Lopez on his re-registration.

"The Democrats can no longer count on the Mexican vote, because MAPA has realized they cannot count on the Democrats to represent MAPA's beliefs. The decision for an open endorsement on the Presidency clearly meant MAPA locals can and will work for Greens like David Cobb and Peter Camejo," McKeown explained.

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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