List of state Green Parties in the United States
The Green Party of the United States has affiliated state parties in most states. This list aims to include all state Green Parties. It links to articles on the state parties where they exist.
Alabama
The Green Party of Alabama is a state-level political party in the United States. They subscribe to the 10 key values of the US Green Party. Their nominated candidate for president in 2016 was Dr. Jill Stein.Alaska
The Green Party of Alaska is the state party organization for Alaska of the Green Party of the United States of America. Alaska was the first state to gain Green Party ballot access, in 1990, when Jim Sykes ran for governor. Sykes had previously filed a ballot access lawsuit, citing an earlier case, Vogler v. Miller.Like the Alaska Libertarian Party, the Green Party organizes local affiliate groups by regions of the state rather than election districts. It is known for calling these groups bioregions. The organized bioregions of the GPAK include the Southcentral Bioregion and the Tanana-Yukon Bioregion.
Arizona
The Green Party of Arizona is the affiliate of the Green Party in the state of Arizona. It was founded by Carolyn Campbell alongside others in the 1990s. The two current co-chairs of the Arizona Green Party are Maritza Broce and Angel Torres.The Arizona Green Party is best known for its strong stances on environmental protection, which the party was founded upon. Apart from this, the Arizona Green Party identifies with ten key values: grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom, non-violence, decentralization, feminism and gender equality, community-based economics, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility, and future focus and sustainability. Additionally, The Green Party committee openly opposes the militarization of our borders and protests the idea of building a wall between U.S and Mexico, according to the party's official platform committee website. Arizona Green Party stand against free-trade and in support of repealing the North American Free Trade Agreement, Fast Track, and other globalizing trade policies.
Arkansas
The Green Party of Arkansas is the state party organization for Arkansas of the Green Party of the United States.With the November 2008 election of Richard Carroll as representative for the 39th District in the Arkansas House of Representatives, the Arkansas Green Party gained its first ever state representative in the state's history for a time was the only elected state representative of any U.S. Green Party.
Greens achieved their first electoral victory in Arkansas in 1992 when Stephan Miller was elected Alderman for Fayetteville, Ward 1. He was joined on the City Council in 1996 by Randy Zurcher when he was elected to represent Fayetteville, Ward 2.
California
The Green Party of California is the California affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. The party is a ballot-qualified in California, first established as such in 1991, using the petition method of gaining state recognition.As of October 20, 2014, there were 110,511 registered party members accounting for 0.62 percent of registered voters in California, Mendocino, Nevada, and Humboldt counties have the highest per-capita number of Green Party members.
To maintain qualified status in California, a party must have registered voters equal to or more than 0.33% percent of the number of voters, or by the petition method, according to which a party must get petition signatures of 10% of registered voters in the previous gubernatorial election.
Colorado
The Green Party of Colorado is the affiliate of the Green Party of the United States for the state of Colorado.The Green Party of Colorado first attempted to qualify for statewide ballot status in 1994. While the party was unsuccessful in gaining ballot access, the party did qualify for Qualified Political Organization status. This made it possible to register as a Green in Colorado.
The Green Party of Colorado qualified for statewide ballot status in July 1998 and has retained its ballot status ever since.
Connecticut
The Connecticut Green Party is the Connecticut affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. It is governed by three co-chairs, one of whom must be a woman, all of whom are elected at their Annual Meeting each May. The party is committed to grassroots democracy, social justice, non-violence and ecological wisdom. Those are also the four pillars of Green politics.Ralph Nader, one of the more well-known Green Party figures in the United States, is from Connecticut, though he has never been a party member. For the 2006 election year, the Connecticut Green Party endorsed Cliff Thornton to run for Governor, and Ralph Ferrucci to run for U.S. Senate. The Connecticut Greens also endorsed Daniel Sumrall and Richard Duffee to run for Congress in the 3rd and 4th districts respectively.
In 2007 elections two party members were elected. In New Haven Allan Brison was elected alderman in the 10th Ward , and in Windham, party Co-chair Jean deSmet was elected First Selectman. DeSmet is the first Green Party candidate in the state to win a top municipal office.
Delaware
The Green Party of Delaware is the state party organization for Delaware of the Green Party of the United States.The Green Party of Delaware was founded in the late 1990s.
In 2002, Vivian Houghton, candidate for Attorney General of Delaware received 10 percent of the vote.
District of Columbia
The D.C. Statehood Green Party, also known as the D.C. Statehood Party, is a left-wing 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 the District of Columbia statehood movement. 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. As of March 31, 2016, there are 3,419 registered voters affiliated with the D.C. Statehood Green Party. That is 0.79% of all registered voters.Florida
The Green Party of Florida is the state party organization for Florida of the Green Party of the United States.The Green Party of Florida was organized in 1992. At that time the State of Florida had a very stringent standard applied to what were considered minor party candidates in elections. To have statewide ballot status, minor parties had to file a petition with at least 3% of all registered voters. To keep this status, they had to maintain a number of party members equal to 5% of all registered voters.
In 1998 state law concerning access to the state ballot was eased. In February 1999 the state legislature implemented changes allowing any party organized on a state basis to field candidates in elections. This allowed the Green Party and other parties to qualify to field candidates on the ballot. The Green Party has retained its statewide ballot status ever since.
Georgia
The Georgia Green Party is a state-level political party in Georgia. Their candidate for president in 2016 was Dr. Jill Stein. Stein was denied access to the ballot. The party sued and won at the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.Hawaii
The Green Party of Hawaii is the official organization of the Green Party of the United States in the state of Hawaii.The party's focus includes environmental issues, community-based economics, personal responsibility, diversity, social justice, and non-violence.
The Hawaii Green Party first qualified for the ballot in May 1992, one of the earliest state Green Parties to do so.
Idaho
The Green Party of Idaho is the state party organization for Idaho of the Green Party of the United States.They have been put on inactive status by the Green Party of the United States since 2010.
Illinois
The Illinois Green Party is a statewide political party in Illinois. The party is state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. Its stated mission and purpose are to advance the Ten Key Values of the Green Party in Illinois through political means and to support individual members and the formation of Green Party locals.In 2006, the party ran its first statewide candidates led by Rich Whitney, candidate for Illinois Governor, who received 361,336 votes for 10% of the total vote, making the Green Party one of only three legally established, statewide political parties in Illinois, in addition to the Democratic and Republican parties until it lost that status in 2010.
There are currently 12 local chapters affiliated with the party, as well as ten members holding elected office in the state.
Indiana
The Indiana Green Party is a state-level political party in Indiana. They affiliated with the Green Party of the United States in 2002.Iowa
The Iowa Green Party is the Iowa-affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. The 2013 Annual Meeting of the GPUS was held at the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City, Iowa.Kansas
The Kansas Green Party is a political party in Kansas. It is the Kansas state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. The party meets in both Topeka and Kansas City.Kentucky
The Kentucky Green Party is the state party organization for Kentucky of the Green Party of the United States.The Kentucky Green Party was officially founded on July 23, 2011 during the Founding Statewide Convention in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Though the Kentucky Green Party was officially established in 2011, two candidates had competed in state elections as Green Party members in years prior.
In September 2012, the Kentucky Green Party succeeded in attaining enough signatures to have Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala appear on the ballot in Kentucky for President and Vice President.
Louisiana
The Green Party of Louisiana is a state-level political party affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. The nominee of the GPUS has been on every presidential ballot in the state since 1996.The 2014 convention of the Green Party of Louisiana was held in New Orleans and featured former presidential nominee Jill Stein. The party's 2015 convention was held in Abita Springs, Louisiana.
Maine
The Maine Green Independent Party is a state-level political party affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. It is the oldest state green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 18 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine in January 1984. From 1994 to 2006, the party's gubernatorial nominees received between 6% and 10% of the vote.On September 21, 2017, state representative Ralph Chapman switched party affiliation from independent to the Green Independent Party. A month later, non voting member Henry John Bear also switched his party affiliation to the Green Independent Party from the Democratic Party.
Maryland
The Maryland Green Party is the state party organization for Maryland of the Green Party of the United States.The Maryland Green Party qualified as a recognized political party on August 17, 2000, since that time the party has grown to 9,350 members as of April 2018.
Massachusetts
The Green-Rainbow Party is one of four political parties officially recognized by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The party is a local state affiliate for the wider Green Party of the United States. Originally the Massachusetts Green Party, it was formed in 1996 and recognized in 2000. It merged with the Rainbow Coalition Party in 2002 and rebranded as the Green-Rainbow Party. The party has supported candidates on the national level such as Ralph Nader, David Cobb, and Jill Stein. It has also run candidates and pushed for political support at the state and municipal level. As of February 2012 the official party's membership ranks stood at roughly 5,300, which makes up about 0.12% of the Commonwealth's eligible electorate; though the number of votes for party candidates are usually significantly higher attributed to independent voters. Hampshire, Berkshire, and Nantucket counties have the highest per-capita number of Green-Rainbow Party members in ratio to county population.Michigan
The Green Party of Michigan is a political party in Michigan. It is the state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. The party has had ballot access in Michigan since November 2000, when their presidential candidate, Ralph Nader captured 2.74% of the national vote and 2% in Michigan. In 2016, the Green Party of Michigan elected 5 officers to local governments.In Michigan the Green Party elected a candidate to office in its first year. That candidate was JoAnne Beemon who became the first Green elected in Michigan, when on election day 2000 she received 5,349 votes to become Drain Commissioner in Charlevoix County. Beemon was credited with thwarting construction of a Wal-Mart store, by formulating storm water runoff regulations stricter than the county stormwater ordinance. She informed Wal-Mart of this on February 12, 2004. Two months later in a phone call to Beemon on April 6, 2004, Wal-Mart project manager Allen Oertel acknowledged that the company altered its plan based on information from Beemon that it did not previously know of. Wal-Mart later ended the project. The Michigan party is a member of the Michigan Third Parties Coalition.
Minnesota
The Green Party of Minnesota is a green political party in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States.The Minnesota Greens Confederation, founded 1990/91, fostered the development of local Green Party organizations in the state. The Green Party of Minnesota was organized in December 1993. It was officially established in February and June 1994 at two founding conventions.
Twin Cities Greens was organized in 1988. The Green Party of St. Paul was established in 1997 to 1998.
Mississippi
The Green Party of Mississippi is a state political party in Mississippi, United States. It is the Mississippi affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. The Green Party was officially recognized by the state government in April 2002 and granted ballot access.In 2003, Sherman Lee Dillon was the Green Party nominee for Governor. He received 3,909 votes and finished with the fewest votes of the five ballot-qualified candidates.
Missouri
The Missouri Green Party is a state-level political party in Missouri. In 2016, Dr. Jill Stein was their candidate for president. 2016 was also the first time they got on the ballot in 16 years. Due to the party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Leach getting 2.4% of the vote, the party will remain on the ballot for at least 4 years.Ed Williamson was elected to the Texas County Health Board, with a term through May 2023.
Montana
The Montana Green Party is a state-level political party affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. It formed in 2001–2002 following Ralph Nader's run for president in 2000 as the Green Party nominee. It has run candidates for president, governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate and the Montana legislature.Nebraska
The Nebraska Green Party is the state party organization for Nebraska of the Green Party of the United States.The Nebraska Green Party is a small but swiftly growing party. The party held its first convention in August 2000 at a Unitarian church in Lincoln, Nebraska. In the 2004 election three Congressional candidates, Roy Guisinger, party Co-Chair Steve Larrick and Dante Salvatierra garnered a total of over 10,000 votes statewide. The party lost its ballot access after the 2004 general election. In order to maintain status as an officially recognized party in Nebraska, Green Party candidates must garner at least five percent of the vote in federal or state electoral races. In 2004, these offices were limited to president and the House of Representatives. This led to the Green Party being recognized in the 1st District but not in the 2nd District and 3rd District. Petition drives qualified the Greens in all three districts in 2006.
Nevada
The Green Party of Nevada is a state-level political party in Nevada, United States. They subscribe to the 10 key values of the US Green Party. Dr. Jill Stein was the party's nominee for president in 2016. The Nevada Green Party first qualified for ballot access in 1996, and lost it in 1998. In 2014, the party sued the Nevada Secretary of State seeking to extend the deadline for petitions to get on the ballot, but the legislature extended the date and thus the party withdrew its suit.New Hampshire
The Green Party of New Hampshire is a state-level political party in New Hampshire. As of 2015, the party seems dormant.New Jersey
The Green Party of New Jersey is the state party organization for New Jersey of the Green Party of the United States. It was founded in January 1997 by Nick Mellis and Steve Welzer.The Green Party of New Jersey is one of the more active Green state affiliates, having nominated over 150 candidates for office. The party experienced its first non-partisan electoral victory in 1999 when Gary Novosielski was elected by voters in Rutherford to the Board of Education of the Rutherford School District.
New Mexico
The Green Party of New Mexico is the state party organization for New Mexico of the Green Party of the United States. It is listed as a minor qualified political party in New Mexico.New York
The Green Party of New York is a ballot-qualified political party in New York. It was founded in 1992 and is a part of the national Green Party movement. The party regained ballot status for four years when Howie Hawkins received over 50,000 votes in the 2010 gubernatorial election and retained it for another four years in the 2014 election, when the party moved up to line D, the fourth line on state ballots, passing the Working Families and Independence parties, with 5 percent of the vote.North Carolina
The North Carolina Green Party is a political party in the state of North Carolina, and the NC affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. It does not currently hold ballot access but as of 2015 it was gathering signatures to meet state requirements for party certification.In 2016, the party came close to gaining statewide ballot access, closer than the other six new parties, but still fell short of getting the required amount of signatures. The party, in collaboration with the Stein/Baraka presidential campaign, helped garner more write-in votes for Jill Stein than any presidential write-in candidate has ever received in North Carolina.
North Dakota
The North Dakota Green Party is a state-level political party in North Dakota. They are not affiliated with the Green Party of the US. Their nominated candidate for president in 2016 was Dr. Jill Stein.Ohio
The Green Party of Ohio is the state party organization for Ohio of the Green Party of the United States.The Green Party of Ohio was founded as the Green Party of Northeast Ohio in the early 1990s. The Green Party of Northeast Ohio was a recognized local of the Greens/Green Party USA, the only national Green organization at the time.
In the mid-1990s, and leading up to the 1996 US presidential election and Ralph Nader's minimalist candidacy, the Greens in Ohio were caught up in the strategic debate that found its expression at the national level in the competing GPUSA/Association of State Green Parties tendencies. Some Ohio Greens were decidedly non-electoral and did not support the ASGP effort for a Nader candidacy. The Green Party of Ohio's effort to put Nader on the ballot in 1996 fell about 315 signatures short.
Oklahoma
The Green Party of Oklahoma is a third party founded on the Four Pillars of the Green Party: ecological wisdom, social justice, grass-roots democracy and non-violence.The state party's original roots are not certain, but the best known history is that there were two local Green Party chapters active in the late 1990s, the Central Oklahoma Green Party and the Green Country Green Party.
Prior to the formation of a statewide party, Green Party members in Oklahoma sent delegates to the national Green Party nominating conventions in 1996 and 2000. Greens statewide also cooperated in the publication of The Greenleaf.
Oregon
The Pacific Green Party of Oregon is a political party in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is a member of the Green Party of the United States.The party first gained widespread public attention during Ralph Nader's presidential campaign in 2000.
Pacific Green Party candidates have won elected office mostly at the local level; most winners of public office in Oregon who are considered Greens have won nonpartisan-ballot elections.
Pacific Greens emphasize grassroots democracy, social justice, nonviolence, environmentalism, decentralization and local autonomy, in keeping with the Green parties' endorsement of the Ten Key Values.
Pennsylvania
The Green Party of Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania state party affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. Since 2017 the party is again recognized as a minor political party under Pennsylvania law due to receiving the required voter turnout in the 2016 elections. As of early 2018, the party has at least 15 members elected to local office statewide.Rhode Island
The Green Party of Rhode Island 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. In November 1996, GPRI was one of 12 founding parties in the Association of State Green Parties, renamed the Green Party of the United States in 2001. Several Rhode Island party leaders have served as officers of the national Green Party. The party's candidates run for municipal councils in several cities and towns, such as running for Mayor of Providence, the State Senate and the State House of Representatives, U.S. Congress, and for Lieutenant governor. The Green Party of Rhode Island has been involved in nationwide Green politics.South Carolina
The South Carolina Green Party is a ballot-qualified political party in the state of South Carolina. It is the state affiliate party of the Green Party of the United States.South Dakota
The South Dakota Green Party is a state-level political party in South Dakota. They are not affiliated with the Green Party of the US.Tennessee
The Green Party of Tennessee is a state-level political party in Tennessee, formed in 2001. It is a member of the Green Party of the United States.Texas
The Green Party of Texas is the state party organization for Texas of the Green Party of the United States. The party was founded as the electoral arm of the political movements for grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom, and peace/nonviolence. The aim of the movement is to bring change to the Government such that it is brought in line with the Global Greens Charter.After November 2016, the Texas Green Party does not have ballot access, though they had it continuously since 2010, and the two cycles following its founding, 2000–2002. Greens have won local offices in Texas in the past.
Utah
The Green Party of Utah is a ballot-qualified political party in the state of Utah. It is the Utah affiliate of the Green Party of the United States. Their candidate for president in 2012 was Dr Jill Stein.Vermont
The Vermont Green Party or Vermont Greens formed in 2002 and was a state-level political party in Vermont.They were formed out of organizing around Ralph Nader's presidential campaigns in 1996 and 2000. The VGP was one of two established state green parties that refused to place the 2004 national presidential nominee, David Cobb on its ballot line, endorsing Nader's independent campaign instead.
Virginia
Green Party of Virginia
The Green Party of Virginia is a state-level political party in Virginia and the state affiliate of the Green Party of the United States.The GPVA's focuses on environmental issues and promoting candidates for local elections. The party had its first candidates running for elections in 1993, and got its first successful candidates elected to office in 1997.
Independent Greens of Virginia
The Independent Greens of Virginia,, was the state affiliate of the Independence Party of America in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It became a state party around 2003 when a faction of the Arlington local chapter of the Green Party of Virginia split from the main party. As of 2011, it bills itself as a "fiscally conservative, socially responsible green party", with an emphasis on rail transportation and "more candidates". In support of wider ballot participation, it endorses many independent candidates who are not affiliated with the party.Washington
The Green Party of Washington State is the state party organization for Washington affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. As of 2017, GPWA has 9 affiliated local parties with at-large members and numerous locals in formation throughout the state. In 2010, party members met to formally reconstitute the party.West Virginia
The Mountain Party is a state-level political party in West Virginia. It is the West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party of the United States.It is a progressive and environmentalist party whose party platform primarily focuses on "Grassroots Democracy", "Social Justice & Equal Opportunity", "Ecological Wisdom" and "Non-Violence".
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Green Party is one of five recognized political parties in the state of Wisconsin and is an active member of the Green Party of the United States.The Wisconsin Green Party emerged in the late 1980s when several independent local Green groups combined. Walter Bresette and Frank Koehn of the Lake Superior Greens were instrumental figures in the early years of the party's development. Koehn's election to the Bayfield County board in 1986 was the first time a Green Party candidate had ever been elected to an office in the United States. Dennis Boyer, Richard Latker, Joyce Melville and others established a large chapter in Madison that brought together veteran activists and student activists affiliated with the UW-Madison Greens.