Started during the 2000 Ralph Nader campaign (in which Nader got over 20% of the vote in the City of Ithaca), the Tompkins County Green Party was active until the spring of 2004. In 2001, the TCGP worked together with progressive democrats to overturn Ithaca's conservative city board. In 2002, Ithaca was host to the New York Green Party's state convention; Pete Meyers, running for Sheriff, received over 25% of the valid vote. The party ran Paul Glover, founder of Ithaca Hours and the Ithaca Health Fund, for mayor in 2003.
Despite a few years of steady progress, Greens across the country were divided in 2004. Unpleased with the Democratic Party's failure to stand against the war in Iraq, many Greens felt the need to run an 'all-out' campaign for president. Others were afraid that a Green candidacy would split the progressive vote, leading to a Bush victory. With a nearly 50-50 split, the TCGP was unable to reach a consensus -- unable to represent their constituents, the leaders of the TCGP decided the organization could no longer be effective.
Bush won in 2004 without the help of third party candidates. Between them, independent Ralph Nader and Green David Cobb received less than a quarter of the vote that Nader received in 2000. Despite this setback, Greens are still active across the US, winning 66 electoral positions in 2006, including the mayor of Richmond, California.
Most members of the TCGP remain in the area and are working for peace, social justice, and sustainability in their own ways. This website is an archive of articles from tcgreens.org, which was once the official web sites of the TCGP.
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