Conclusion
This campaign is part of a movement to build a new multiparty democracy in Maryland.
I believe more political parties will make Maryland more politically healthy. More Marylanders will feel represented, elections will be more robust, and elected officials would be more responsive to voters. Different solutions--based on real representation and genuine consensus-building--would emerge to local, statewide, national, and global problems. Debate would be more constructive and compromise would be more likely.
I also believe that the Green Party should be one of many healthy parties in this new democracy.
2023 was a good start for our campaign. Media and lawmakers in Baltimore City and the General Assembly are considering legislation and hearings exploring public ownership of the Orioles. We've joined with leading activist organizations to discuss multiparty democracy. We have good energy and momentum going into 2024.
In the next few weeks, we will share the framework for our economic platform, launch our advocacy for bills during the 90-day General Assembly session, and debut a political education podcast featuring the people and ideas that inspire this campaign. By the end of the year we expect to have visited each of the 24 counties in Maryland, reached out to over 10,000 voters, and chosen a Lieutenant Governor Candidate so that we can hit the ground running in 2025.
In 2025 we want to officially launch our campaign. When we do so we will unveil a Green political program for Maryland, start the work to become the first small party campaign for governor to qualify for public financing, and build a statewide volunteer organization.
In 2026 we will run to Election Day, but with a vision that does not stop in November. Campaigns are the primary ways that people learn about politics and parties. An exciting, inviting, and focused Green Party campaign can help build the party beyond 2026. A program that offers solutions distinct from those offered by the two dominant parties can mobilize voters that feel unheard, and together we can change outcomes in line with our values. That in turn helps us build a healthier democracy in which multiple parties and more perspectives are represented.
I am excited about the plan and the vision that our campaign has put together. Whether we can make it happen or not will depend on resources – time, money, and people. Running a 4-year campaign gives us the time, but to make good use of our time we need money and people.
Money we raise this year will be crucial to implement the plan:
We need to transition from interim to permanent campaign director, and build the rest of the campaign team.
We have a list of over 10,000 voters we want to reach out to this year. We will need to cover printing and postage for mailings and postcards, because emails and social media are not enough.
Getting the Green Party on the ballot in 2024 and 2026 is going to be expensive – it's going to take people and resources, and we're going to need to pay for them.
We will be standardizing our campaign platforms, including our website, volunteer base, digital media, and outreach tools.
Building a base of recurring donors is the key to implementing this plan. So I'm asking you to set up, if you can, a recurring donation of between $5 and $26 per month. Once you've set that up, please follow the campaign, give us feedback, and ask questions. Bump up the donation level if you like what we're doing and are able to give more. Of course, you can cancel any time.