FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Karen Young, Media Coordinator

December 21, 2005

312-924-1803 (ofc) 773-517-6433 (cell)

karen.young@ilgp.org

ILLINOIS GREEN PARTY FIELDS FULL SLATE OF STATEWIDE CANDIDATES FOR 2006

“The people of Illinois deserve better than a choice between

two corporate parties”

CHICAGO – For the first time, the Illinois Green Party is fielding a full slate of candidates for statewide office. 

“We believe that everyone in Illinois should have the chance to vote for someone that reflects his or her values.  If you believe in grassroots democracy, social justice, ecological wisdom, and nonviolence, the Green Party offers you a chance to see your values reflected in your state’s government,” said Phil Huckelberry, state party co-chair.

The six candidates are a diverse group representing different parts of the state.  They are:

         Rich Whitney for Governor

         Julie Samuels for Lt. Governor

         David Black for Attorney General

         Dan Rodriguez-Schlorff for Treasurer

         Karen Young for Secretary of State

         Alicia Snyder for Comptroller

Several factors have created a climate of corruption and political disengagement in Illinois that the Green Party seeks to challenge.  This is one of the few states that imposes no limits on campaign contributions.  According to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR), statewide candidates now get most of their funds from fewer than 5% of their contributors.  This means that a small group of large corporations and wealthy individuals has far more impact on government than the majority of the population.  The Green Party does not accept contributions from corporations.  Illinois is also one of the most difficult states in the nation for third party participation in the political process.  The state requires a “new” party to collect 25,000 signatures from registered voters in a 90-day period, just to be able to appear on the statewide ballot.  Once a party achieves that, they must go on to collect 5% of the vote to become an “established” party statewide.  The petitioning period begins in March 2006.

The Illinois Green Party and its candidates will be aggressively seeking volunteers, and contributions from individuals, to fuel their efforts to get on the ballot in June. 

Brief biographies of the candidates are below.

RICH WHITNEY (Governor), a civil-rights attorney from Carbondale, previously served as the party’s candidate for State Representative in the 115th District in 2002 and 2004.  Whitney said, “The people of Illinois deserve better alternatives than a choice between two corporate parties, between Rod Blagojevich and the candidate of the party that has given us George Ryan and George Bush.”

JULIE SAMUELS (Lt. Governor), a longtime community organizer in Oak Park, a western suburb of Chicago, ran for State Representative in the 8th District in 2002 and 2004.  She currently is Community Outreach Coordinator for the Openlands Project, and previously was an organizer on solid waste and toxic issues for Citizens for a Better Environment, and a coordinator for the Affordable Budget Coalition (ABC), dedicated to securing affordable utility service for low-income people.

DAVID BLACK (Attorney General), is an attorney in the Rockford area. He is a member of Rockford Peace and Justice Action Committee, Rockford Urban Ministries, Northern Illinois Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Sierra Club.  He holds an M.A., Ph.D. (Political Science) from the University of Michigan and J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.  He is Treasurer of the Winnebago Boone Green Party and Secretary of the Illinois Green Party.

DAN RODRIGUEZ-SCHLORFF (Treasurer), a 25-year-old Filipino-American, has been exploring the worlds of investment and entrepreneurship since his days as a paper boy.  A former Republican, he is active in faith-based and gay rights movements, performs in classical music groups, and is Membership Steward for the Illinois Green Party and on the Finance Committee of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS).

KAREN YOUNG (Secretary of State) has a professional background in commercial radio and is the founder of the media activist group, Media Democracy Chicago.  She is active in North Side (Chicago) and Chicago Area Greens, has served on the Coordinating Committee, and is media coordinator for ILGP.

ALICIA SNYDER (Comptroller) is a mother of two, special education teacher, and active in organizations including the NEA, Jefferson County United Way, and People Against Violent Environments (PAVE).  She lives in Centralia, and is co-chair of the South Central Illinois Green Party and co-chair of the Illinois Green Party. 

                              -30-