South Carolina Green Party Adds First Elected Official
June 19, 2008
by Gregg Jocoy
Reprinted from Green Party Watch
Eugene Platt joined the South Carolina Green Party formally earlier this year, and sought the Green Party nomination for South Carolina House of Representatives from District 115. Platt won that nomination at the state convention on May 3rd.
South Carolina Greens were unaware at the time that Platt joined that the party had it’s first elected official in the state. While the party has had ballot status since 2003, and has run an average of half a dozen candidates for offices from Soil and Water Commission to US Senate, none have been elected yet. Platt has served on the James Island Public Service District since 1993.
Platt recently resigned his official position in the Democratic Party and is now the Green Party’s coordinator in the Low Country.
Platt lost the Democratic Party nomination in that party’s primary recently, but his nomination by the Green Party was in no way contingent on his winning the Democratic nomination. He also secured the nomination of the Working Families Party. Staff at the state Board of Elections have issued a statement to the effect that if the South Carolina Green Party submits Platt’s name into nomination for the State House seat, the state will not place his name on the ballot as he lost the Democratic nomination. State Code of Laws 7-11-10 is sited as the grounds for this refusal, but Platt and the South Carolina Green Party are pressing forward with plans for him to be on the November ballot.
Platt points out that he has won the support of many Republicans and independent voters on James Island, an anchor for the House district, by his consistent and successful efforts at land and environmental protection along the state’s coast. In a three way race for a legislative seat the candidate with a plurality wins election. State law does allow Platt to simultaneously run for reelection to his seat on the James Island Public Service District.
Platt’s son Paul is a Green Party member from San Francisco and is the campaign manager.
2 comments:
Gregg Jocoy said…
As those of you who are Green Party activists might imagine, this has taken a good deal of time to address. This is part of why I have posted nothing for a few days.
June 19, 2008 7:38 AM
SLWest said…
It is exciting to challenge this convoluted and discriminatory part of the SC code.
There have been a few articles elsewhere on Mr. Platt’s campaign. Most do not mention his move to the Green Party:
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/jun/19/platt_trying_spot_on_nov_ballot45005/
http://thedigitel.com/politics/law-could-keep-candidate-out-james-island-race5389
http://news.ccpblogs.com/2008/06/16/state-law-could-curb-three-way-james-island-race/
June 19, 2008 1:03 PM