Gov & Secty of State: Greens File Ballot Petitions

Green Party gubernatorial candidate Bob Fitrakis (pictured) and Secretary of State candidate Tim Kettler filed ballot petitions with the Office of the Secretary of State today. Fitrakis (and his running mate Anita Rios) had 10,915 signatures, and Kettler over 9,000, more than enough in each case to surpass the 5,000 requirement for getting on the November ballot.

According to his web site, Fitrakis said at the post-filing press conference:

"Our unprecedented grassroots effort sends a clear signal to both major parties that people are fed up with the bipartisan collusion of the two major parties and their kowtowing to corporate interests. Both parties allow our jobs to be shipped to China and other repressive regimes that torture and deny human rights, while at the same time remaining silent on our own illegitimate Bush regime that practices torture, conducts warrantless searches, and continues to wage immoral and illegal war in Iraq."

To the extent that the Green campaigns draw votes away from major party candidates, such votes presumably will come from the Democratic column. However, such effects are difficult to verify or quantify, since the Greens' efforts may bring out voters who would otherwise stay at home, or perhaps convince others who might vote for either major party to sit the election out. What is certain is that they will bring impassioned rhetoric and stark political views into the public debate.