Both the Libertarian Party of Arkansas and the Green Party have already submitted enough signatures to be on the ballot for the 2014 elections. On Saturday the Green Party announced a candidate for governor and US senate.
Hot Springs attorney Josh Drake is running for governor while Huntsville resident Mark Swaney is running for US senate.
The party's public relations officer Rebekah Kennedy identified climate change, fossil fuel dependence, and the infringement of civil liberties as key issues in both candidates' campaigns.
Referring to senate candidates Mark Pryor and Tom Cotton and gubernatorial candidates Asa Hutchinson and Mike Ross, Kennedy said, “to a greater and lesser extent they all are go-along, get-along, corporate politicians. They are always going to support the interests of a handful of people in the state who have money and influence at the expense of ordinary Arkansans.”
Despite the pointed rhetoric Kennedy said she believes Green Party office holders have a greater ability to work with others.
“We'd only have actual differences to deal with. We won't have being two sides of an entrenched national war, where people for national political reasons are going to use state politics to fight those battles,” said Kennedy.
The party will host their nominating convention in February. The Green Party of Arkansas has appeared in at least in one race in most election cycles since 1996. In 2008 they gained their highest vote totals when Kennedy garnered over 200,000 votes, or 20% of those cast, running against Mark Pryor – there was no Republican challenger.
