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The Michigan Socialist | News |
Michigan News
Socialist Party starts
2004 election season
By L. MEYERS
The Michigan Socialist
IN THE 2004 election, working people of Michigan
are being given a definite choice.
The Socialist Party of Michigan has begun the work
of placing itself on the ballot for the November 2, 2004, election,
and members have begun to come forward to be candidates.
On April 13, the Board of Canvassers of the State
of Michigan formally approved the “New Party” petition submitted by
the SPMI, giving formal sanction to the Party to collect signatures
to secure its place on the ballot.
For a new political party to be placed on the
ballot in Michigan they have to collect at least 31,776 signatures
from registered voters. In reality, it takes close to 50,000
signatures to guarantee success.
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| Lisa
Weltman |
The Party has not been on the ballot here since
the 1970s, when it ran under the banner of the “Human Rights Party.”
Anticipating the success of securing ballot
status, SPMI members have already begun to campaign as Socialist
candidates for various state offices.
Lisa Weltman, who sought the Socialist Party’s
nomination for president last year, has declared her intention to be
the Socialist candidate for Michigan Board of Education.
Weltman made her formal announcement following the
March 8 meeting of the Board in Lansing.
As well, Ben Burgis has declared himself a
candidate for the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University.
Burgis, a native of Lansing and currently a
graduate student at Western Michigan University, has been a longtime
political activist in the Capitol area.
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| Ben
Burgis |
In addition, several SPMI members are seeking
nominations for state representative.
In Lapeer, Sterling Heights and Detroit, Party
members have already begun to campaign as Socialist candidates for
the State House.
To aid the work of the Socialist Party during this
campaign season, the SPMI has established the Michigan Socialist
Campaign Committee to coordinate and assist candidates in their
races for public office.
The MSCC is being chaired by Martin Schreader, a
member of the SPMI and a Socialist candidate for state
representative in the Ninth District, covering northwest Detroit.
Over the coming weeks and months, more members of
the SPMI will be declaring themselves candidates, in anticipation of
the success of the Party’s petition drive.
The full slate of Socialist candidates for the
Nov. election will be finalized at the SPMI’s State Convention,
scheduled for July 17-18, 2004.
If readers are interested in helping the Socialist
Party of Michigan gain ballot access, or if you are interested in
being a Socialist candidate for public office, visit the website of
the MSCC at
http://vote.mi-socialists.org.
On the Internet...
Michigan Socialist Campaign
Committee --
http://vote.mi-socialists.org/
Lisa Weltman for Michigan Board of Education --
http://www.weltman2004.org/
Ben Burgis for MSU Board of Trustees --
http://burgisformsuboard.spmichigan.org/ |
