Vol. 76/No. 33      September 10, 2012

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Campaign supporters Aug. 27 filed to place the Socialist Workers Party’s presidential ticket on the ballot in Florida. Naomi Craine, SWP candidate for U.S. Senate, presented the party’s list of 29 electors and three alternates at the state Division of Elections.

The SWP presidential candidates were on the ballot in Florida in 2000, 2004, and 2008. A new election law adopted last year puts tighter restrictions on ballot access for “minor” political parties. “We have met the requirements, and it would be a violation of the rights of working people in this state to deny them the ability to vote for the working-class, labor, socialist campaign this year,” Craine said.

Tom Flanigan of public radio station WFSU interviewed Craine outside the elections office. “One of the points our campaign stresses is that working people need to organize and act politically independent of the capitalist parties,” Craine said.

“You mean because of all the corporate money that’s in politics?” Flanigan asked.

“I mean the entire capitalist system,” Craine replied. “Through our labor, workers produce all the wealth in society, but most of it is pocketed by the owners of capital. The Democrats and Republicans both defend their profits, as our wages, working conditions, and social and political rights are increasingly under attack. There is no ‘lesser evil’ between them.”

—Anthony Dutrow

NEW YORK—Deborah Liatos, Socialist Workers Party candidate for Congress in New York’s 13th District, was joined by James Harris, the party’s candidate for president, and Róger Calero, candidate for U.S. Senate from New York, when she submitted petitions with nearly 6,000 signatures—thousands over the 3,500 required—to the Board of Elections on Aug. 20. Four days later, the board informed Liatos she is on the ballot. Her district covers the Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of Manhattan, as well as parts of the Bronx.

The Socialist Workers Party is also running Seth Galinsky in the 8th Congressional District and Nancy Boyasko in the 15th.

“Our experiences campaigning and petitioning to get on the ballot has confirmed that workers see the deepening assault on our wages, working conditions, and social and political rights,” Liatos said at a press conference prior to turning in the petitions. “Many are looking for serious answers as to why this is happening and how we can fight effectively against these attacks.”

—Sara Lobman

SEATTLE—The Socialist Workers Party was informed July 31 by the State Elections Division that the party’s presidential slate is on the ballot here. Announcements appeared in newspapers across the state, including the Seattle Times and the Olympian.

“Longview signatures help Socialist Workers Party candidates make state ballot,” read the headline in the Aug. 8 Longview Daily News.

“‘Between Longview and the Seattle area we were able to get more than twice the number of signatures on petitions (required) for ballot status,’ said John Naubert of the Socialist Workers campaign,” the Daily News reported. “Naubert is running as a write-in for the U.S. Senate and Mary Martin is a socialist workers write-in candidate for governor.

“DeLuca and Martin visited Longview July 11 to collect signatures and explain the platform,” the article continued. “The candidates maintain that the Democratic and Republican parties are the parties of the ruling rich and that they will represent the middle class.”

Longview was the battleground for the eight-month fight by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union against EGT Development’s drive to run their grain terminal at the port there without Longshore labor.

The ILWU, backed by other unions and support in the surrounding area, defeated the company’s union-busting effort. On February 1, EGT recognized ILWU Local 21.

—Edwin Fruit

The SWP presidential ticket has also been confirmed for the ballot in Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota and New Jersey.
 
 
Related articles:
‘Socialist campaign starts with the world’
SWP vice pres. candidate tours in Montreal
Communist League candidate in Australia defends asylum-seekers
Washington unionist endorses SWP campaign: ‘Bosses think we’re dumb, but I see change coming’
SWP candidates tour schedule
Socialist candidates turn over bosses’ ‘blood money’ bribes  
 
 
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