Pete McCloskey

Pete McCloskey, one time Republican Congressman from California, will officially announce his candidacy for the 11th CD seat now held by Richard Pombo. McCloskey, sometimes a speaker at Green Party associated events, is, at the age of 78, returning to the political fray to engage in "a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party." McCloskey is well known as one of the authors of the original Endangered Species Act and is a strong proponent of decentralizing government and environmental stewardship, two very Green values.

I know that it will upset some of my Green friends, but I believe that supporting McCloskey is the right thing to do. He represents the best alternative in a district where the Green Party is nearly non-existent and the Republicans hold a >5% registration edge over Democrats. While there are strongly functioning Green Party organizations in Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, the portion of the 11th CD that is in these counties is so small as to make this election a minor issue. The majority of the voters in the district reside in San Joaquin County which has at best a very weak, nominal local Committee.

The prospect of a Pete McCloskey (R) vs. Jerry McNerney (D) campaign would be a win-win for the voters in this district. However, at this juncture, I think that supporting McCloskey is what a Green should do.