First Green Elected to Statehouse Wins 2nd Bid!
John Eder has made history – twice. He was the first Green in America to be elected to his statehouse (Maine). And now he has been re-elected – after a tough fight where ruling Democrats in the Legislature threw just about everything at him – including mid-term re-districting, forcing him to move to a new house!. Nonetheless, he won a decisive majority vote in a three-way race in Portland’s West End.
His election posters which show a white silhouetted head with a light bulb-like green tree illuminated inside, neatly references a distinctive campaign for thinking voters.
It was not looking particularly encouraging in his race this year. The first time around some opponents called his election a fluke, the product of running against a weak adversary. This time all guns were trained at him with attack ads, and a strong opponent. Eder, however, managed to hold his own – against an incumbent!
John Eder
Press Herald photo
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An incumbent, you may ask? How can he be running against an incumbent if he was up for re-election? In an attempt to eradicate the pesky Green mosquitoes, Maine Democrats took a ploy from the Karl Rove playbook, and changed the district boundaries, leaving John’s home just outside his voting base. After a successful scramble to help John move to a new place in his former district, he now faced a Democratic incumbent who had become the district’s representative. The tactic came back to bite them. Not only was John re-elected, they lost a seat in the process.
Now this humble man with big ideas has new stature in the legislature, Given the Republican advances on several state house seats as well, Eder will likely be a pivotal vote. Other progressives need his support. He has a proven constituency, ready to back him, and should find it easier to influence legislation.
Greens ran for 23 state house seats this time around, won John’s re-election, and came close in two others. In the state where the US Green Party was born Greens now have 2% of the registered voters!
John observes that his one term in office has sparked a paradigm change in Maine progressive politics which could serve as an example for the rest of the nation. He said that advocacy and activist organizations in Maine now support “progressive” candidates rather than supporting a straight Democratic ticket. They now know there are options. The ramifications of this are enormous – for Greens and for the country.
