Candidates for Co-Chair (3 seats)
Barbara Barry
Candidate for Co-Chair
Hartford County Chapter -
Hi! I'm Barbara Barry and I ask for your vote for GPCT co-chairperson.
As a progressive, I oppose giving up our hard-earned GPCT ballot lines to other political parties and allowing the dominant political parties to change our agendas by taking over our GPCT ballot lines and candidates. I have worked within the GPCT (and the GPUS), and with other political parties and organizations to effect change of shared issues, without giving up our ballot line or GPCT key values.
As a registered nurse for 50 years, I have had, at times, needed to make decisions about which course of action I would take about complicated situations. Should I follow the legal, medical, ethical and logical protocols or obey my superiors? Following the legal, rational, medical and ethical protocols was the answer. It was the right thing to do. Applying this philosophy to political situations is also the best way to effect change. Compromises can be done as long as you do not give up the principle goal or rights or democracy.
It also promotes the GPCT political and marketing image because our GPCT (and GPUS) platforms actually are promoted by them. There are so many shared issues or values that can improve our representative democracy and the world.
We can continue to recruit from the 42% of CT 'unaffiliated voters' (i.e. voters not affiliated with the Democrats or Republicans). These voters outnumber the Democrats by 11% and the Republicans by 50%. Thus the 'minor political parties' are the 'silent majority' on issues and solutions. The Green Parties typically have decreased free speech abilities because we do not accept money from P.A.C.s. Nor can we overcome the hurdles that would allow us to receive CT taxpayer money for our primaries or campaigns. Therefore, we have less money for: political promotion, TV, radio and postcard ads; political polling and jobs for political consultants and multiple year employees. GPCT has had members elected solely on our ballot line.
There is synergy within the Green Party whether it is a chapter (Fairfield County or Hartford County), town committees of New London, Waterford, Willimantic, Clinton or Madison or the GPCT with the GPUS and world-wide Green Parties. We stand for the same key values. We are synergistic because no entity such as the 169 CT towns, or state or nation or continent stands alone. Residents, employers, employees, visitors and tourists go across man-made borders. This also applies to transportation and communications. We have shared issues.
Within the GPCT, I have successfully performed as a volunteer coordinator, campaign manager, chapter organizer, GPCT co-chairperson and secretary and GPCT candidate (three times) for State Senate District 1 (southern half of Hartford and 5/6 of Wethersfield); co-chairperson and secretary of the Hartford County chapter of the GPCT; Liaison to the GPUS Campaign Coordinating Committee (CCC); Member fo the GPCT Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) and GPCT representative to the GPUS Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).
Vote for me and let's stay Green!
Rob Barstow
Candidate for Co-Chair
Hartford County Chapter -
I wish to lay out my plan if elected Co-Chair of the State Central Committee. I will expand on all of these issues further in future posts, but for now I wish to keep it short and sweet (kind of short). I am running as a Progressive, and here are just a taste of my key issues.
First, I wish to focus on building Town Committees (TC), not chapters. This does NOT mean I want to get rid of chapters, they have their place, but we as a party MUST focus on building TCs as a means to getting people elected.
Second, I wish to set up training for different positions; that way our candidates know the basics of the positions they run for, they know what they are getting into, and they are prepared for the work it takes to be in local government.
Third, we need to become more involved in our media presence. This means more press releases, a coordinated front on letters to the editor, local TV presence where we can. I am currently working on setting up a local Green talk show on Public Access TV as well as working on updating and revamping our website.
Fourth, I wish to bring order to the SCC meetings. As many of you know we often go over time, and sometimes don't even get to every point on the agenda because of it. We need to make those meetings more business and less debate, so we can actually get things done!
Fifth, we need to make our party more appealing to younger people; they are the future of the voting population, and they are the ones who drive radical change every time we need it. This means that we reach out to Bernie supporters, and show them we are with them, instead of calling Bernie Sanders a Neoliberal, or attacking anyone who isn't a registered Green and shunning them from our meetings.
There are many more things I wish to talk about, but will save it for a later date. For now, I must stress that it is imperative that you vote. We are at a turning point in our party and our country. Before we drive our bus to its destination, we must make sure the right people are driving it, and the wrong people get off. I am one of those right people, so vote for me and together we shall crush the Democrats and Republicans all across the state! For those who may have questions or concerns, as always my email is , and you are welcome to private-message me anytime on Facebook and I will do my best to respond in a timely manner.
Michael DeRosa
Candidate for Co-Chair
Hartford County Chapter -
I want your vote for Co-Chair of the Green Party of CT. Thanks to your vote last year I proudly and effectively served as your Co-Chair and I hope you will continue to extend that trust to me this year. I will not let you down. I and other members of the Progressive Caucus's slate believe that we represent the best long and short term interests of the Green Party of CT and we need your strong support during this critical election. The big issue during this campaign is that we oppose giving up our hard earned ballot lines to the Democratic and Republican parties. We oppose this because we believe the GPCT mission is to remain Green and independent. No other Green Party in the U.S. is supporting giving away our ballot lines to the major parties and our opponents in this race want to do just that. I and the GPCT Progressive Caucus strongly support the 10 key values and our platform. We will not give up our commitment to: close all nuclear power plants (Millstone), control nuclear weapons, create Medicare for all, end our endless wars, create a new peace dividend to clean up our environment, and build a clean alternative energy system. We have a great national and state platform and I ask you to support me so these important ideas are not compromised in a vain and misguided attempt to become a satellite party of the two major parties.
My accomplishments in the Green Party of CT:
- Overall state coordinator and point person for the successful ballot access drive to get our presidential candidate Jill Stein on the ballot in CT. Along with many of you we were able to collect 16,800 signatures that put a Green presidential candidate on the ballot in CT for the first time in eight years. We now have ballot access for President in 2020 and have ballot access for the 26 candidates we ran in 2016. In 2016 we ran one of the largest total number of candidates of any Green Party in the U.S.
- As Co-Chair I have given honest, dependable, and committed activism to our party and have fought for democracy and respect for diversity within our party. These included putting in the necessary paper work into the CT SOTS's office, holding phone campaign seminars for new candidates, and helping and giving important assistance to petitioning candidates, as well as organizing many fund raisers for our party.
- Two years ago I ran for congress in the 1st congressional district and got over 6500 votes (2.1% of the vote) and got into the congressional debate with John Larson and raised important issues with him about the endless wars that we wage, the need for Medicare for all, and the student debt scandal. I have run as a Green Candidate for State Senate (11% twice) and in 2014 for CT Secretary of State (over 24,000 votes, 2.3%). I have been very active in our Greater Hartford Green Party that now has 3 women candidates for the CT legislature in 2018.
- Litigant (as a Green Candidate) in the lawsuit: Green Party of CT vs. Garfield. This case was about challenging the campaign finance law requirement of huge signature requirements from third parties in order to qualify for state grants under the CT campaign finance law while not applying these same requirements to the major parties (petitioning requirements of 20% of the voters in the last election in order to qualify). We won a positive decision by Federal Judge Underhill on this case and got a negative decision at the appellate level with a 2 to 1 vote. The US Supreme Court took our case but refused to rule on our lawsuit. We continue to fight this unfair and discriminatory law.
- Worked with Green Party of CT members to develop a legislative agenda in the present and last General Assembly that include proposals and bills that supported: A CT Public Bank, urban agriculture, renewable energy, universal health care, municipal energy districts, medical marijuana reform, demilitarization of the police, and ballot access reform. We met with many legislatures on these proposals and bills and got a deputy speaker of the house to submit and support a CT Public Bank bill.
- Campaign Manager for six years for the three successful elections of Elizabeth Horton Sheff to the Hartford City Council as a Green. These successful elections stopped the siting of a toxic medical waste dump in Hartford CT.
- Co-founder of Green Party of CT in 1996.
Over the next year as your Co-Chair I will keep our party independent and Green. We have won many offices at the local level all over CT and have gotten many votes for state and federal office. I believe we are on the cusp of a great break through if we support the 10 key values of the Green Party and build our party with issues and people and not with back room deals.
Building a real Green progressive party is not easy. If we support our Green values and stay independent we will ultimately represent the 99% and we will defeat the 1% who own the two major parties. We can and will build this real Green progressive party because very soon the citizens of the United States will demand it. That is why we must stay with the issues and build Green candidacies that will make us relevant and strong.
Please consider voting for me for Co-Chair and voting for the entire GP Progressive Caucus's slate.
If you have any questions feel free to contact at 860-919-4042 or at
Joshua Steele Kelly
Candidate for Co-Chair
Waterford Chapter -
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Josh Kelly. I have been a lifelong Connecticut resident and Green Party member, and I am running for Co-Chair of the Green Party of Connecticut in 2018.
My time as an active Green began when I first turned 18, when I helped found the Waterford Green Party. In the past four years, we have more than doubled the number of registered Greens in town, we have had a dozen Greens elected or appointed to 23 different seats within the town government, and we have changed the conversations being had around town about third parties, environmentalism, and government transparency. I was first elected to office by the age of 20 (2015), and I more recently stood for election in 2017 as I won a seat on the Waterford RTM. None of this would have been possible without hard work, dedication, passion, and perseverance, and, should I be elected, I fully intend to bring my experience and work ethic to the role of Co-Chair of the Green Party of Connecticut.
On top of my involvement with the Town of Waterford's government, I have also recently graduated from Wheaton College (MA) with a degree in political science, public policy, and sociology. During my time at Wheaton, my independent studies largely focused on third party politics, voting theories, and policies that help and hinder third party bids. Since my graduation, I have enrolled in the University of Connecticut's Master of Public Administration program, where I have taken numerous courses on finance, budgeting, policy, and management. I wish to bring my knowledge in all of these areas to the table as Co-Chair of the State Party, so that we may become more efficient, professional, scientific, and successful with our endeavors.
Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to serve as a representative from the Waterford chapter to the SCC since 2013, and from the Connecticut Green Party to the Green National Committee since 2016. My experiences with both the SCC and the National Committee have given me a very clear sense of the Green actions being taken around our state and country, and have helped me to formulate ideas on how we can best and most successfully move forward as a party. My goal has always been, and will always be, to promote Green policies and candidates that will promote Green ideals and politics wherever they go, and thus I believe that the CT Green Party needs to become more involved in party-building across the state. I believe that the members of the state party's Executive Committee can and should do more to reach out to inactive Greens in towns where there is currently no Green involvement to see what the SCC can do to further the Green movement in those areas. I also believe that the CT Greens should serve as more of a resource to those wishing to run for office, as well as to chapters who wish to found their own Town Committees. Overall, I intend on being a very hands on, helpful, and outcome-oriented Co-Chair, and I hope that you will support my vision for our party.
Other things that I intend to act upon as Co-Chair include:
- Updating the State Central Committee's bylaws and procedure manual to provide more clarification on purpose, the duties of Executive Committee members, and to edit the numerous contradictory clauses found within those documents.
- Empowering Town Committees and Chapters to take the actions necessary in their own communities to promote Green values and policies.
- Improving the professional image of the State Party by more routinely issuing press releases about our activities and candidates, by updating our web presence, and more.
- Expanding and improving our social media presence.
- Introducing an easy online donation system that allows for recurring contributions, so that we may more effectively plan and budget going forward.
- Overhauling our website to give it a modern, accessible feel; to provide for more information about our party, its candidates, and its chapters; and to connect the public with community and government resources related to our mission.
If you have questions or comments about my candidacy, or if you would like to sit down and discuss the party with me in-person, you can always reach out to me directly at or 860-912-7624. Thank you very much for your consideration, and I very much look forward to serving the Connecticut Green Party in 2018!
Cassandra Martineau
Candidate for Co-Chair
At large, Windham -
As chair of Windham Green Town Committee, I was part of a dynamic team which helped elect an unprecedented slate of candidates into Windham government, including Town Council, Board of Assessment Appeals, Board of Finance, and Zoning Board of Appeals. I am proud for the role I played on this amazing team.
I might be called a "true believer" in the principles of the Green Party, and have a lifetime of experience in political volunteering and activism for many of the causes we hold dear, especially human rights & equality (specifically women's issues, GLBT work, racial equality), environmental work, and peace work. Many times, I have accepted leadership roles in these groups, and have a good amount of public speaking experience for our various causes. As a state leader of the Women's March on Washington, I have always striven towards pushing greater inclusiveness in the movement, and to keep it, on the state level at least, from becoming just another shill for the Democrats.
As a transwoman, I understand the systems of oppression more intimately than many, and am dedicated towards building a better world. My attendance at the "Train the Trainers" workshop in Philadelphia as a member of the national Diversity Committee last Winter, with the intentions of bringing those experiences to the GPCT are but one example of my dedication to making change happen.
Nonetheless, I have a strong New England practical streak and strive to get things done as best as possible with the ideals always in mind. It's important to "walk the talk," but it's also important to get things done. I am happy to hold onto and keep pushing towards my ideals (Equality for All, Single Payer, 100% carbon-free energy grid, you know the list), while working with diverse individuals and viewpoints to move towards these goals.
As a strong believer in grassroots democracy, I believe that the primary work and power should be at the local level. While State is certainly devoted to state issues and candidate runs, I believe its secondary role should be one of support in building and growing our local chapters. I believe the relation of State to Local should be one of "What can we do for you?" Nothing happens at state or national levels without strong, grassroots support at the local level, and building the party means doing that work, door to door, person to person. I am proud of my efforts to do this in Windham, and would be excited to bring this energy to the state level. I have a vision of the state GP acting as a central location to share practical skills of building Town Committees and sharing practical information about entering the election process (petitioning to ballot, understanding the legal obligations of paperwork and financing, the use of data for effective canvassing, etc). It is my personal conviction that we need to do this local work if the party is to grow into a credible state or national movement, and I would be proud to help make this happen.
Rolf Maurer
Candidate for Co-Chair
Fairfield County Chapter -
I have worked in various capacities with the party over the last several years, having run for Stamford local offices (including mayor in 2009), board of education, up through state treasurer. I have also served as Co-Chair twice in the past, have been active with merchandising activities, the bylaws committee and am currently part of the dispute resolution committee.
I have a long-standing enthusiasm about conveying through various public events and screenings what makes the Green Party a distinctive, and inherently holistic, solutions-driven organization. Currently, the corporate duopoly--especially the Democrats--are working overtime to co-opt understanding of this via a watered-down version of "progressive.” I am opposed to duopoly cross-endorsement, as it tarnishes the Green identity in the eyes of already cynical voters, most of whom are unaffiliated with the dominant parties that have a stranglehold on US politics and have repeatedly arrested/excluded/harassed our candidates to ensure voters remain unaware of what all their options are.
Candidates for GPUS Representative to the National Committee (3 seats)
Rob Barstow
Candidate for CT Representative to the Green Party of United States
Hartford County Chapter -
(see statement above)
Owen Charles
Candidate for CT Representative to the Green Party of United States
Shoreline Chapter -
I am no spring chicken but represent fresh blood having been a Green for less than two years. In that short time, I have organized with others a thriving (and fun) Shoreline Green chapter, run for office, supported others running for office, and set in motion Green Action at a local level across towns on the Shoreline. I am interested in stepping up my participation slowly & measuredly and therefore ask for your vote to be one of three Connecticut representatives to the GPUS.
If you don’t know me, please get to know me! I enjoy nothing better than talking politics, strategy and action, especially over a beer or coffee. I have been a fixture at SCC meetings, so you can usually find me there, or a GP meeting near you (or reach me at or 203-421-1094). Although I am fairly new to being Green, I have served in elected office before, been a committed activist and volunteer organizer for Occupy, the Bernie movement, veganism, and many other causes. I would like to serve as a Rep to the GPUS to add value at an organizational level and as a dotted line between the State and National levels, reporting back to the State GP and accountable for an efficient flow of information and action between the two. At a time when great possibilities are within our sights, I would like to see an increase in efficiency and effective action at all levels of the Green Party, and a tightening up of our organization to achieve objectives and deal effectively with conflict and dysfunction so they do not continue to be an obstacle to our important shared goals.
Please visit my candidate site (from last election) for more info on me: http://shorelinegreenparty.com/owen-charles-2017
Michael DeRosa
Candidate for CT Representative to the Green Party of United States
Hartford County Chapter -
I want your vote for CT Representative to the Green Party of the U.S.’s (GPUS) National Committee. This committee votes on the day to day issues facing the GPUS and sets the agenda and direction of our national Green Party.
As a member of National Committee during the last year I have researched all of the issues that have come before the GPUS National Committee for a vote. I have discussed the various votes and issues that have taken place on the GPUS National Committee at our state meetings and have received input at the state meetings about how people think I should vote on the important issues discussed by this body. I have also discussed what the various Green state parties across the U.S. are doing to increase membership and what issues and ideas they are raising in their state parties and have shared this information with the GPCT. I have also shared information about other national committees and regional meetings and have passed this info on the appropriate people within the GPCT.
On the national level this year I helped to recreate and reestablish the GPUS National Peace Committee (which had been non-functioning for many years) and I have been very active in the GP National Ballot Access Committee. My work on these two committees has been enhanced by the fact that I continue to be a member of the Green National Committee.
I hope you will consider voting for me for so that I can continue to serve you on this important committee.
If you have any questions feel free to contact at 860-919-4042 or at
Joshua Steele Kelly
Candidate for CT Representative to the Green Party of United States
Waterford Chapter -
(see statement above)
Tim McKee
Candidate for CT Representative to the Green Party of United States
At large, Hamden -
I am offering myself for election to represent the state as a National Delegate to relay and vote the concerns of our state party to the Green Party nationally.
In 1992 I co-founded the Rhode Island Green Party and the early Association of State Green Parties (ASGP) which was the fore runner of the Green Party of the United States.
When I moved to Connecticut, I found both the good and bad in the state party meetings. We had chapters across the state, but very divided people who needed a professional moderator to control the people and the arguing. All politics have internal fighting... (Bernie Sanders versus Clinton people, Trump versus the rest of the GOP).
If elected National Delegate, I will:
- Inform state Greens of ALL issues and votes.
- Attend all national Conventions!
- Advocate that our state ADD delegates.
Thank you for your reading this, and if you have any questions, please email or call me at 860-890-5805.
Cora Santaguida
Candidate for CT Representative to the Green Party of United States
Fairfield County Chapter -
I am currently co-chair of the Fairfield County chapter and I am co-chair of the National Ballot Access Committee. In 2016, I was the CT Volunteer Coordinator for the Stein/Baraka presidential race.
I have experience with event planning, campaign organizing, press releases, volunteer recruiting and supervising.
I feel that my close attention to detail and organizational skills in addition to my social media presence and knowledge will enable me to be a sound and competent addition to the EC. This year, I would like to see the GPCT explore the idea of collaborating with other State parties in the New England/Northeast Regions on some projects. GPCT holds over 20 ballot lines, we ran some great candidates. Other states can learn from us just as we can learn from them. I also want to get more involved with initiatives that GPUS promotes. CT needs and deserves more attention.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Linda Thompson
Candidate for CT Representative to the Green Party of United States
At large, Norwich -
I am running for a third term on the national committee of the Green Party US because we need experienced people as well as new youth in the national leadership. Most of my work for the Party is carried out on a national level. I am currently and have recently been elected to the GPUS NC and am serving in that capacity. I also serve on the National GPUS Outreach Committee, and was a past Co-Chair of the GPCT, have represented the GP in the National electoral coalition Left Elect and also play a leading role in the United National Anti-War Coalition which the GPUS has recently joined. It will continue to facilitate my input to the National Party to further our work. I have held leadership positions in the trade union, civil rights, anti-war, women’s and environmental movements for many decades and bring that experience to our work. I collaborate on a regular basis with many in the national leadership on our national campaigns.
The influx of youth from the Bernie campaign into the party was evidenced at the annual meeting. They need to be trained and educated in national politics and organization so as not to become either discouraged or derailed from building a third party given pressures from the Democratic Party. Conducting national educational campaigns and encouraging reading and studying history and the history of third parties is essential to understand the opportunities and pitfalls of growing a third party. We need to clarify the meaning of being an eco-socialist party and unite young people in a real revolutionary movement to change a corrupt system.
There has been controversy in the national party that is normal and understandable that comes with growth. The entire membership should be trained in conflict resolution ideas and methods in order to be able to forge compromises and resolutions. Differences are not a problem then and become opportunities to encompass more diversity.
There is a definite need to diversify the party both as to race and gender. The party has remained predominantly white for over two decades and is a real problem that has not adequately been dealt with by the past leaderships. Given my civil rights background, my experience in building a predominantly black union AFSCME in major cities I wish to turn the party to reaching out to communities of color and labor. Women need confidence and training to advance in leadership positions in the party. The Party needs to relate to the Me Too and growing LGBT movement and channel them in directions independent of the two major parties. I support the growth of all the caucuses and would like to see a labor caucus develop.
The national and local finances are one of the things holding us back. We need to take fundraising more seriously and move to a dues structure nationally and locally for a solid sustainer base. The GP cannot grow without a professional staff and headquarters and we need to raise funds to enable that. Much of that can be done by setting goals, meeting them and then raising them again.
Candidates for Secretary (1 seat)
Cora Santaguida
Candidate for Secretary
Fairfield County Chapter -
(see statement above)
Ronna Stuller
Candidate for Secretary
New London Chapter -
A Green since 2004, I am the current chair of the New London chapter and town committee. 'm a producer-host of our public access program "Thinking Green," which has aired weekly (9 months/year) for over a decade, and I designed and maintain our website: www.nlgreens.org. I am a past member of the New London Board of Education and currently serve on the Planning & Zoning Commission. In 2011, in response to the city’s attempt to sell parkland in a long-neglected low-income neighborhood, I became treasurer of the Friends of Riverside PAC and later, after the proposed sale was defeated in a dramatic referendum, co-founded – and still serve as treasurer of – the Riverside Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization committed to the restoration, management and enhancement of Riverside Park. I also co-founded and serve as secretary of Re:public Ed, a New London-based nonprofit which aims to empower the people of Connecticut to support public education, equalize opportunities for students, and maintain a strong connection between school and community.
I am now seeking my second term as GPCT secretary. Over the past year, I have been proud to be part of a team that initiated an interactive process for scheduling SCC meetings (nearly doubling attendance over the previous year); developed a realistic budget that supported local efforts and encouraged fundraising; provided technical support for local Greens forming new chapters and town committees; and worked to reach out and enfranchise Green Party members throughout the state.
The Green Party offers a commonsense and humane political alternative to individuals disillusioned with the Republicans and Democrats, and the time has never been better to take advantage of this opportunity to grow our party!
View NLGP-produced shows on our YouTube channel
Candidates for Treasurer (1 seat)
Chris Reilly
Candidate for Treasurer
Hartford County Chapter -