Hawkins, who received 5 percent of the vote in the 2014 gubernatorial race, says he hopes to beat that this year, but is severely underfunded....
Hawkins of the Green Party is banking on progressives being dissatisfied with the governor, and thinks he is the logical choice for Nixon voters in the general. “He talks progressive but he governs to the right,” Hawkins said of Cuomo in a brief phone interview. He pointed out, for example, that the governor’s much-vaunted $15 minimum wage isn’t in effect upstate, where the minimum wage is set to increase to $12.50 by the end of 2020. He criticized Cuomo for hesitating on extending the state’s millionaires tax, his handling of issues at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and lead poisoning issues in upstate communities in Syracuse, Buffalo, and Ithaca.
“I think it resonates but the question is, do we have the reach to reach all the progressives who I think on these issues are the majority of people in New York State,” Hawkins said.
He recognized Cuomo’s many advantages. “The only way we can overcome it is if the media narrative changes,” he said, noting for instance that though the Green Party received more than twice the votes the Working Families Party did in 2014 (with Cuomo on its line), the WFP’s political moves tend to get more attention. “That would make a big difference...It’s not just what Cuomo’s got, it’s the way he’s being treated by the media, which is frustrating for us.”
Cuomo faces Republican Marc Molinaro, Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins, Libertarian Larry Sharpe and independent candidate Stephanie Miner on Nov. 6.
He should debate them.
We’ve spoken with most of these candidates over the past several weeks, and we think voters would benefit from a series of televised exchanges so they can share their vision with voters statewide.
"Marijuana prohibition has devastated communities across New York state," said Howie Hawkins of Syracuse, the Green Party candidate for governor in the upcoming election. He called drug enforcement "biased," leading to "mass incarceration of low income people of color."
Howie Hawkins and other former-Occupy activists at Zuccotti Park on Sept. 17. Credit: Erin Sheridan.
He’s the only progressive left in the governor’s race, but is his party still relevant?
by Peter Rugh
Howie Hawkins is running for governor but that’s not why he’s here. That’s what the retired UPS worker in the dark gray suit tells the crowd of about 40 people who assembled to mark the seven-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street on Sept. 17 in the place where it all went down.
“I’m here because I’m a veteran occupier,” says Hawkins, who helped organize a parallel encampment in Washington, D.C. in 2011.
Would the lifelong activist have been on hand at Zuccotti Park if he weren’t running for office? Hard to say. The race is what brought the Syracuse native to New York City to begin with and, as he prepared to zig-zag his way campaigning across the state from Manhattan to Buffalo, it was certainly on his mind. The large stack of green pamphlets he’d stowed on a nearby marble bench testified as much.
Hawkins has a message for Cynthia Nixon voters: ‘I’m you’re Plan B.’
Nevertheless, Hawkins, who dropped out of Dartmouth College just shy of graduation in 1977 because didn’t want to wind up a paper pusher for the rich, addressed the crowd in language more of protest than politics. “You never know when you start something that it’s going to be the event that changes history,” he said, reflecting on Occupy’s fight of economic equality and comparing it to movements he participated in as a young man — Civil Rights and the anti-Vietnam war effort. “Don’t give up, keep agitating and we will make progress.”
Testimony of Howie Hawkins Green Party Candidate for Governor In Support of Legalization of Marijuana (Cannabis) October 9, 2018
My name is Howie Hawkins. I am a resident of Syracuse and the Green Party nominee for Governor.
The Green Party calls for the immediate legalization of the growth, sale, and possession of cannabis under New York State law, and for the state Attorney General to defend New Yorkers against federal prosecutions of producers and users of cannabis products.
The prohibition of cannabis and the resulting “drug war” have unfairly incarcerated countless individuals and scarred communities, disproportionately Black and Latino communities. It has wastefully diverted public resources from pressing problems.
The present law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana has failed to reduce the trade or consumption of marijuana and has continued to foster a violent drug market. It is time to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana in New York State.
We support the legalization of marijuana as outlined Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, with certain amendments. The act (S3040, A 3506) will also raise revenue for the state, portions of which will go back through government agencies and programs to communities that have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition.
Her announcement was made during a rally at Potts Banquet Hall Friday night with Green Party Gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins.
Mr. Hawkins, a Syracuse native, is a socialist who believes self-organization, independent political action, and international solidarity by the working class and oppressed people for full political and economic democracy is the way to build a society of freedom, equality, solidarity, peace, and ecological sustainability.
His running mate for Lt. Governor Jia Lee, is a New York City special education teacher.
Green Party Gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins speaks to supporters at Potts Banquet Hall on October 5th. (Jim Herr/Cheektowaga Chronicle)
“We got problems, and I’ve been involved in movements since the anti-Vietnam movement where we started out as a minority, and we ended up winning,” Mr. Hawkins says. “We’ve made a difference, and we’re climbing the ladder. We got the ballot line in 2010, last time [2014] we got 5%, and it was the most for any party on the left in over 180 years.”
His bid was locally endorsed by the Buffalo Teachers Federation. Historically, the teacher’s union has had bad feelings against Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo. In 2010, they endorsed Working Families candidate Zephyr Teachout.
The other candidates in the race also have not raised a lot of cash. Independent candidate for governor Stephanie Miner has just $55,000 in her account. Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins has just over $31,000, and Libertarian candidate Larry Sharpe has $24,000.
They are relying on news conferences, media interviews, and mentions on social media to get their message out.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo holds a large cash lead over his challengers in the gubernatorial race, with a month to go before the election, according to officials and campaign finance filings.
Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat seeking a third term, reported $9.2 million on hand, according to campaign spokeswoman Abbey Collins. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, the Republican candidate, reported $211,000 on hand. He has raised $448,603 since July and spent $1.1 million, including nearly $550,000 to produce and air television advertisements since July, a filing posted Monday showed.
Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins reported $31,218 on hand, Libertarian Larry Sharpe reported $24,423 and former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, the candidate of the Serve America Movement party, reported $55,082, filings show.
Ms. Collins said the governor spent $2.6 million since Sept. 25. The governor’s filing hasn’t yet posted to the State Board of Elections website.
Hawkins, for his part, said he and Cuomo discussed debates when the two ran into each other backstage at last weekend's Global Citizen Festival in New York City, where they both spoke. Hawkins said he proposed a series of debates around the state. Cuomo, Hawkins said, asked "are you going to organize them?"
Hawkins took the question seriously, and said he'll contact media outlets to schedule the events.
