Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for New York governor, waits for a television interview to begin at WMHT on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014, in Troy, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
Howie Hawkins is back.
The Syracuse resident who recently retired from his job at UPS announced Thursday that he is running for governor. He will seek the Green Party nomination for a third time.
Hawkins, who was the Green Party's candidate for governor in 2010 and 2014, outlined his objectives as he seeks to become New York's top executive. He wants his candidacy to help build the Green Party in New York and ensure the party retains its automatic ballot line.
The Green Party has had an automatic spot on the ballot since Hawkins received 59,906 votes in the 2010 election. For a party to secure automatic ballot access, its gubernatorial nominee must receive at least 50,000 votes.
Hawkins received 184,419 votes in the 2014 race for governor.
Another factor that led to Hawkins' entry in the race is a desire to be the "independent progressive option" in the general election. He believes his positions on issues, including hydraulic fracturing and a $15 minimum wage, put pressure on incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the last gubernatorial campaign.
Howie Hawkins, who is seeking the Green Party nomination for Governor of New York, will speak in Rochester about his campaign today at 11am. The address will take place in front of the RTS Bus Terminal, 71 North Clinton Avenue, located downtown.
Hawkins will speak on the local Sibley Building's history as an example of wasteful, corrupt "corporate welfare" that must end (the building is located next to the bus terminal). Hawkins' campaign calls instead for aggressive investment in "Green New Deal" public works such as improving mass transit. Hawkins will also speak on the need to fully fund and desegregate public schools, while ending high-stakes testing, to provide a quality education for all students in New York.
Hawkins was the Green Party candidate for Governor in 2010 and 2014. In 2014, he finished third with 184,419 votes, which moved the Green Party up to the 4th line among ballot qualified parties.
Hawkins is a retired Teamster who lives in Syracuse NY.
The Green Party will hold its nominating convention for statewide candidates in Albany on Saturday May 19. The Green Party is committed to ecology, grassroots democracy, nonviolence, and social and economic justice.
Yet another candidate has announced a run for New York governor. Syracuse’s own Howie Hawkins is seeking the Green Party nomination for the state’s top job. Four years ago, Hawkins earned more than 184,000 votes, which he says pushed the state in new directions.
“We got five percent and Governor Cuomo, I think, was compelled to compete for those progressive votes by adopting some of our demands like the ban on fracking, the millionaire’s tax, the $15 minimum wage, paid family leave. Well, we moved policy, and we intend to do the same thing this time.”
Syracuse's Howie Hawkins announced Thursday that he is running for governor on the Green Party line for the third time. Hawkins said a victory does not necessarily mean winning the race.
At his announcement in Albany, Hawkins said his slogan is ‘demand more.’
“We’re saying to the people of New York, in particularly the progressives, you’ve got to have higher expectations from our government," Hawkins said. "We got politicians going to prison more than any other state.”
Hawkins said he does not just want reforms, he wants to change the system, including full public campaign financing.
"Raising expectations starts with cleaning up Albany," Hawkins said. "We've got down here a quid pro quo, pay-to-play culture of corruption. Even when they don't find proof of legal bribery, these campaign contributions from the rich and corporations expecting favors is legalized bribery."
Howie Hawkins announced that he would run again for the Governor of New York for the Green Party. We have clips from his news conference as well as a short interview.
ALBANY — Mounting his latest gubernatorial bid under the Green Party banner, Howie Hawkins knows its unlikely the third time will be the charm on Election Day.
Instead, the perennial candidate from Syracuse, who on Thursday quietly announced his candidacy in Albany to handful of reporters, is hoping his campaign will help build the party's infrastructure and continue to move the state forward on progressive issues.
"You don't have to win the office to make a difference, and we've made a difference," said Hawkins, who came in third in 2014 with 184,419 votes. Despite not being victorious, he said Gov. Andrew Cuomo co-opted at least 19 of their positions to win over those Green Party voters. He pointed to the state's moratorium on fracking, the increase in the minimum wage increases and establishment of a paid family leave program as initiatives that grew out of the Green Party's agenda.
Today, Howie Hawkins announced his third consecutive run as a Green Party candidate for Governor. We heard from the candidate on the issues that he will be highlighting in this run.
The Green Party will have a candidate for governor again. Howie Hawkins officially announced his campaign this year, after running in 2010 and 2014. And since the last campaign, Governor Cuomo has moved to the left, politically speaking, and his primary opponent, Cynthia Nixon, so far appears to be ever further to the left on many issues. But there are still plenty of issues where the Green Party's position is different. Joining us in studio to talk more about his campaign is Howie Hawkins.
Will the third time be the charm? Howie Hawkins hopes so.
The Syracuse resident announced Thursday he will seek the Green Party nomination to run for Governor of New York. Hawkins was the Green Party candidate in the 2010 and 2014 elections for governor. Since Hawkins obtained more than 50-THOUSAND votes in 2010, the Green Party has an automatic spot on the New York ballot. As he seeks the state’s top spot, Hawkins says he is running for Governor to demand more progressive reforms and system change.
Hawkins finished 3rd in the 2014 Gubernatorial race.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) - Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins has officially announced he plans to run for Governor.
Hawkins ran for Mayor of Syracuse last fall, picking up four percent of the vote.
He also took on Governor Cuomo back in 2010 as well as 2014.
Hawkins says this year will be different, because he can put his full attention into the race.
"I just finished working at UPS unloading trucks overnight, so this time I'll be able to devote full time to is for the next seven months, so we'll see what happens,” Hawkins said.
Cuomo is facing a Democratic party challenge from actress Cynthia Nixon and Juanita Perez Williams.
Republicans Marc Molinaro, John DeFrancisco and Joseph Holland are looking for their party’s nomination.
