Dan Jenkins

Other coverage: Maine’s third party: A look at the influence of the state’s Green Independent Party; History, barriers and misconceptions; The candidates; Coming: The Greens’ influence on the city council

PolitickerME recently had the opportunity to sit down with several green party candidates running for state office.

A complete list of candidates can be found here, and more information on other candidates running can be found in the left sidebar on this site.

Here are mini-profiles on three candidates:

Other coverage: Maine’s third party: A look at the influence of the state’s Green Independent Party; History, barriers and misconceptions; The candidates; Coming: The Greens’ influence on the city council

For more information, the national Green Party takes a comprehensive look at the history of Maine’s party here.

The first Green Independent to be elected to a public office was Ben Meiklejohn of Portland, who eight years ago was elected to the Portland School Committee.

Meiklejohn and Ben Chipman both been involved with the campus Greens at the University of Maine at Orono, Jenkins said. After graduating they moved to Portland and helped form the Portland Green Party, which has since become a presence in the city.

“Portland desperately needed a second party,” said Dan Jenkins, a candidate for the Maine House. “The Democrats have had a super-majority on every (local government) body for the last 40 years.”

Other coverage: Maine’s third party: A look at the influence of the state’s Green Independent Party; History, barriers and misconceptions; The candidates; Coming: The Greens’ influence on the city council

Below video: City Counciler Dave Marshall and former state House candidate Jeff Ferland talk about the local impact of the Green Party

Prior to the year 2000, the Democrats dominated Portland government. A group of citizens decided they needed to be challenged.

It wasn’t the Republicans...