# Green National Convention

The Green National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS). Though the Green National Committee (GNC) meets annually in a "national meeting", the convention is convened by the GNC once every four years in order to nominate an official candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, and to officially adopt the party platform and rules for the election cycle.
The convention signals the end of the primary season for Greens, and the start of campaigning for the general election of that year; as such, prominent Greens in state and local races are also spotlighted in order to give them the publicity that the convention affords. In contrast to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the convention is not merely a formality which endorses the will of the electorate in the primaries, but the final determinant for the nomination. This is because ballot access laws in many states prohibit the Green Party from holding a state-sponsored primary election—only five states were able to meet the requirements in 2004—and others prevent voters from actually registering into the party, thus making it difficult to credential Greens.

## History

The leadership of the first nationwide Green organization in the United States, The Greens/Green Party USA (G/GPUSA), were generally opposed to an entry into electoral politics. Thus, the G/GPUSA's national meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1995 ended with a resolution not to nominate a candidate for the 1996 election. This resolution was countered by a group of Greens interested in a run by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, who met in Los Angeles in 1996 to nominate Nader for president and Winona LaDuke for vice president. Although possibly lacking official sanction, this was the first nominating convention of the Green Party in the United States, and the only one with which the G/GPUSA, if only certain members, was at all involved.
Following the general election in 1996, several state Green Parties formed the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP). As such, they met in Denver, Colorado, in 2000 to once again nominate Nader and LaDuke.
In 2001, the ASGP formally adopted the name Green Party of the United States, and was recognized by the Federal Election Commission as the official National Committee of the Green Party. The first convention under that name, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2004, was not without controversy. Nader decided to forgo the Green nomination in favor of asking for an "endorsement" of his independent candidacy; the Greens instead nominated David Cobb for president on the second ballot from among a number of candidates, many of whom were "favorite sons", running as placeholders for Nader. Pat LaMarche was named the vice presidential candidate.

## List of Green conventions

The following is a list of United States Green Party presidential nominating conventions.
Green conventions by year, with dates, location and nominees :
| Year | Dates | Location | Nomination venue | Presidential nominee | Vice presidential nominee |
| 1996$^1$ | August 19 | Los Angeles | Freud Playhouse | Ralph Nader of Connecticut | Winona LaDuke of Minnesota |
| 2000$^2$ | June 24–25 | Denver | Renaissance Denver Stapleton Hotel | Ralph Nader of Connecticut | Winona LaDuke of Minnesota |
| 2004 | June 23–28 | Milwaukee | Midwest Airlines Center | David K. Cobb of California | Patricia H. LaMarche of Maine |
| 2008 | July 10–13 | Chicago | Symphony Center | Cynthia McKinney of Georgia | Rosa Clemente of New York |
| 2012 | July 12–15 | Baltimore | Holiday Inn Baltimore-Inner Harbor (Dwtn) | Jill Stein of Massachusetts | Cheri Honkala of Pennsylvania |
| 2016 | August 4–7 | Houston | University of Houston | Jill Stein of Massachusetts | Ajamu Baraka of Illinois |
| 2020 | July 9–12 | n/a | Online | Howie Hawkins of New York | Angela Walker of South Carolina |
| 2024 | August 15-18 | n/a | Online | Jill Stein of Massachusetts | Butch Ware of California |
$^1$ The 1996 meeting was not an official meeting of The Greens/Green Party USA, which had officially voted to nominate no candidate in Albuquerque in 1995. $^2$ Convened by the Association of State Green Parties, later to be renamed the Green Party of the United States.

## Other national meetings

In addition to the presidential nominating convention, there is a national meeting in all other years for the party. During the era of the Association of State Green Parties, separate annual meetings were held in the same year of presidential conventions. Since 2004, the presidential convention has consolidated annual meetings during presidential election years.

### Green Party of the United States

Meetings of GPUS :
| Year | Location | Site | Notes |
| 2020 | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention |
| 2019 | Salem, Massachusetts | Salem State University | Theme: "Change Comes from the Roots" |
| 2018 | Salt Lake City, Utah | University of Utah | Slogan: "UTAH! – Power Up Green!" |
| 2017 | Newark, New Jersey | New Jersey Institute of Technology | |
| 2016 | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention |
| 2015 | St. Louis, Missouri | University of Missouri–St. Louis | |
| 2014 | St. Paul, Minnesota | Macalester College | |
| 2013 | Iowa City, Iowa | University of Iowa | |
| 2012 | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention |
| 2011 | Alfred, New York | Alfred University | Theme: "Building a Green Economy" |
| 2010 | Detroit, Michigan | Wayne State University | Theme: "Another U.S. Is Possible, Another Party Is Necessary" |
| 2009 | Durham, North Carolina | North Carolina Central University | |
| 2008 | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention |
| 2007 | Reading, Pennsylvania | Abraham Lincoln Hotel | Theme: "Green For A Change" |
| 2006 | Tucson, Arizona | Historic YWCA Building | Theme: "El Futuro es Verde -- The Future is Green" |
| 2005 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | University of Tulsa | |
| 2004 | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention | Presidential nominating convention |
| 2003 | Washington, D.C. | Mayflower Hotel | Theme: "Greens at the Crossroads" |
| 2002 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | [data missing] | Midterm convention |
| 2001 | Santa Barbara, California | La Casa de Maria, Interfaith Retreat | Founding meeting of GPUS |

### Association of State Green Parties

Meetings of ASGP :
| Year | Location | Site | Notes |
| 2000 | Hiawassee, Georgia | Enota Retreat & Conference Center | Post-election meeting |
| 1999 | Moodus, Connecticut | Sunrise Resort State Park | Ralph Nader, speaker and 1996 nominee |
| 1998 | Santa Fe, New Mexico | [data missing] | Keynote speakers: Fran Sena Gallegos, Santa Fe Municipal Judge Jason Kirkpatrick, vice mayor of Arcata, CA |
| 1997 (Oct.) | Topsham, Maine | Topsham Grange Hall | |
| 1997 (Apr.) | Portland, Oregon | [data missing] | Delegates from 13 states plus D.C. |
| 1996 | Middleburg, Virginia | Glen-Ora Farm | Founding meeting of ASGP |