Keeping with the statewide trend, two Coles County candidates are running on the Green Party ticket for the upcoming election.

Todd Reardon, Green Party candidate for state’s attorney, came to the party after running unsuccessfully as an independent in the 2004 election against incumbent Steve Ferguson.

Reardon’s platform to unionize the state’s attorney’s office is just one of the qualities that made him a prime Green Party candidate.

“Reardon supports our ideals and is an asset to our Prairie Greens organization in Central Illinois,” said Patrick Kelly, an Illinois Green Party press associate. “We are ecstatic that he holds so much ground in this election.”

Kelly said for a Green Party candidate to be an opposing force in any election is an accomplishment. Recently, the Illinois Green Party accomplished national party recognition with their gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney, who received more than 10 percent of the vote in 2006.

“Our hard work to establish the party in 2006 has led to the Green Party becoming more competitive in 2008,” Whitney said.

Now, more than 60 Green Party candidates are on election ballots across the state. The distinctive effort and presence by the Green Party reflects citizens’ frustration with the two-party system, Kelly said.

The expansion of the Illinois sector of the party alone includes 19 legislative candidates and 26 county candidates.

Nationally, the party boasts 15 legislative candidates and presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney and her running mate Rosa Clemente.

“The Green Party is a party platform that defies the Democratic and Republican conventions of accepting corporate dollars for campaigns,” he said. “Because of this, we can say what we stand for and mean it – something I think the people are beginning to see as admirable in the world politics that is so stark.”

Though Reardon has been on the scene advocating his position on the Green Party’s list of candidates, Michael Snow has rarely been seen at community-organized forums.

Kelly said Snow, who is vying for Coles County coroner with the Green Party, doesn’t directly reflect the Green Party’s stances.

“Snow’s absences are not something we support, because we emphasis getting to know the public,” he said. “However, Snow’s absences do not necessarily mean he is not a valid and serious candidate. He could have petitioned to us and found his own signatures for candidacy.”

Illinois greens

Illinois leads the nation with the most Green Party candidates on the ballot. Some of them:

Kathy Cummings: Running for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Dick Durbin.

Thomas O’Brien: Running for state’s attorney in Cook County.

Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.