Arizona Americans Elect Party Scores in 2014 Primary; J.L Mealer to be Party's Nominee for Governor; Rebecca DeWitt and Stephen Dolgos for Congress; Kelly Gneitling for State Senate; Suzie Easter for State House of Representatives

PHOENIX, Sept. 8 -- According to the official August 26 primary results released today, the dynamic and growing Arizona Americans Elect Party had 1,474 voters in the primary; the Libertarians had 6,134 voters. There are 26,915 registered Libertarians and only 399 registered Americans Elect voters so that was a spectacular showing for our party.

J.L. Mealer will be the Americans Elect nominee for Governor, winning the primary over write-in candidate Janelle Wood 722-38. Barry Hess will again be the Libertarian gubernatorial nominee.

There will, as in 2012, be two Americans Elect candidates for Congress, both winning with write-in votes: Rebecca DeWitt, who was previously a Green Party nominee, won the Americans Elect nomination in the 7th C.D. with 4 write-in votes; and Stephen Dolgos, the party’s 2012 nominee in the 8th C.D., won the nomination again with 2 write-in votes. (A “plurality” of the votes is needed to achieve nomination.)

Joe Cobb will be the 7th C.D. Libertarian nominee for at least the third time; he and DeWitt will be competing for second place against Democratic nominee Ruben Gallego since there is no Republican candidate in the district.

In the 8th C.D., Americans Elect candidate Dolgos is assured of running second to Republican Rep. Trent Franks since they are the only two candidates.Many Democrats may end up voting for Dolgos, who could achieve a substantial percentage of the vote, much more than he did in a multicandidate race in 2012.

Two Americans Elect candidates will be on the ballot for the Arizona State Legislature: Kelly Gneitling for State Senator in District 7 (won the primary with 7 write-in votes), where there’s no Republican candidate; and Suzie Easter for State Representative in District 22 (won with 4 write-in votes), where she’ll face 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans, one of whom each is an incumbent.

(Arizona legislative districts have one State Senator and two State Representatives, so the two running with the highest number of votes in each district are elected.)

There are several Libertarian candidates for the legislature, but apart from the Governor’s race, none of the other seven state offices have any minor party candidates. The Green Party is no longer an official party in Arizona.

Leadership of Arizona Americans Elect Party Resigns En Masse, Disbands Party, and Leaves for Real World

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., Aug. 28 - The leadership of the Arizona Americans Elect Party today voted to disband the party, resign en masse, and leave the state to take up residence in the real world. 

"We have decided to bow to reality and get the hell out of this shithole," said former party leader Trey Young. "But as we all leave for the real world, we are leaving the party in the capable hands of Americans Elect of Arizona, and the party's 2014 candidate for governor, J.L. Mealer." 

"All of us wish Americans Elect of Arizona the best of luck," said Buffy Lehman Auchincloss, ex-first vice-chair of the defunct organization, as she boarded her private jet for her estate in Palm Beach, Florida, giving other former members of the party leadership lifts to their new homes in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Boston, Miami, Paris and Dubai. 

"Don't cry for us, Arizona!" said Dr. Irina Tereshkova, former treasurer of the party as she left carrying a bag filled with the party's financial records and assets. "Because we won't miss you at all!"

 

Arizona Americans Elect Party Passes Resolution Calling on Arizona Legislature to Name Cronuts the Official State Pastry

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz., July 8 --

Today the Supreme Leader and Council of Guardians of Arizona's fastest-growing political party, the Arizona Americans Elect Party, passed a resolution calling on the state legislature to name cronuts as the official state pastry of Arizona.

"This sugar-rolled, cream-filled, glaze-topped doughnut-croissant hybrid has been taking America by storm," said Buffy Lehman Auchincloss, the party's first vice president.  "So feverish has the craving for cronuts become that customers reportedly have been known to pull up in their cars and buy the pastries from line-waiters at a $30 markup."

"That's why cronuts represent the best of Arizona's free-market, entrepreneurial spirit," said party treasurer Dr. Irina Tereshkova.  "The passion for cronuts that leads people to spend hours on line waiting for these delicious pastries is akin to the passion of the pioneer women and men who built Arizona after they stole it from the land's indigenous people and the government of Mexico."

"The Arizona Americans Elect Party calls on the legislature to name cronuts the official state pastry at the start of the next legislative session," said Trey Young, the party's leader.  "We hope that even our state representative and state senators will be able to accomplish this commonsense act despite their utter lack of common sense."

Michael Bloomberg Named Honorary National Interim Chairman of Arizona Americans Elect Party at National Convention of State Americans Elect Parties in New York

NEW YORK, June 2 --

Following his thoughtful and passionate keynote address to the first-ever national Convention of State Americans Elect Parties, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed to accept the position of Honorary National Interim Chairman of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, state party leaders today announced.

"We're absolutely delighted that Mayor Bloomberg has decided to support the Arizona Americans Elect Party in this fashion," said the party's first vice-chairwoman, Buffy Lehman Auchincloss.  "Michael has a big following among Arizona voters, and indeed, among people of good will throughout the United States, and we are privileged to have prevailed upon him to join our efforts to provide an electoral alternative in Arizona."

Speaking to the gathering of representatives from the dozen states, including Arizona, in which the Americans Elect Party will be on the ballot again in 2014, Mr. Bloomberg said, "The last time I checked, the Constitution said nothing about there being only two political parties; in fact, it doesn't have any mention of political parties in it whatsoever."

"It stands to reason," Mr. Bloomberg told the convention delegates, "that in a three-way or four-way election, the public has more choice than if it's a two-way race, just as it has more choice in a two-way race than a one-way race."

"Michael Bloomberg's positions on gun control, immigration, marriage equality, reproductive rights, climate change and other issues are in perfect sync with the positions held by most of us in Arizona's fastest-growing political party," said Arizona Americans Elect Party leader Trey Young.  "Plus it never hurts, in politics as in life, to have friends with money."

"Mayor Bloomberg has courageously criticized our backward state laws on gun violence and immigration," said the state party treasurer, Dr. Irina Tereshkova.  "We are hoping that our new Honorary National Interim Chairman will help us select and support Arizona Americans Elect Party candidates in next year's state and federal elections so we can make Arizona more like New York City."

At National Convention of State Americans Elect Parties, Bestselling Authors/Activists Sister Souljah and Tao Lin Meet with Arizona Americans Elect Party Leaders, Hail Party as "America's Hipster/Hip-Hop Party"

NEW YORK, June 1 --

The national Convention of State Americans Elect Parties continued today, with speeches by Americans Elect Corporation leaders Peter Ackerman and Khalil Byrd, and addresses by bestselling author/activists Sister Souljah and Tao Lin, who afterward met with leaders of the Arizona Americans Elect Party and proclaimed the state party "America's Hipster/Hip-Hop Party."

The convention is the first organized meeting of leaders of the Americans Elect Party in the dozen states where the political party will be on the ballot in 2014 -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin -- along with representatives of other unofficial Americans Elect state political parties.

The morning's events featured a talk by Peter Ackerman and Khalil Byrd on the future of the Americans Elect movement and the political parties spawned by their 2012 effort to find a presidential candidate through an online primary, which ended inconclusively.  Tomorrow New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent who has been suggested as a past and future presidential candidate of Americans Elect, will give the keynote address.

In the afternoon, leaders of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, as delegates to the national convention, took part in various workshops.  Rabbi Elana de Carvajal, Pima County co-chair, moderated a panel discussion entitled "Poverty, Property and Immigration," and Maricopa County co-chair Jaden Parascandola led a workshop, "Paths Toward Utopia," exploring how the Americans Elect Party can organize at the polls and in the streets in order to work toward a society free of all forms of social domination.

After inspiring speeches by Sister Souljah, author of such best-selling novels as Midnight: A Gangster's Love Story, The Coldest Winter Ever, and A Deeper Love Inside: the Porsche Santiaga Story, and by Tao Lin, author of the acclaimed novels Eeeee Eee Eeee, Richard Yates and the just-published Taipei, the two writer/activists met with Arizona Americans Elect Party leaders Trey Young, Irina Tereshkova and Buffy Lehman Auchincloss and called the state party, the one Americans Elect group to run candidates for Congress in 2012, "America's Hipster/Hip-Hop Party."

"This convention has been an exciting time for all of us in the Arizona Americans Elect Party as we prepare to run candidates for state and federal office in 2014," said party leader Trey Young.  "We're proud to accept the high praise and to learn from such brilliant thinkers as Sister Souljah and Tao Lin."

The Convention of State Americans Elect Parties will tonight host a party at the Westway nightclub in the far West Village and return for its final session tomorrow.

Arizona Americans Elect Party Leaders Travel to New York for Convention of State Americans Elect Parties

NEW YORK, May 31 --

The leaders of the Arizona Americans Elect Party, the state's fastest-growing ballot-qualified party, today traveled to New York City for the first Convention of State Americans Elect Parties, meeting their counterparts in the eleven other states where the Americans Elect Party will be on the ballot in 2014: California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Speakers at the gathering will include Peter Ackerman, chairman of the Americans Elect Corporation, a nonprofit corporate entity, and chairman of Rockport Capital Inc.; outgoing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent; the best-selling authors and activists Sister Souljah and Tao Lin; and officials and directors of the D.C.-based Americans Elect Corporation, including Kahlil Byrd, Chief Executive Officer; Elliot L. Ackerman, Chief Operating Officer; Joshua S. Levine, Chief Technology Officer; and Sarah Malm, Chief Communications Officer.

Issues to be discussed are the relationships between the state Americans Elect political parties, such as the one in Arizona, which ran two candidates for Congress in 2012 and which is running candidates for other federal and state political offices in 2014, and the national Americans Elect Corporation; state and national leadership of any coalition of state Americans Elect political parties; and federal and state campaign rules and funding.

The Arizona Americans Elect Party delegation consists of party leader Trey Young; treasurer Irina Tereshkova; first vice-chairwoman Buffy Lehman Auchincloss; artistic director Richard Grayson; Maricopa County co-chair Jaden Parascandola; and Pima County co-chair Elana de Carvajal.

"We're quite excited to meet people from the national Americans Elect movement and those in other states like California and New Mexico where individuals and groups also hope to be running Americans Elect candidates for public office next year," said Dr. Tereshkova.

The Convention of State Americans Elect Parties takes place today, May 31, and this weekend, June 1 and 2, at the Hotel Gansevoort in Manhattan's Meatpacking District.

Arizona Americans Elect Party Supreme Leader and Council of Guardians Endorse J.L. Mealer of Mesa as Party's 2014 Candidate for Governor: "He'll Make Arizona Cool Again"

PHOENIX, May 24 -

In its semi-annual meeting at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix today, the Supreme Leader and Council of Guardians of the Arizona Americans Elect Party strongly and unanimously endorsed business leader J.L. Mealer of Mesa as the party's 2014 candidate for governor of Arizona.  

"We are grateful that Mr. Mealer has decided to run on the Americans Elect Party banner," said Trey Young, Supreme Leader of Arizona's fastest-growing political party.  "He'll make Arizona cool again."

"Although Mr. Mealer is a conservative and holds views different from the party leadership and most of the party's enrolled voters," said Dr. Irina Tereshkova, treasurer of the state party, "we are a political party that is open to everyone, and people of different views are welcome to join."

"We urge Mr. Mealer to make a strong race for governor and lead our party to victory in 2014, when we are assured of ballot access," said Buffy Lehman Auchincloss, the party's first vice-chairwoman.  "If he can get just five percent of the vote, the Arizona Americans Elect Party will achieve permanent ballot access without having to get petitions for 2016, when we can nominate our presidential candidate."

Jaden Parascandola, co-chair of the Maricopa County Americans Elect Party and speaker for the state party's Council of Guardians, said, "We are hoping other candidates of all political persuasions join J.L. Mealer in rounding out the Arizona Americans Elect Party ballot as our standard bearers for Congress, the state legislature, the corporation commission, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and state mine inspector."

Trey Young emphasized that Mr. Mealer will run a campaign independent of the party apparatus:  "For now, we are just happy that the Arizona Americans Elect Party has found our candidate for governor in 2014." 

Arizona Americans Elect Party Leader Trey Young Joins New La Paz County Co-Chairs, Peace Activists Todd Trump & Blair Wojciechowski, to Call for an End to U.S.-Funded Wars & Occupations

QUARTZSITE, Ariz., May 22 -

Arizona Americans Elect Party leader Trey Young today joined the newly-appointed party co-chairs for La Paz County, peace activists Todd Trump and Blair Wojciechowski, to call for ending U.S.- funded wars and occupations, challenging militarism globally, and redirecting our resources into health care, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities.  

Introducing the new party leaders, Mr. Young declared the Arizona Americans Elect Party "the state's premier antiwar, anti-violence political group."  He said he was proud of "the accomplishments and activism of our cool young leaders in the county of La Paz, whose name, of course, means 'the peace' en español."

Mr. Trump, from the town of Parker, is a graduate student and teaching assistant in American history at the University of Southern California, from which he earlier received a bachelor's degree in American Studies and Ethnicity.  The author of  such scholarly articles as "'Keep Our Black Warriors out of the Draft': The Vietnam Antiwar Movement at Southern University, 1968-1973," he worked summers in the Washington, D.C., office of ANSWER, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, and in nearby northern Virginia at the International Journal for Peace Studies at George Mason University.

Ms. Wojciechowski, a native of Quartzsite, received her B.S. degree in mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and is currently working toward her Ph.D. in mathematics at Claremont Graduate University's Institute of Mathematical Sciences.  She has worked for peace at CODEPINK Los Angeles, Occupy the Military Industrial Complex, and V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.  Earlier this year, she was a Los Angeles organizer for a global day of action on February 14, 2013 to strike, dance, and rise to end rape and gender violence.

The two new La Paz County leaders both joined the Arizona Americans Elect Party in 2012 and met while working for the party's antiwar candidate for Congress, Richard Grayson.  More recently, both Ms. Mason and Mr. Trump have been working in the ongoing campaign against  sexual harassment and assault in the armed services.

"I joined Americans Elect," said Ms. Wojciechowski, "because it's the one Arizona political party which will make sure that  power will no longer serve as a cover to oppress or injure people."

"Our party will work hard to establish the equal rights of all people to life, liberty, security of person, equal protection of the law and freedom from torture, arbitrary detention or forced exile, as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," said Mr. Trump.

"The Arizona Americans Elect Party is the state's fastest-growing political party," said party leader Mr. Young.  "We are on the ballot in 2014 and will field of slate of candidates committed to nonviolence activism."