Green Party of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, December 15, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT 

Chris Robinson, Communication Team Co-Leader

267-977-0570 and [email protected] 

Green Party of PA Members Active in King Day of Service

By Tristan Holland 

As the new year approaches, so do holidays dedicated to maintaining the progressive gains made in years gone by. As Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service draws near on  January 19, 2026, forward-looking and progressive peoples around Pennsylvania organize events to celebrate his contributions to the civil rights movement in which he utilized nonviolent and peaceful forms of struggle to fight against systemic discrimination. 

This coming year will be no different, as The King Center is hosting the King Holiday Observance Kick-Off, as well as aiding in the organization of events in their MLK Day of Service Project, which seek to foster community through education, various volunteer activities, and collaboration with local institutions. Other organizations, such as Global Citizen, have various events already prepared for the Martin Luther King Day of Service.

Green Party members are encouraged to show their support for the efforts made by Dr. King, and to safeguard the liberties and progress gained in the wake of the civil rights movement. The Green Party will keep pushing against the injustices that still exist and disenfranchise millions at home and abroad. In order to do this, there must be a start somewhere, and that start is to begin local community organizing, to build connections, strength, and support for a working class movement. Only through this form of independent struggle will we be able to make change in our society. That is why opportunities like the King Day of Service should not slip by us. They can be an instrumental step to gain experience and to incorporate other struggles into a wider battle for a better future.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA), https://www.gpofpa.org, is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and X, https://x.com/GreenPartyofPA

Tristan Holland is a registered member of the Green Party of Montgomery County, PA.

For more information:

The King Center, https://thekingcenter.org/

Global Citizen, https://volunteer.globalcitizen365.org/kingday   

“Green Party Endorses STOP U.S. Wars” M.L.K. Week of Action.” Green Party of PA, GREEN STAR, January, 2023,
https://www.gpofpa.org/greenstar_january_2023 

END OF ITEM

Green Party of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, November 17, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT 

Chris Robinson, Communication Team Co-Leader

267-977-0570 and [email protected]

Two Green Party Candidates Reflect on 2025 Election Campaign

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) had nominated three candidates for local office during 2025. Michael Bagdes-Canning was nominated for re-election as Mayor of Cherry Valley in Butler County. Tony Dastra was nominated for two offices, Mayor and City Councilor of Lancaster City in Lancaster County. Alex Noyle was nominated for Auditor of East Norriton Township in Montgomery County.

To help them focus their answers, GREEN STAR asked our candidates four questions. Two of those candidates were kind enough to share their thoughts about the election.

GREEN STAR: Based on your campaign this year, what advice would you offer to Greens who plan to run for office in 2026 or 2027?

Michael Bagdes-Canning:
“My advice based on my campaign for Mayor in Cherry Valley would not be a one size fits all sort of thing. I think the determining factor in the success of my campaign was familiarity -- my neighbors know who I am, they know what I stand for, they know my character. That is based on living in this community for 43 years, serving on Borough Council / Mayor since 1989.

“I do think that some of that is generalizable. If you are going to mount a successful campaign, voters have to know who you are, what you stand for. They need to feel comfortable with you. Running as a Green, that is particularly true. Face it, we have been painted as spoilers, far-left tree huggers, purists. We as Greens need to counter that by showing up and genuinely engaging with our neighbors. Getting them familiar with Green values.”

Alex Noyle:
“This was our first time in a true three-way race against the duopoly, and we finished with 340 votes (6.68%). This is about 1/3 of our 1,092 votes in the 2023 two-way race. I’m confident a big chunk of that gap is Republicans who just voted Green as an anti-Democrat protest vote last time, and stuck to their own candidate this year. We did retain a small number of Republican votes, but we also discovered that our true base is primarily composed of three groups: independents, third party voters, and disillusioned Democrats. So, 340 votes is a much clearer count of people who actually share our vision -- not ‘lesser evil’ voters. That’s the base we’re going to be building on in the future.

“We strongly urge Greens running in 2026 or 2027 to operate on a primary day timetable even though our deadlines are later. You want to be ahead of any surprises, not scrambling at the end. A dependable campaign manager and treasurer are crucial to your success as a candidate, and so is the growth of your local Green Party chapter.”

GREEN STAR: Voters in your district began voting by mail-in ballot on October 1. How do you think mail-in voting affected your campaign?

Michael Bagdes-Canning:
“About 20% of the voters in Cherry Valley voted by mail-in ballot, but the affect was negligible on the result. My campaigning was done via home visits. My wife Karen and I visited every home in Cherry Valley to distribute a voters guide -- telling people how to vote for write-in candidates -- NOT ME. I DID make sure I distributed those BEFORE the mail-in ballots were sent out. Karen, who is an inspector, told me that almost every voter showed up with that piece of paper.”

Alex Noyle:

“As in 2023 we didn’t do well with mail-in voters, which was expected because we did nothing to reach them. Next time we’re sending mailers to addresses we can’t realistically canvass, especially apartments and multi-family housing.”

GREEN STAR: What effect did your volunteers at the polls have on the election outcome?

Michael Bagdes-Canning:
“The only volunteer I had at the polls was me, and I didn't spend a whole lot of time at the polls -- less than an hour. All of my campaigning was done prior to the election. Due to our screwed up election laws, in tiny communities like Cherry Valley, it is far easier for me, a Green, to get on the ballot than it is for Democrats (it is impossible for them) or Republicans (near impossible). It was important to me to elect a Borough Council (four of the five seats were up), Auditors (3), Tax Collector (1), and Judge/Inspectors (3). Without those roles being filled, the borough cannot function. I think my neighbors appreciated the time and effort I put into making that happen.”

Alex Noyle: “The scientific approach we took to this race gave us a clearer sense of what actually works. Volunteers at the polls were by far our most effective tactic, yard signs came second, and canvassing slipped to third. Very different from 2023 in the 1-on-1 with a Democrat, where canvassing was our #1 tactic.”

GREEN STAR: Do you plan to run again for office as a Green Party candidate?

Michael Bagdes-Canning:
“I am 72. I am approaching my "sell by" date. I have already run for County Commissioner, State Representative (twice), and Lieutenant Governor of PA. I learned a lot during those campaigns. 

"However, I have things that I am passionate about, things that I want to leave behind: 

• I want the generations that come after mine to have a stable environment, clean air, water, and soil. 
• I want to ensure that we have a government that serves the many, not the rich.
• I want to work to repair the damage done through manipulation -- pitting neighbor against neighbor, city dwellers against rural denizens, housed against un-housed, immigrants against citizens.

“So what that means is, I want to spend the rest of my time feeding those passions, continue the organizing work that I do in those realms through Pennsylvania Action on Climate, March on Harrisburg, and the PA Poor People's Campaign.

“Sure, if four years from now I still have the energy, I will run for Mayor of Cherry Valley again. However, I am actively trying to plant the seeds among my neighbors to make me obsolete. We have an amazing group of people in the Green Party of Pennsylvania who are better faces for a forward-looking Green Party than this grizzled geezer. I'd be happy to be a guide on the side.”

Alex Noyle:

“I plan to run with the Montco Greens again in 2027 and will be seeking endorsements from other minor parties as well. I ran out of time to approach others this year. The 2025 election season is over, but our work to turn East Norriton Green is just getting started. We are planting the seeds. Thank you, everyone, for your support, this election may be over but this campaign is certainly not. Like Sisyphus, we will keep on pushing.”

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA), https://www.gpofpa.org, is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and X, https://x.com/GreenPartyofPA

END OF ITEM

Green Party of Pennsylvania

Green Party Endorses Global Sumud Flotilla

FOR RELEASE ON
Friday, July 25, 2025

Media Contact, Colleen Schmotzer
[email protected] and 412-616-4664

Building the Green Party in Allegheny County, PA

By Colleen Schmotzer

The Green Party of Allegheny County (GPOAC) has been very active this year on many issues that are currently weighing down our community. I am the Working Groups Coordinator for GPOAC, and we are organizing around homelessness, combating ICE, and we cannot forget about Palestine. The atrocities that are taking place there are despicable to say the least.

Allegheny Greens have gone to many protests such as No Kings Day of Defiance on June 14, Hands Off on April 5, and Sunrise Movement Picnic on May 31. There is always a nice turnout, and we have had no problems at all. Many groups come together with GPOAC for these events. Jewish Voice for Peace and Pittsburgh Palestine Coalition are just a few. If you would like to join our Palestine Working Group meetings, they are on the second Wednesday of each month.

In Allegheny County, the Green Party is also very excited to support Theron Gilliland Jr. in his special election campaign for County Council Member at Large. I love being a Green and all that I do within the Green community.

Let's come together and see what we can do. We are stronger together! Consider joining us no matter where you are located, we need you and your voice. If you would like more information about GPOAC, please feel free to reach out to me, [email protected]

Colleen Schmotzer (she/her) was a co-chair for the Abandon Biden (Harris) Campaign. She was also a team lead in Allegheny County for Dr. Jill Stein’s 2024 campaign for President.

END ITEM

Green Party of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, July 23, 2025

CONTACT: 

Chris Robinson, Communication Team Co-Leader

267-977-0570 and [email protected] 

PA Green Party Demands U.S. Cease Spreading Flames of War in Mideast

At the request of Barbara Laxon (McKean County), the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) Steering Committee on July 12 endorsed a statement by the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) on the U.S. bombing of Iran. Laxon, who is an elected Pennsylvania delegate to the Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX) said, “The GPPA is deeply concerned about the continued and advancing involvement of the U.S. in actions in the Middle East and the dire consequences as noted in the statement below."

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA), https://www.gpofpa.org, is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and X, https://x.com/GreenPartyofPA

The GPUS statement says:

The Green Party of the United States strongly condemns President Trump’s unauthorized bombing attack on Iran and the deceptive negotiations that preceded it. "A ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced yesterday by the US. It will last 12 hours and then the war will be over. But who knows whether the end of fighting will hold? Who knows what the next few weeks will bring?"

Trump’s many boasts of being a peacemaker are now discredited as his actions demonstrate that he is a reckless militarist seeking U.S. dominance over the Mideast. The consequences of this attack may include disruption of global oil supplies, further destruction in Israel, and possible escalation if Russia or China acts to defend Iran.

Not content with providing a steady stream of weapons and logistical support to Israel to sustain the Gaza genocide, the U.S. has now committed an act of war by bombing Iran’s nuclear technology sites. Without any Congressional authorization, our nation is plunging into an ill-considered Mideast military adventure in support of an Israeli state that knows no limits to its territorial ambitions and openly defies international law.

“The U.S. must stop spreading the flames of war in the Mideast and compel Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran. Israel will never be a safe country if it is committed to laying waste to its neighbors. An immediate cease fire should be followed by negotiations to achieve a permanent settlement of the Israeli/Palestinian dispute under United Nations auspices” said Madelyn Hoffman, co-chair of the Green Party’s Peace Action Committee. 

 “The Green Party is the party of peace. Unlike the two dominant U.S. political parties, we oppose a militaristic foreign policy based on lies and manufactured threats. The Party calls for nationwide demonstrations and political actions protesting the latest U.S. imperial war. We must stop the U.S. war machine before it consumes us all,” added Hoffman. 

For more information:

“Green Party Condemns the Bombing of Iran,” Green Party of the United States news release, June 24, 2025,
https://www.gp.org/green_party_condemns_the_bombing_of_iran

Peace Action Committee, Green Party of the United States (GPAX),
Email, [email protected]
Website https://gpax.gpus.org/

END ITEM

Green Party of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunday, April 27, 2025

CONTACT: 

Chris Robinson, Communication Team Co-Leader

267-977-0570 and [email protected] 

Green Party Has "Hands On" World Peace

Following the massive "Hands Off" demonstration on April 5, the Green Party asked its leaders to describe what the Green Party had its "Hands On." 

By Erin King (Centre County)

Steering Committee, Green Party of Pennsylvania

Although I was a lifelong Democrat until 2024, I'd had my doubts about some Democrats in office. For the most part, I held my faith that many of them were determined to uplift the working class and remain on the right side of history.

The rudest awakening overtook my entire being when I witnessed my government's brutally amoral response to the apartheid State of Israel's full-scale attack on the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. On October 7, 2023, Hamas waged an aggressive onslaught against Israel, including seizing 251 Israeli persons as hostages; a direct response to decades of extreme oppression and violence imposed against Palestine and its indigenous peoples.

Soon I would learn that not only had Israel helped for some time to fund Hamas but later admitted to murdering its own people on October 7. I would also come to know several other facts, which revealed to me the United States' long, dark history with the Israeli government. The U.S. has wholeheartedly participated in ensuring that the apartheid, illegal occupation, and endless human rights violations in Palestine, continues -- with our tax dollars, no less.

Now, we are well into 2025. We still see no end to the genocide that persists at the hands of Israel and the U.S. against the people of Palestine. Israel has become so emboldened by our corrupt White House and Congress, it has also launched genocidal attacks against Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.

I knew even prior to 2024 that I would never again vote for Joe Biden. I also did not feel any better about the prospect of voting for Kamala Harris. Eventually, I realized that I had heard numerous derogatory things about the Green Party --namely about Dr. Jill Stein -- over the years without doing any real fact-checking about the party. Once I decided to shut out all the ignorant screeching from the neoliberals and started to research the Green Party on my own, I discovered that this is where I need to be.

One stance on which the Green Party is clearly "Hands-On" is that of being for World Peace, which resonates with me like never before. The Green Party truly cares about the American people and wants to create a country that works the way it's supposed to for all Americans and not just the billionaire class .The Green Party is against the money-torching, soul-crushing war machine that has taken over our economy for an eternity. Instead of rebuilding our infrastructures, investing in more modern, reliable public transportation across the country on a grander scale (similar to what exists in Europe), increasing funding for education, hospitals, healthcare, affordable housing, and mental healthcare, the vast majority of our taxes fund the U.S. military and endless, pointless wars and genocide.

This is the bottomless pit that our hard-earned tax dollars are thrown into year after year, with nothing to show for it other than millions of lives destroyed both here and abroad and everyday life becoming more and more difficult for many Americans. Those at the top of the food chain, many of whom hold state and federal offices, enjoy the lucrative financial benefits of starting a war every 15 to 20 years at our expense.

There is something very sobering about finally waking up to what a mess your country and its people have become, largely due to the two ruling parties and their continuously obscene abuse of the American war machine. I cannot begin to explain how, even through all the mess, I still refuse to give up on doing whatever I can to arouse people from apathy and convince them that to see a different, better result, they'll need to seek a better party and cut all ties with the ones that will never stop hurting us.

I believe in the Green Party and in its strong, overall message of "Hands On" inclusion, fairness and justice for all.

• The Green Party has "Hands On" world peace.
• The Green Party has "Hands On" an end to settler colonialism and the international crime of apartheid.
• The Green Party has "Hands On" a 50 percent cut in the Pentagon budget.
• The Green Party has "Hands On" closing more than 700 Pentagon bases abroad.
• The Green Party has "Hands On" ending U.S. arms sales to other nations.
• The Green Party has "Hands On" ťthe U.S. ratification of the Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons. 

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA), https://www.gpofpa.org, is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and X, https://x.com/GreenPartyofPA 

For more information:

Platform Green Party of the U.S.; D. Foreign Policy; 1. Peace and Disarmament; https://www.gp.org/democracy#demForeignPolicy

END ITEM

Green Party of Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saturday, February 15, 2025

CONTACT: 

Chris Robinson, Communication Team Co-Leader

267-977-0570 and [email protected]

Green Party and International Women’s Day 2025

By Erin King, Green Party of Pennsylvania Steering Committee

“Feminism and Gender Equity” is one of the Green Party’s Ten Key Values. It specifically recognizes how male-dominated political and economic systems, which have been passed down through centuries, significantly lack cultural, spiritual, and moral awareness, retaining a level of rigidity that has resulted in the marginalization of certain groups and stifled any forward-thinking progress, even well into the 21st century. Sadly, yet predictably, the consequences of such antiquated systems, which tend to consistently implement oppressive laws and policies to prevent distinct groups from attaining positions of power, as well as complete autonomy over their own bodies, intentionally deprives many women and LGBTQA+ people around the world of the most basic and vital liberties and safeguards.

This year, International Women’s Day (IWD) will be celebrated on March 8. The date holds a special significance linked to the women’s movement during the Russian revolution of 1917 -- according to the United Nations’ website -- although the recognition and celebration of International Women’s Day dates back as far as 1909.The IWD theme for 2025, as declared by the United Nations, is “Accelerate Action.”

While this theme’s message focuses primarily on taking expeditious steps towards achieving gender equality, it truly is a concept that can readily be applied to nearly every aspect of our lives, as women and girls across the globe reach out to one another in the name of solidarity and empowerment during a time when their struggles accumulate against an ever-growing movement of oppression by the patriarchy.

New year, old challenges.
Worth noting is that each new generation of women must continue to fight for the same rights and protections their mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers worked so fiercely to secure. In America, women’s rights, including those of LGBTQA+ persons, are at the forefront of every election cycle, and 2024 was certainly no different. Gender equality, trans rights, abortion rights, contraception rights, and even the right to affordable and easily accessible menstrual products were up for debate and decision. All too often, the ongoing battles over these fundamental freedoms can feel as though they have been reduced to little more than a mockery by the "powers that be."

One of the most tragic things we’ve seen over the past several years is the treatment of women and girls by the Taliban in Afghanistan, who have, yet again, been robbed of their human right to an education or to walk freely without a male escort. In Ireland, in 2018, women finally won their legal right to abortion care, only to still be hit with tough restrictions that continue to force some women to travel outside the country to safely terminate their unwanted pregnancies. On a more positive note, in 2024, Mexico elected its first female president, who also stems from a Jewish background and has appeared as a force to be reckoned with to anyone looking to undermine her progressive ideals. Lastly, we wholeheartedly recognize the immeasurably monstrous and inhumane suffering that has been illegally and immorally inflicted upon the women and children of Palestine, Sudan, and the Congo.

The enduring strength and resilience of women, internationally, during the most brutal and tumultuous times in history, to date, is both inspirational and shocking to behold. The fight continues, but we need to achieve an extraordinary level of solidarity to win the war.

The Green Party and its political candidates, for whom we campaign and confidently show our support, stand firmly against any and all forms of discrimination and inequality targeting women and LGBTQA+ persons. The Green Party is also committed to grassroots initiatives, which are necessary for growing a solid base of everyday citizens who believe in true democracy and equality without the interference of corporate entities.

Walk proudly. Embrace Green. Remember to stay strong and accelerate action on this International Women’s Day and beyond.

Pennsylvania voters who would like to run for local or county office as a Green Party candidate should contact [email protected]. The Green Party of PA, https://www.gpofpa.org, is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and Twitter, https://twitter.com/GreenPartyofPA. 

For more information, please see:

“Have a Green International Women’s Day 2024” by Marci Henzi, GREEN STAR, March 2024, https://www.gpofpa.org/march_2024_greenstar 

“PA Greens Celebrate International Women’s Day 2023” by Tina Olson, GREEN STAR, March 2023, https://www.gpofpa.org/greenstar_march_2023 

“Choose to Challenge, International Women’s Day 2021” by Beth Scroggin, GREEN STAR, March 2021, https://www.gpofpa.org/march_2021_green_star 

“ERA on the Eve of International Women’s Day 2020” by Gayle Morrow, GREEN STAR, https://www.gpofpa.org/march_2020_green_star 

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