Grassroots Party
Encyclopedia
The Grassroots Party is a minor political party. It was created in the 1980s to oppose drug prohibition. The party shares the political leftist values of the Greens but with a greater emphasis on marijuana
/hemp
legalization issues.
. Individual candidate's positions on issues vary from Libertarian to Green. All Grassroots candidates would end marijuana
/hemp
prohibition and re-legalize Cannabis
for all its uses.
The Grassroots Party of Minnesota (GRP) ran a full slate of state-wide candidates in 1990, 1992 and 1994, and won more votes than all other third parties in Minnesota combined.
In 1990, Ross S. Culverhouse, a computer programmer and Vietnam veteran was the Grassroots gubernatorial candidate. Culverhouse received 17,176 votes. Will Shetterly
, a science-fiction writer and actor, ran for governor of Minnesota in 1994. He placed third out of six candidates.
Russell Bentley, a party candidate and board member, was arrested on marijuana smuggling charges in 1996. Bentley was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison.
In 2000, the party nominated a candidate for the United States Senate named David Daniels, an African American
playwright/performance artist from Minneapolis. However, Daniels did not have a serious campaign budget and was only invited to speak at some events sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio
. On election day, Daniels received 21,447 votes (0.89%). In 2002, Grassroots Party co-founder and candidate, Tim Davis, joined the Green Party
.
In 2010, Grassroots candidate Chris Wright was on the ballot in the governors race
, signifying the possibility of the minor political party being re-organized.
In 1996 VGP ran another slate of candidates including governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. representative, attorney general, auditor of accounts, state treasurer, and secretary of state.
Three VGP candidates won five percent or more of the popular vote in the 1996 election, qualifying the Grassroots Party for permanent "major party" status in Vermont.
In 1998 VGP ran a slate of candidates including gubernatorial candidate Joel Williams who received 3,305 votes (1.5%) and U.S. Senate candidate Bob Melamede who received 2,459 votes (1.1%). Matthew Mulligan received 3,464 votes (1.6%) for U.S. Representative; Randy Bushey got 12,312 votes (6%) for State Treasurer; Steven Saetta got 6,345 votes (3%) for Auditor of Accounts; Dennis "Denny" Lane received 8,347 votes (3.9%) for Secretary of State and Sandy "Wells" Ward got 17,954 votes (8.8%) for Attorney General.
In 2000 the Vermont Grassroots Party ran a slate of candidates with Sandy "Wells" Ward leading the ticket as candidate for Attorney General, receiving 38,713 votes, or 14.7% of the popular vote.
Again in 2002 the VGP fielded a full statewide ticket, and this time Teresa Bouchard led the way as candidate for State Treasurer with 10,757 votes (4.8%). In 2002 one of the state leaders, Joel Williams, became a member of the Libertarian Party
of Vermont.
While the VGP failed to win any elections, the party continued to nominate a slate of candidates for state office, and most of the candidates received one percent or more of the popular vote. The Grassroots Party of Vermont fielded candidates representing a mixture of liberal and libertarian views; The VGP dissolved in 2004, the membership spread out among Vermont's political scene.
ran as the Grassroots Party candidate for U.S. President in 1988 and 1992 . In 1996 The Grassroots Party of Minnesota nominated Dennis Peron
, their first presidential nominee, in the presidential election. In 2000, the Grassroots Party of Vermont nominated Denny Lane as their presidential candidate.
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
/hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
legalization issues.
United States Bill of Rights
The permanent platform of the Grassroots Party is the Bill of RightsUnited States Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and...
. Individual candidate's positions on issues vary from Libertarian to Green. All Grassroots candidates would end marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
/hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
prohibition and re-legalize Cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
for all its uses.
History
The Grassroots Party was established in Minnesota in 1986, by Derrick Grimmer, Tim Davis, Chris Wright and Oliver Steinberg, as an independent political party that focused on marijuana legalization. Derrick Grimmer, Ph.D., ran for Minnesota Attorney General in 1986. He received 16,394 votes.The Grassroots Party of Minnesota (GRP) ran a full slate of state-wide candidates in 1990, 1992 and 1994, and won more votes than all other third parties in Minnesota combined.
In 1990, Ross S. Culverhouse, a computer programmer and Vietnam veteran was the Grassroots gubernatorial candidate. Culverhouse received 17,176 votes. Will Shetterly
Will Shetterly
Will Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...
, a science-fiction writer and actor, ran for governor of Minnesota in 1994. He placed third out of six candidates.
Russell Bentley, a party candidate and board member, was arrested on marijuana smuggling charges in 1996. Bentley was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison.
In 2000, the party nominated a candidate for the United States Senate named David Daniels, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
playwright/performance artist from Minneapolis. However, Daniels did not have a serious campaign budget and was only invited to speak at some events sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
. On election day, Daniels received 21,447 votes (0.89%). In 2002, Grassroots Party co-founder and candidate, Tim Davis, joined the Green Party
Green Party of Minnesota
The Green Party of Minnesota is the fourth largest political party in Minnesota and was founded in 1994 on the Four Pillars of the Green Party: Ecological Wisdom, Social and Economic Justice, Grassroots Democracy, and Nonviolence and Peace...
.
In 2010, Grassroots candidate Chris Wright was on the ballot in the governors race
Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota for a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer , former Senator...
, signifying the possibility of the minor political party being re-organized.
Results in United States Federal Elections
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | US Senator | Derrick Grimmer | 9,016 | 0.43% |
| 1988 | US Representative 5 | Chris Wright | 6,468 | 2.68% |
| 1990 | US Senator | Russell Bentley | 29,820 | 1.65% |
| 1992 | US Representative 3 | Dwight Fellman | 9,164 | 2.91% |
| 1992 | US Representative 4 | Dan R. Vacek | 4,418 | 1.59% |
| 1992 | US Representative 5 | Russell Bentley | 6,786 | 2.24% |
| 1994 | US Senator | Candice Sjostrom | 15,920 | 0.90% |
| 1994 | US Representative 4 | Dan R. Vacek | 6,211 | 2.94% |
| 1996 | US Senator | Tim Davis | 14,139 | 0.65% |
| 1996 | US Representative 4 | Phil Willkie | 3,615 | 1.41% |
| 1996 | US Representative 5 | Erica Anderson | 13,102 | 5.33% |
| 2000 | US Senator | David Daniels | 21,447 | 0.89% |
Results in Minnesota State Elections
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | MN Attorney General | Derrick Grimmer | 16,394 | 1.17% |
| 1990 | MN Governor Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1990 The 1990 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1990. Independent-Republican Party candidate and challenger Arne Carlson defeated then Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Governor Rudy Perpich.-Results:... |
Ross S. Culverhouse | 17,176 | 0.96% |
| 1990 | MN Treasurer | Colleen Bonniwell | 84,919 | 4.94% |
| 1994 | MN Governor Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1994 The 1994 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1994. Republican Party of Minnesota candidate Arne Carlson defeated Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger John Marty.-Results:-General election:... |
Will Shetterly Will Shetterly Will Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents... |
20,785 | 1.20% |
| 1994 | MN Secretary of State | Dale D. Wilkinson | 54,009 | 3.12% |
| 1994 | MN Attorney General | Dean W. Amundson | 69,776 | 4.17% |
| 1994 | MN Auditor | Steven C. Anderson | 80,811 | 4.79% |
| 1994 | MN Treasurer | Colleen Bonniwell | 84,486 | 5.20% |
| 1996 | MN Senator 62 | Steven C. Anderson | 2,032 | 6.63% |
| 1998 | MN Governor Minnesota gubernatorial election, 1998 The 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998. Reform Party candidate Jesse Ventura defeated Republican Party challenger Norm Coleman and Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III... |
Chris Wright | 1,727 | 0.10% |
| 1998 | MN Representative 59A | Dale D. Wilkinson | 1,270 | 9.66% |
| 2010 | MN Governor Minnesota gubernatorial election, 2010 The 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota for a four-year term to begin in January 2011. The general election was contested by the major party candidates State Representative Tom Emmer , former Senator... |
Chris Wright | 7,513 | 0.4% |
Iowa
Derrick Grimmer, Ph.D., a founding member of the Grassroots Party, moved from Minnesota to Iowa in 1988 and formed the Grassroots Party of Iowa. Grimmer ran for Iowa State Treasurer in 1990 and received 15,745 votes and he ran for U.S. House of Representatives (IA District 3) in 1994 and received 2,282 votes.Vermont
The Grassroots Party of Vermont formed in 1994. In 1994, Vermont Grassroots Party (VGP) ran a slate of candidates for several offices, including governor, U.S Senate, U.S. Representative, auditor of accounts, and attorney general.In 1996 VGP ran another slate of candidates including governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. representative, attorney general, auditor of accounts, state treasurer, and secretary of state.
Three VGP candidates won five percent or more of the popular vote in the 1996 election, qualifying the Grassroots Party for permanent "major party" status in Vermont.
In 1998 VGP ran a slate of candidates including gubernatorial candidate Joel Williams who received 3,305 votes (1.5%) and U.S. Senate candidate Bob Melamede who received 2,459 votes (1.1%). Matthew Mulligan received 3,464 votes (1.6%) for U.S. Representative; Randy Bushey got 12,312 votes (6%) for State Treasurer; Steven Saetta got 6,345 votes (3%) for Auditor of Accounts; Dennis "Denny" Lane received 8,347 votes (3.9%) for Secretary of State and Sandy "Wells" Ward got 17,954 votes (8.8%) for Attorney General.
In 2000 the Vermont Grassroots Party ran a slate of candidates with Sandy "Wells" Ward leading the ticket as candidate for Attorney General, receiving 38,713 votes, or 14.7% of the popular vote.
Again in 2002 the VGP fielded a full statewide ticket, and this time Teresa Bouchard led the way as candidate for State Treasurer with 10,757 votes (4.8%). In 2002 one of the state leaders, Joel Williams, became a member of the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party of Vermont
The Libertarian Party of Vermont is the Vermont affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The state chair is Jeremy Ryan.- External links:*...
of Vermont.
While the VGP failed to win any elections, the party continued to nominate a slate of candidates for state office, and most of the candidates received one percent or more of the popular vote. The Grassroots Party of Vermont fielded candidates representing a mixture of liberal and libertarian views; The VGP dissolved in 2004, the membership spread out among Vermont's political scene.
U.S. Presidential candidates
Jack HererJack Herer
Jack Herer was an American cannabis activist and the author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a book which has been used in efforts to decriminalize cannabis.-Biography:...
ran as the Grassroots Party candidate for U.S. President in 1988 and 1992 . In 1996 The Grassroots Party of Minnesota nominated Dennis Peron
Dennis Peron
Dennis Peron is an openly gay American medical marijuana and LGBT activist and businessman who was the figurehead for the legality of cannabis throughout the 1990s influencing many in California and thus changing the political debate of marijuana in the United States...
, their first presidential nominee, in the presidential election. In 2000, the Grassroots Party of Vermont nominated Denny Lane as their presidential candidate.
Results in United States Presidential Elections
| Year | Candidate | State(s) on the Ballot | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Jack Herer Jack Herer Jack Herer was an American cannabis activist and the author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a book which has been used in efforts to decriminalize cannabis.-Biography:... |
MN | 1,949 | 0.00% |
| 1992 | Jack Herer Jack Herer Jack Herer was an American cannabis activist and the author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a book which has been used in efforts to decriminalize cannabis.-Biography:... |
MN | 3,875 | 0.00% |
| 1996 | Dennis Peron Dennis Peron Dennis Peron is an openly gay American medical marijuana and LGBT activist and businessman who was the figurehead for the legality of cannabis throughout the 1990s influencing many in California and thus changing the political debate of marijuana in the United States... |
MN, VT | 5,378 | 0.01% |
| 2000 | Denny Lane | VT | 1,044 | 0.00% |