Cynthia McKinney Wins Green Party Nomination

Former Georgia Representative Cynthia McKinney is the official Green Party presidential nominee. She defeated Ralph Nader at the Green Party National Convention to secure the nomination. Cynthia McKinney then chose hip-hop activist Rosa Clememte as her running mate. Inspired by John Lennon, Cynthia McKinney's campaign slogan is "power to the people." Her platform includes immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, single-payer healthcare, reparations for African-Americans, and the creation of a Department of Peace. Who is Cynthia McKinney? How could she impact this election?

Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney: Her Career

Cynthia McKinney is the daughter of Georgia State Representative Bill McKinney and retired nurse Leola McKinney. In 1988, Cynthia McKinney won a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives as a Democrat where she served concurrently with her father. In 1992, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2002, she lost her congressional seat to party primary challenger Denise Majette. Her defeat was due to Republican crossover voting. In 2004, a divided primary allowed Cynthia to regain her seat in Congress where she served until 2006.

Cynthia McKinney was one of only 31 House members who objected to the official granting of Ohio's electoral votes to George Bush. Highlights of her career include the MLK Records Act, the Tupac Shakur Records Act, Hurricane Katrina activism, and various human rights and anti-war legislation. Her final acts in Congress include legislation to impeach President George W. Bush.

Green Party Candidate Cynthia McKinney: The Green Party

Cynthia McKinney is not necessarily campaigning to win. She is more concerned with gaining support for progressive causes and putting the Green Party on the map. Because Ralph Nader was unable to gain 5 percent in 2000, Green Party candidates currently have to right for ballot placement on a state by state basis. If Cynthia McKinney can garner 5 percent of the popular vote, the Green Party would gain national party recognition and would automatically appear on ballots in every state.