Martin Thomas, DC Statehood-Green Party Candidate for
US Shadow Representative in the
November 7, 2000, General Election
Campaign Announcement, March 3, 2000

I'm excited to be announcing the start of the campaign for.....

*** Martin Thomas for Shadow U.S. Representative ***

Statehood for DC. Denied a most basic democratic right of voting representation in Congress, subjugated to a non-elected Control Board that decides how our local tax dollars are spent, stripped of our power to determine local social policies or even to enact citizen voter initiatives, DC citizens are treated like second class citizens.

My campaign will continue and escalate the fight for civil rights to bring democracy to the people of Washington, DC. And hopefully we'll have some fun too.

WHAT DO I STAND FOR?

Statehood for DC. The people of DC deserve the same democratic rights and self-government enjoyed by all other US citizens. Both on the campaign trail and when elected, I will work for these four demands:

1. Complete voting representation in the US Congress.
2. Local control over all branches of DC government.
3. Elimination of the Control Board and all Federal committees that act as overseers of DC government.
4. Equal rights to collect and spend our tax dollars.

In just the past year, our lack of Statehood has allowed Federal meddling in local decisions by (among a long list) overriding our decisions:

• to ban the death penalty,
• to enact Initiative 59 to protect cancer and AIDS patients
• to protect Rock Creek Park

I will work for implementation of these democratically determined decisions and also fight to preserve our elected school board.

WHY RUN FOR SHADOW REPRESENTATIVE?

DC has no vote in Congress. Congressional overseers do permit us to elect a "Shadow" Delegation. Also sometimes called the "Statehood" delegation, it includes two Shadow Senators and a Shadow Representative to Congress. (We also are permitted a non-voting "Delegate to Congress," a position long held by Eleanor Holmes Norton, which I am not seeking).

The Shadow Representative office can provide a platform to bring the issue of DC's lack of democracy to a wide audience. My campaign is also part of a nationwide effort to build a progressive party - the Green Party. In this election cycle, it is possible that the Green Party will emerge as the third largest party in the U.S. I am running on the DC Statehood Green Party ticket, which was formed from the merger of the DC Statehood Party and the DC Green Party in September of 1999 and is a member of the national Association of State Green Parties. Locally, with enough votes, my campaign will also serve to maintain ballot-access status for the DC Statehood Green Party.

My background as an activist for peace and social change, my experience working on local campaigns, my proven results generating media coverage, and experience with direct action campaigns make me ideally suited to run for an hold the Shadow Representative position. On the campaign trail and when elected I will advocate for a long-term, systematic and sustained non-violent direct action campaign that will leave Congress no choice but to give us our full rights.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Volunteer. We will be running an all-volunteer campaign and we need your help!
2. Contribute financially. The Statehood Green Party, like all Green Parties, accepts no campaign cash from big business. We plan to run a true grassroots campaign; however, we will need money to print signs and flyers, to bring our message city-wide and to plan and pull off some fun, creative campaign events. Please help out.
3. Come to the campaign kickoff FRIDAY MARCH 10. I will formally start things off with Ralph Nader and other local candidates. You are invited....
   Meet Ralph Nader, consumer advocate & candidate for the Green Party presidential nomination, at a fundraiser to benefit the DC Statehood Green Party & the 20 Citizens lawsuit for full autonomy and congressional representation for DC. Learn about Ralph Nader's campaign, meet progressive activists, meet DC Statehood Green Party candidates who will announce their bid for local office this year. 7:00 PM at the Josephine Butler Building, 2437 15th Street NW, across the street from Malcolm X Park. Hosted by John Gloster. Live music & refreshments. Donation requested: $5 student or senior; $25 friend; $100 sponsor; no one turned away for lack of funds. RSVP to sgy2k@bellatlantic.net or 202-332-1709. Sponsored by the Statehood Green 2000 Committee.
4. Pass this along to others who may be interested.

TO FIND OUT MORE

• Call the campaign hotline at 202-332-1709
• Sign up for the campaign email list and receive regular updates (no more than once a week) on upcoming campaign events. Send requests to martinth@excite.com.
• Check out www.dcstatehoodgreen.org. This site has information on the full DC Statehood Green Party platform and information on other local candidates.

Personal Information: I live in Mt. Pleasant where I help coach Babe Ruth league youth baseball. I am employed running the DC office of the People's Campaign for Nonviolence. I serve as an elected member of the Steering Committee of the DC Statehood Green Party and am co-author of the Green Guide to Cars and Trucks, the first-ever environmental guide to vehicles.

Thomas for Shadow Rep Committee, Philip Barlow treasurer. 202-332-1709. 1640 Hobart St NW, Washington, DC 20009.