2023 WIGP Officer and Representative Candidate Information

Each year, members of the Wisconsin Green Party elect party officers, representatives and delegates. We have included some information about this year's candidates. Candidates must be current Wisconsin Green Party members in good standing to be eligible for election. Any information the candidates provide will be included in their profiles, as well as any statements of endorsement a candidate may have received.

All Wisconsin Green Party members in good standing are eligible to vote in these elections and will receive a ballot and voting instructions by email.

See our Officers and Committees page for descriptions of the roles and responsibilities of WIGP Officers, Coordinating Council Members, and National Delegates.

A video recording of the 2023 Wisconsin Green Party Fall Gathering, including candidate statements, can be found here. To skip directly to the candidate statement and question period, you may click here.

Candidate Profiles

Officers

Co-Chair

AJ Reed

Nomination/Endorsement: I would like to nominate AJ Reed for WIGP Co-Chair. AJ has a long history with the Green Party, and has connections with Greens from other states. AJ also has an impressive set of organizing and outreach knowledge, as well as public speaking/presenting experience that would be helpful as WIGP heads into an election year. Having worked with AJ on a variety of projects, as well as on the Platform and Policy Committee, I believe that AJ has an impressive set of crucial skills, knowledge, and abilities that will help guide our party as we move forward into 2024. I encourage our members to consider casting a vote for AJ in this election. - Melissa Minkoff

Candidate Statement: I really do appreciate the nomination for Co-chair for our state party. I think those who know me over the years in the Green Party have seen the kind of things I have done, not just in my involvement at local, state, national, and international levels of the party. I also have conversations with people about where they're at, having very difficult conversations with people through tenacious times.

I'm not just talking about things going on at this moment, but in other states and working with other state parties, facilitating their difficult times because people have reached out to me. They have always mentioned that they like to have me there because I have an understanding of what's going on. I try to have these conversations with folks and try to get to where we can meet, either on common ground issues or the things we need to be working on.

And I think if we need to build a Green Party at the state level, we need to have serious conversations for sure, as well as planning for strategic things. So with that said, I feel as a candidate for the Co-chair of the Green Party, it would be an honor to represent the state party as Co-chair.

Rita Maniotis

Candidate Statement: I'm Rita Maniotis and I have been an active Green since 2006. I moved to Wisconsin this summer and have been active even here. This is actually the third membership meeting I have joined you in. I came up and gathered signatures for Sharyl McFarland and also for Bruce, yeah, Bruce Hawkins, Howie Hawkins. I came up several times to do that when he was running during those difficult times, and it was hard to get signatures. But anyway, I've been active since 2006. I have run for office in Illinois for state Rep and for school board. I was even kicked off the ballot for school board in the Cicero School district, where they went door to door and threatened people who had signed my petition. I had to go to court as the school district spent $7000 to throw me off the ballot because they didn't want anyone finding out what's going on behind closed doors there. So, I have some experience in politics and the rough and tumble of it.

But anyway, I served as Secretary of the Illinois Green Party and Assistant Treasurer, and did all the treasury work because the person who was treasurer didn't know how to use computers. We retrained him, and I was on the national committee. I have been active with the West side Greens. I have served as committeeman for the Berwyn Township District for eight years and got questions on the ballot that way. Not only that, but I also served as Berwyn Township committeeman. Oh, I was Cook County chair, and in that role, my goal was to have representation from all of the townships in Cook County. And I got halfway there because there are 30 townships, so we got 15 representatives there to try to build the Green Party structure.

I'm interested in helping Wisconsin grow the party. I have a lot of expertise in what election law looks like, what election treasury law looks like, in filing for the FEC, and doing all those kinds of things. So, a lot of experience. And I think it could be helpful to Wisconsin to help grow the party here. So, I'm hoping that you will vote for me.

Recording Secretary

Mike McCallister

Candidate Statement: I'm Mike McCallister. I've been an active member of the Greater Milwaukee Green Party since 2009, and currently serve as co-chair. I previously served as state party secretary in 2016. I am prepared to be recording secretary again. I ask for your vote for this office. I am also willing to serve on the Coordinating Council either as the representative of CD4 or At-Large.

In addition to my previous stint as Secretary, I have been on the state coordinating council for the last several years, either as representative from my congressional district (5th, then 4th) or GMGP.

I am a professional writer by trade, wearing the hats at different times of journalist, magazine writer, book author, and technical writer. I take good notes.

I have been elected to serve on the NC since 2019, either as an alternate or delegate. I've also been a socialist for the last 50 years. While I've never cast a vote on the NC that I've been ashamed of, I want to address the two votes that seem the most controversial in the last two years.

I voted to disaffiliate the former Georgia Green Party for one simple reason: I firmly believe that transgender people are indeed people, and have the same human rights that I do. Greens need to be at the forefront of the movement to defend their human rights. I sometimes try to crystallize what I mean by this by simply noting that "Chelsea Manning is a hero."

I am also a firm believer in the right of oppressed peoples and nations to self-determination. This is true whether we talk about Palestine, Puerto Rico, or Ukraine. Most people on the NC and perhaps the party as a whole, may not agree with me about Ukraine, but I don't waste time denouncing them about it. We have a party to build.

The way we build this party is by standing with the people the corporate parties ignore: The people of color who need not just their right to vote, but the right to justice. The auto workers on the picket line looking for a just transition from the fossil fuel era, the immigrants seeking a better life free from corporate exploitation, and the young people who need a vision of the future that doesn't look like a dystopian novel.

The world is depending on us. Let's get moving!

Bruce Hinkforth

Candidate Statement: I've been Recording Secretary of the Green Party many times over the 35 years I've been in this party. I took copious notes and made sure they got published. One of my concerns right now is that the Coordinating Council is in violation of several requirements in terms of communications. In Section 3, under the Coordinating Council article, it states that all policy and financial decisions and resolutions shall be published in the organization newsletter. We don't do that at all. None of the previous secretaries have done that of late. I haven't seen anything in the newsletter that publishes the decisions of the Coordinating Council. That needs to be done. We need more communication between the members.

The recording of the membership meetings is kind of scanty, really. They don't, I mean, I made a motion, and the caveat I attached to that wasn't recorded in the spring meetings, as I explained earlier. On top of that, notices of meetings of the Coordinating Council are supposed to be accessible to the membership. The membership needs to know when there's a Coordinating Council meeting. They also have the right, mentioned twice in our bylaws, to be present and participate in any and all meetings, whether it's membership, committee meetings, Coordinating Council, whatever. That doesn't happen either. We need an openness.

So, that's one of the reasons I would like to be Secretary. I'm retired now, and I have time to take my copious notes and turn them into decent minutes that explain maybe more than just the actual decisions that are made. I think people need to know some of the thoughts that went into the various decisions made by the Coordinating Council and other committees. I would like to be Secretary again, but I'd also like to be on the Coordinating Council again, either as the Fifth District representative or as an at-large representative. I think we need a bit more diversity of opinion on the Coordinating Council, and we need a larger Coordinating Council. We have like six members now, and we have the potential here for 15 or 20 with the at-large members and caucus members and stuff like that. We need a larger number of people on the Coordinating Council for the sake of diversity, and we just need more people to serve on committees. We have the same people serving on all these different committees, and that's just too much of a workload. People shouldn't have to serve on three or four committees and find it hard to get stuff done. Some of these committees are just basically inactive because there's not enough people to go around. I think the Coordinating Council should seek out through the membership for other people to join these committees who aren't necessarily part of the Coordinating Council.

Correspondence Secretary

James Benkard

Self Nomination: I am running for Correspondence Secretary in order to be of assistance with the important duties of answering inquiries to the Wisconsin Green Party, and helping maintain the Post Office box in Madison, where I live. I think this would be an excellent opportunity for me to demonstrate my commitment to Green values, which I have demonstrated by voting for Green candidates for many years, and helping spread the word about all the important work that the Wisconsin Green Party is doing. I realize I have much to learn about the many positions and campaigns that the Wisconsin Green Party is working on, and pledge to apply myself diligently to learn these important lessons.

I have been a social worker and substance abuse counselor in the Dane County area for nearly 20 years, and have a strong commitment to values of uplifting people in marginalized communities with the assistance of evidence-based therapeutic techniques.

Candidate Statement: I'm running for Correspondence Secretary. I live in Madison, where I believe the PO Box is, so I think I could be responsible for picking up mail and responding to inquiries. I've been a social worker and a substance use counselor in Madison for most of the past 20 years, and have been voting for the Green Party for 20 years as well.

Obviously, it's been a rocky first year for me here at this party. Given what Dave, who I believe is running for this office, said this morning in an email. He said that I have not shown the slightest interest in any other topic raised in Four Lakes Green Party meetings and that I haven't done any work for the party. You know, Dave's got a point. I wish I could be more involved, but this year has been divisive enough that it's been difficult for me to be involved because I haven't known when it's okay to speak my mind about this. Dave accuses me of being right-wing. That would be news to my family; I've never been accused of being that. I believe in freedom of expression, and there are a lot of organizations and workplaces that have trusted me, so I wouldn't be in this meeting if I wasn't committed to the Green Party and trying to make it work.

So, I hope that you guys can consider that there is language in the bylaws about every reasonable effort being made to rotate the Co-chairs. That language doesn't extend to other offices as well, but I think, given what Bruce just said about diversity of viewpoints within leadership positions, I echo that sentiment. I also will echo what Joe Nathan said about encouraging people to get involved in committees. I was involved in the membership committee. With the blowup that happened with the Rage Against the War Machine rally, I was kicked off that committee. So, we've talked about all that, and it was voted down to be discussed here, and I respect that vote.

In any case, I'm here, I'm willing to work, as I said in February when we had our winter gathering. I've been hesitant to speak my mind because I don't know when I'm apparently being inappropriate. I just want to get to work and help the party however I can.

Dave Schwab

Candidate Statement: I’m running for Corresponding Secretary and Coordinating Council At-Large because I want to continue helping the Wisconsin Green Party grow stronger and more effective. I have decided to run in response to being asked by numerous WIGP members and I think this is a good way for me to serve. I want to support the excellent work being done by dedicated members like AJ Reed, Sam Chance, Melissa Minkoff, Mike McCallister, and Jo’ Nathan Kingfisher. I’m also excited to see some newer Greens with incredible track records of community organizing step up to run for Coordinating Council, including (but not limited to) Chester Todd, Michelle Ellinger Linley, and Emerson Ziehr. I want to support the WIGP membership and Coordinating Council as best I can to keep our party moving forward in this critical time for our people and planet. Thank you for your support.

Operations Treasurer

Melissa Minkoff

From the candidate: Having served for 2 years as Coordinating Council Representative for District 2, I find it appropriate at this time to announce my nomination for WIGP Operations Treasurer. After filling the position for many years, our current Operations Treasurer is stepping down from the role. I recognize the party's need for a treasurer and I believe I can fill that need. In addition to my experience serving on the WIGP Coordinating Council as well as several committees, including the national committee, I possess over a decade of experience in performing treasurer duties for other membership-based organizations in Wisconsin. As a result, I have a strong foundation of skills that would help me effectively perform in this role. I appreciate our members' support and ask for your vote. Thank you.

(Note: While nominated for Operations Treasurer as well as Coordinating Council Representative for Congressional District 2, I realize that I cannot hold both positions simultaneously. My initial intentions were to to run for District 2 Representative as I have in the past. However, with the understanding that the party needs an Operations Treasurer, and in the absence of another candidate, I am running essentially to "go where the work is." If elected to both positions I will only accept one (Operations Treasurer) as to be compliant with WIGP bylaws. If not I would like to continue serving as Coordinating Council Representative for Congressional District 2. Thank you.)

Elections Treasurer

Rita Maniotis

[See Above]

National Delegates

National Committee Representatives and Alternates

Mike McCallister

[See Above]

Jo' Nathan Kingfisher

Nomination/Endorsement: I would like to nominate Jo' Nathan Kingfisher for National Delegate. A longtime Green, former Co-Chair of GPWI, and member of the Coordinating Council, I feel that Jo' Nathan is an excellent candidate for national delegate. I have full confidence that he will thoughtfully and responsibly represent the WIGP membership and the state of Wisconsin on the national level. I ask our members to consider casting a vote for Jo' Nathan in this upcoming election. - Melissa Minkoff

Candidate Statement: Greetings, boujou anin. My name is Jo' Nathan. That's my first name. It's from my dad, George Joe, for George and my dad's dad's dad, Nathan. And they shortened it from Joe George Nathan to Jo' Nathan. So Joe works just fine. My middle name is my Ojibway name. My real name is Ziibiisan, which means 'Lots of Little River.' And my last name is Kingfisher, for the Kingfisher bird. That's my family bird from the sandhill crane Ajijaak. Well, here, I'm in Ashland, WI. I've been involved with the Green Party for 25 years, going back to the Nader Leduc campaign, and I have served as Co-chair for two years. There are lots of recordings on my political administrative legacy, and I've appreciated being able to represent. If there's one position I'm most interested in, I would really like to be a national delegate to meet more Green Party members and to represent at a larger level. I've got that appreciation. I'm also going for, I guess, District 7, Ashland area.

And yes, I greatly appreciate everybody's attendance and patience with each other, and appreciation of the speakers. And that, yeah, I studied system science at Michigan State after Alma College at the graduate level. The ohh hi. I don't know. If I'm in between laughing and crying, thinking about half of all life, half of all species already having perished. That's what he said. Where half the cliffs way back there, the train has gone off the cliffs. The cliffs back there with all the species, now they're half gone, or something. That's what he said. So, it's difficult times, and yeah, we got an urgent message and I'd like to represent.

Samuel Chance

Candidate Statement: I am running for National Committee delegate/alternate. I have served in this role for two years and during that time, I have been the most active member of the Wisconsin delegation to the Green Party of the United States National Committee in terms of engagement with topics up for discussion and vote. In terms of providing email comments during the discussion period and then also getting the votes going, I have regularly coordinated discussions amongst the other members of the Wisconsin Green Party delegation and worked to ensure that proposals are discussed and voted on consistently. I have been nominated and approved twice for the position of Green Party of the United States National Committee Forum Manager, which is a position of significant trust in the National Party. Most recently in September of this year, by a vote of 76 yes, 3 no, 8 abstain.

If reelected as National Committee delegate/alternate, I intend to utilize the Wisconsin Green Party's decision-making list and the new online voting procedures to provide reports on and seek input on National Committee proposals directly from the Wisconsin Green Party membership. So my intention for the next year, if I am reelected to the position, is to increase transparency and allow direct input from the Wisconsin Green Party membership on the National Party proposals, National Committee proposals. And then to leverage the online voting procedures that we have in the bylaw amendments to, you know, essentially just allow the membership, the means to discuss these issues amongst themselves and to provide direct, bonafide input to the National Committee delegation so that our actions on the National Committee are reflective of the will of the Wisconsin Green Party member. I believe in that purpose deeply. The definition of a delegate is an individual who takes the decisions of their constituency and then enacts those decisions in the context that they've been appointed to, which is different than a representative where one is empowered to make those decisions on behalf of their constituency. So, I'd really like to move in the direction of more direct democracy in terms of how the state party interfaces with the National Party.

I hope that helps inform folks about my plans and reasoning for seeking the role.

Melissa Minkoff

[See Above]

Bruce Hinkforth

[See Above]

Michael White

Self Nomination: District 3 has no current formal representation. After not being active for several years, I wish to make sure District 3 has more participation & representation. I was WIGP candidate for Governor in 2018.

Candidate Statement: I was briefly Co-chair of the party some years ago. I worked hard on Jill Stein's campaign. I came into the Green Party largely because I know Jill personally. We both trained in Boston, and she reached out to me and asked me to become involved. As a result of that, I was also on the National Committee for a little while. I'm running for Co-chair or Coordinating Council Rep from District 3, currently on a post. I would like to serve on the National Committee if there's value in my being there. There are actually five people running now, so you actually have more than one choice.

I'm going to make a couple of inflammatory statements, not directed at anybody but at the national and state level. The Green Party has been ineffective, ignored, irrelevant, and inconsequential. And that is despite the fact, as you heard from Doctor Borrello, that your children and grandchildren are threatened by climate change, and we have not drawn the attention that we should have on issues of climate change and ecocide. Not to belittle any of the other issues on equality, fairness, and inclusion, because I hold to the same green values as everybody else. But the survival of the species is at stake. I have been watching the scientific background on a lot of these issues for a long time, and it just keeps getting worse and worse. What I propose to do, to the best of my ability, as I did when I was running for governor in 2018, is get these issues in front of all of the Trump voters where I live, and all of the Democrats where I live, and get us working with, not just disrespectful of, the moderates and the other parties. Because if we don't do something now, the survival of the species is at risk.

So, I'm asking for your vote.

Coordinating Council Representatives

Congressional District 1

Curtis Bolton

Candidate Statement: I haven't been with the Green Party as long as a lot of other people. I have been a recording secretary. I believe the Green Party has a lot of challenges. I don't know that I have all the answers, and I think it's important to get the membership involved. So, that being said, I'd love to be of service to the Green Party.

Chester Todd

Candidate Statement: My name is Chester Todd. I'm relatively new to the Green Party, although I have kept abreast of things through my emails and such. I voted for Howie; I wrote him in. I live in the southeastern corner, Racine. I live in Racine.

I'm interested in sitting on the Council as a representative for Congressional District 1 or at large.

Congressional District 2

Melissa Minkoff

[See Above]

Congressional District 3

Michael White

[See Above]

Congressional District 4

Mike McCallister

[See Above]

Josh Anderson

Candidate Statement: I've been with the Green Party since 2016. Basically, the reason I would like to run, I'm running for CD4 and for an At-Large Delegate. I think there have been a lot of issues within the party, including a lot of vitriol being thrown around and issues with transparency. I think really what we need to do is reconcile the party. We are too small of a party to be as divided as we are, whether that's on a national level or a state level. I think most of the things we can agree on, such as climate change and being anti-war, are things we should work on as a party together, join forces.

I think another thing that we really need to work on is coalition building. We are not going to do this by ourselves, and if we keep not wanting to work with other people, I think that's going to be the downfall of this party. As you can see, there's been a big movement away. The party ebbs and flows through the years, but I think the one thing that we need to do is learn to work well with others.

So, those are things that I would like to do. I'd like to be more transparent. We need to think about our processes. Processes are there for a reason. Bylaws are there for a reason. If we continue to violate them, I think that's going to be a bad thing for the party. So, those are things that I will pledge to work on if I'm elected to the Coordinating Council.

Congressional District 5

Bruce Hinkforth

[See Above]

Congressional District 6

Jeff Reese

Candidate Statement: My name is Jeff Reese. I'm in the 6th district, which has few active members in this part of the state. I would like to try to change that. I've been with the Green Party now for about 10 years, on the 26th, and that was really kind of a year in terms of official politics. Right now, we just need the green party. We always need an independent party that, before, well, doesn't seem to have a voice anymore, maybe even more than that.

I'm in the Citizens Climate and interested in doing something to promote, get more trains running. The Amtrak system is absolutely in horrible shape. So, I think that the trains, if they're really committed to doing something about the environment, this is the time to get together and let's do something. I'm hoping that I can recruit a few people in this 11 county region to help me out, and let's get things going and grow this party green and growing.

Note: Jeff Reese had some audio issues during his statement. All attempts have been made to accurately transcribe his statement. He has been offered the opportunity to submit a written statement.

Congressional District 7

Jo' Nathan Kingfisher

[See Above]

Greater Milwaukee Green Party Chapter Representative

Sam Michael

Candidate Statement: I'm Sam. I'd like to echo Michael's sentiment about climate change. I'm running because one of the reasons why I'm in the Green Party is because of the issue of climate change. I think it's first and foremost, and in the Green Party, we need to help expand the Conservation Congress. I know that we have three members in there, which is fantastic, but I'm hoping we can get more in there. I'm planning to run, and I think that once we expand members in the Conservation Congress, we're going to be able to help get members to the state level and national, etc. But I think that it's important not just for the survival of the species, not just for the survival of man, but to help gain recognition and to help gain our status. So that's basically why I'm running.

I've been involved with the Milwaukee Green Party. I've been involved with collecting some signatures for Sharyl McFarland and Michael White. And yeah, that's just kind of where I'm at, my ideology. It's a pleasure working with you guys.

At-Large Representatives

Bruce Hinkforth

[See Above]

Josh Anderson

[See Above]

Tiffany Anderson

Candidate Statement [given on Tiffany's behalf by Josh Anderson]: She was a former Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate. She's worked very hard for the party, got a lot of signatures, and is a very hard worker. I'm a little biased, being her brother, but I think she would be a really great addition to the Coordinating Council. She's very organized and very thoughtful.

Emerson Ziehr

Candidate Statement: I am running for CC At-Large. I have been a ballot access petition circulator for several Green candidates. I also have past campaign experience running for city council and managing a state assembly campaign. I would love to take those experiences and help apply them within the WI green party.

Dave Schwab

[See Above]

Rita Maniotis

[See Above]

Chester Todd

[See Above]

Michelle Ellinger Linley

Candidate Statement: I'm Michelle. I want to be more involved. I want to give more of my time, the reason being I think there is a lot of opportunity for collaboration and, again, building the coalitions like many others have said. And I've seen that example in the past from the Green Party, and I would really like to see more of it.