July 19, 2005

Kevin Zeese Launches Exploratory Committee

for U.S. Senate Race in Maryland

Candidacy Will Seek to Unite Multiple Third Parties Behind a

Campaign for Peace, Justice and Democracy

Montgomery County, MD: Today, Kevin Zeese announced an Exploratory Committee for a likely U.S. Senate candidacy in Maryland. Zeese's entry into the race will make an already competitive race even more difficult to predict and brings a different perspective than the two major parties on critical issues of concern to Maryland voters. The Exploratory Committee includes people from the two major parties and the alternative parties as well as the anti-war, pro-democracy, environmental, and justice movements.

“Voters across the political spectrum are tired of partisan bickering. They want a candidate who will seek common sense solutions to problems we all share. This exploratory committee includes people from across the political spectrum. We will redraw the political landscape as the old configurations don't work. Voters want leaders who will fight for their interests, take action and apply sensible solutions to the many problems we face together, unburdened by the limits of the political parties,” said Zeese.
 

A Zeese for Senate campaign would be the first anti-war campaign of the 2006 election year. Zeese is director of Democracy Rising (see: www.DemocracyRising.US ) an organization working for a responsible end of the Iraq War and occupation. “A majority of Americans now believe the Iraq war was wrong and the U.S. should begin to remove our troops. Yet, the U.S. Senate voted 99-0 to keep funding the occupation. Shouldn't the Senate have at least one member who represents the majority view?” asked Zeese. Zeese will also be emphasizing reducing the rich-poor divide, creating an ownership society, ending the failed war on drugs, restoring civil liberties and reinvigorating our democracy beginning with a voter verified paper record as part of all voting in the United States.

Zeese's campaign will bring together the Green, Populist and Libertarian Parties to provide voters with an alternative. “More and more Marylanders are unhappy with the two party system. There has been an upsurge in voters registering independent or third party. Many who remain registered Democrats and Republicans are unhappy with the positions those party's take, especially on economic issues. We need an economy for the people, where all Americans share the wealth and each has a stake in the sensible growth of our economy,” said Zeese. “Neither major party faces these issues because doing so is against the interests of the monied elite who fund their campaigns.”

Zeese is a 1980 graduate of George Washington University Law School. In addition to his anti-war work at Democracy Rising, Zeese is President of the election reform organization, Vote Trust USA ( www.VoteTrustUSA.org ) and a co-founder of TrueVoteMD.org. He is also President of Common Sense for Drug Policy ( www.csdp.org ) and a co-founder of the Treatment Not Incarceration Coalition in Maryland ( www.TreatNotJail.org ). Zeese served as press secretary for Ralph Nader in the 2004 presidential campaign. This Saturday he will be hosting a “Downing Street Party” as part of his work in the After Downing Street Coalition of which he is a co-founder. (Details on www.kevinzeese.com .) The Exploratory Committee website includes a more detailed biography and many of his published articles.

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Kevin Zeese U.S. Senate Exploratory Committee

Nathan Bahn
Co-Chair, Montgomery Greens
Rockville, MD

Bill Barry
Baltimore City Green Party
Baltimore, MD

Michael Cornell
Co-Chair, Maryland Green Party
Howard County, MD

Chris Driscoll
Chair, Populist Party of Maryland
Baltimore, MD

Kay Dellinger
Coalition Against Global Exploitation, Baltimore Pledge of Resistance,
Populist Party of Maryland Central Committee
Baltimore, MD

Pat Elder
Co-founder DC Anti-War Network
Iraq Pledge of Resistance
Bethesda, MD

Kristin Famula
TrueVoteMD

Severna Park, MD

Robert Ferraro
Eyes Of Paint Branch, TrueVoteMD
Colesville, MD

Lorenzo Gaztanaga
Baltimore Libertarian Party
Baltimore, MD

Susan Gaztanaga
Baltimore Libertarian Party
Baltimore, MD

Saul Iversion
TrueVoteMD

Howard County, MD

Barry Kessin
Attorney

Frederick, MD

Ken Lerch
National Association of Letter Carriers
President, Local 3825
Rockville, MD

Jay Levy
Takoma Park City for Peace
Takoma Park, MD

Robert Lanza
Democracy for Maryland
Takoma Park, MD

Sheldon H. Laskin
Baltimore County Green Party
Baltimore, MD 21209

Mike Livingston
Montgomery County Green Party
Silver Spring, MD

Kim Louth
Potomac Democracy for Maryland
Potomac, MD

John Low
Principle, Banning and Low
Kensington, MD

James Madigan
Correctional Lieutenant, Maryland Reception Center
Baltimore County Green Party
Parkville, MD

Douglas McNeil
Baltimore Libertarian Party
Baltimore, MD

Dick Ochs
Populist Party State Central Committee Member
Chair Green Party, Committee on Democratic Reform of Party Processes
Baltimore, MD

Anne Polansky
Energy and Environmental Consultant
Takoma Park, MD

Linda Schade
TrueVoteMD

Montgomery County Green Party
Takoma Park, MD

Joseph Schroeder
Populist Party of Maryland Central Committee, Treasurer
Baltimore, MD

Mounzer Sleiman
Vice President, National Council for Arab Americans
Poolesville, MD

Eileen Scott
Co-Chair Maryland Green Party
Silver Spring, MD

Eric Sterling
President, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation
Counsel, U.S. House of Representative, Committee on the Judiciary, 1979-89
Chevy Chase, MD

Robert Tufts
Anne Arundel Green Party
Churchton, MD

Pam Rasmussen
Montgomery County Coalition for Alternatives to War
Gaithersburg, MD

Virginia Rodino
Steering Committee, United for Peace and Justice
Baltimore, MD

Whitney Trettien
Co-chair, Frederick Green Party
Frederick, MD

Yvonne Wall
Montgomery County Coalition for Alternatives to War
Montgomery County, MD

Bahram Zandi
Montgomery County Green Party
Gaithersburg, MD

Organizations listed are for identification purposes only and does not mean the organization is involved in the campaign in any way.