What's New

The latest additions to the campaign website:

Coming Up

Upcoming campaign events:

2 December 2008
deadline for counties to finish counting votes
13 December 2008
deadline to certify multi-county results

  

This campaign site for the California Peace and Freedom Party in the 2008 elections is still under construction. For historical information on our 2006, 2005 and 2004 campaigns, much of which is still relevant, please visit our please visit our 2006 campaign website, our 2005 campaign website and our 2004 campaign website, respectively.

The November 4th General Election

In 2008, California's Presidential Preference Primary was separated from the Direct Primary election (in which parties choose candidates for Congress and the state legislature) and held four months earlier. Thus the presidential preference vote, which was only advisory, took place in the February 5th primary, while the actual actual decision on the Peace and Freedom Party's presidential nomination was made at the party's August 2008 state convention, by the Central Committees members elected in the June 3rd primary, which also chose our nominees for lower offices.

The Peace and Freedom Party candidates for partisan public offices, with results as of 1 pm November 26th (with between 0.4 and 0.6 million ballots still uncounted) are:

  • President of the United States: Ralph Nader (3rd of 6 candidates on the ballot, with 105,375 votes (0.8%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • Vice-President of the United States: Matt Gonzalez
  • State Senator, 9th District: Marsha Feinland (3rd of 3 candidates on the ballot, with 26,887 votes (7.6%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • U.S. Representative, 3rd District: Dina Padilla (3rd of 4 candidates on the ballot, with 13,243 votes (4.3%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • U.S. Representative, 5th District: Linda "LR" Roberts (3rd of 3 candidates on the ballot, with 10,731 votes (4.9%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • U.S. Representative, 7th District: Bill Callison (3rd of 4 candidates on the ballot, with 6,342 votes (2.8%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • U.S. Representative, 8th District: (see below)
  • U.S. Representative, 10th District: Gene Ruyle (3rd of 3 candidates on the ballot, with 10,685 votes (3.7%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • U.S. Representative, 12th District: Nathalie Hrizi (3rd of 5 candidates on the ballot, with 5,727 votes (2.2%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • Assemblymember, 5th District: Karen Martinez (3rd of 3 candidates on the ballot, with 14,295 votes (7.6%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • Assemblymember, 9th District: Gerald Frink (3rd of 3 candidates on the ballot, with 7,744 votes (6.1%) as of 1 pm November 26th)
  • Assemblymember, 48th District: Lucilla M. Esguerra (2nd of 2 candidates on the ballot, with 10,867 votes (12.8%) as of 1 pm November 26th)

The Peace and Freedom Party has also endorsed the independent candidacy of Cindy Sheehan in the 8th Congressional District (who came in 2nd of 4 candidates on the ballot, with 44,804 votes (16.2%) as of 1 pm November 26th).

In addition to those listed above, there are several P&F members who ran for non-partisan offices with the support of the party.

There were twelve propositions on the statewide ballot November 4th, numbered 1A and 2 through 12. The Peace and Freedom Party took positions in favor of Propositions 2 and 5 and against Propositions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.

  • Proposition 1A (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train." This measure would issue almost $10 billion in bonds to be used for a high-speed train service linking Southern California, the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valley, and the San Francisco Bay Area, with at least 90 percent of bond funds spent for specific projects and with federal and private matching funds required. The Peace and Freedom Party generally opposes bond measures, as increasing the costs of projects while benefiting the rich who buy tax-exempt bonds, but we're generally in favor of improving rail systems to replace inefficient and polluting automobile and air transportation. If it were clear that Proposition 1A would really build a good rail system, we probably would have reluctantly supported it. If it were clear that Proposition 1A was a boondoggle for real estate and construction interests that built a poor or mediocre rail system as a side product, we would have opposed it. Neither was clearly the case. The Peace and Freedom Party decided not to take a position on Proposition 1A. Proposition 1A passed by a statewide vote of 6,512,189 (52.6%) Yes to 5,887,181 (47.4%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 2 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Standards for Confining Farm Animals." This initiative measure is intended to reduce animal cruelty and improve food safety. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote YES on 2. With our support, Proposition 2 passed by a statewide vote of 8,009,556 (63.5%) Yes to 4,622,352 (36.5%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 3 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Children's Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program." While children's health care is a worthy cause, the combination of bond financing and private medical care corporation involvement means that only 25% to 40% of the money would actually go to the promised programs. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 3. Despite our opposition, Proposition 3 passed by a statewide vote of 6,805,649 (55.2%) Yes to 5,536,987 (44.8%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 4 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy." This is the third try by the sponsors, whose first two initiatives have been defeated by the voters. This poorly-drawn, overreaching, backhanded end-run around Roe v. Wade should be defeated again. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 4. With our opposition, Proposition 4 was defeated by a statewide vote of 6,071,863 (48.0%) Yes to 6,570,777 (52.0%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 5 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Nonviolent Drug Offenses, Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation." This measure would require more drug treatment and provide alternatives to incarceration. It would save money now wated on imprisonment of non-violent offenders. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote YES on 5. Despite our support, Proposition 5 was defeated by a statewide vote of 5,015,080 (40.3%) Yes to 7,407,454 (59.7%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 6 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Police and Law Enforcement Funding. Criminal Penalties and Laws." The "Runner Initiative," named after its fanatical right-wing proponents, would put more people, exspecially young people, in jail for lesser and lesser crimes, and take money away from schools and hospitals. This is the opposite of what California needs. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 6. With our opposition, Proposition 6 was defeated by a statewide vote of 3,728,495 (30.8%) Yes to 8,365,052 (69.2%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 7 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Renewable Energy Generation." This plan, apparently written to benefit a few companies, is so badly drawn that almost all environmental groups oppose it. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 7. With our opposition, Proposition 7 was defeated by a statewide vote of 4,376,814 (35.4%) Yes to 7,984,617 (64.6%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 8 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry." This one is just plain bad. It would take away the legal right of same-sex couples to marry, and throw into legal limbo existing same-sex marriages. It would enact bigotry, which is why it must be defeated. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 8. Despite our opposition, Proposition 8 passed by a statewide vote of 6,838,107 (52.3%) Yes to 6,246,463 (47.7%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 9 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights. Parole." This measure is designed to further increase the prison population, in part by undercutting the already slim chance that prisoners who pose no further risk to society can be paroled. It would be a remarkably bad law. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 9. Despite our opposition, Proposition 9 passed by a statewide vote of 6,518,511 (53.8%) Yes to 5,602,596 (46.2%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 10 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Bonds." The bond financing would more than double the cost of this program, which is not well-targeted in the first place. It mainly is meant to further enrich one billionaire. The Peace and Freedom Party supports alternative energy, but not through this expensive bond program. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 10. With our opposition, Proposition 10 was defeated by a statewide vote of 4,966,867 (40.4%) Yes to 7,303,418 (59.6%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 11 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Redistricting." This scheme would slightly rearrange how the wealthy control the state legislature, but would do nothing to challenge their stranglehold on power. We need proportional representation through multiple-member districts, and an end to big-money control of politics. This one is not worth our support. The Peace and Freedom Party urged you to vote NO on 11. Despite our opposition, Proposition 11 passed by a statewide vote of 5,957,057 (50.9%) Yes to 5,759,932 (49.1%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
  • Proposition 12 (see Smart Voter page for more "neutral" information): "Veteran's Bond Act of 2008." This measure would issue $900 million in bonds, but they would be paid back by the veterans who buy homes with its assistance. The state's role is only to guarantee the bonds, allowing veterans to borrow money to buy homes at lower interest rates, and none of the Veterans Bond Acts over the last half-century have cost taxpayers a cent. The nature of the program was enough to overcome our general opposition to bonds, but its benefits being limited to military veterans kept us from supporting it. The Peace and Freedom Party decided not to take a position on Proposition 12. Proposition 12 passed by a statewide vote of 7,618,136 (63.5%) Yes to 4,385,715 (36.5%) No as of 1 pm November 26th.
 

How you can help

Sign up now for the campaign email list