pressconnects.com
by Jennifer Fusco
September 13, 2010

BINGHAMTON -- The Green Party of New York makes people a priority, and two of its candidates running for seats in November want to make that message clear.

"I don't run away from people the way the Democrats and Republicans tend to do," said Cecile Lawrence, Green Party candidate for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.

"We care about people, we care about New York and we care about the country," she said. "That's why we're doing this."

Lawrence and Howie Hawkins, Green Party gubernatorial candidate, were in the area Monday and spoke with this newspaper about their platforms and history.

Lawrence, 63, a Jamaica-born activist who resides in Apalachin, is active in the movements for health care reform, organic agriculture, renewable energy and a ban on hydrofracturing. Among the issues she discussed: she's in favor of a single-payer, Medicare-for-all system, and wants healthier food fed to schoolchildren.

"We have horrendous rates of obesity, horrendous rates of disease, bad food being fed to our kids in school," she said. "What we really need now is farm-to-school food."

Hawkins, 57, of Syracuse, has been an organizer in movements for peace, justice, labor, the environment and independent politics. He acknowledged running on a third-party line can be an uphill battle, but said it's one the Green Party is ready for.

"People, when they know who you are, and they see you've been out there consistently, they come around," Hawkins said.

For the U.S. Senate seat, Gillibrand is facing Democratic opponent Gail Goode in the primary. Three Republicans -- former Rep. Joseph DioGuardi of Westchester County, former Bear Stearns chief economist David Malpass and former Nassau County Legislator Bruce Blakeman -- are vying for the chance to run against the Democratic nominee for Gillibrand's seat.

In New York's race for governor, Rick Lazio, a former Long Island congressman, and Carl Paladino, a Buffalo businessman, will vie Tuesday for the Republican nomination. The primary winner will face Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Cuomo in November.