It's Election Day in Philly! Help Greeen Candidate Cheri Honkala Over The Top Today!

It's Election Day in Philly! Help Greeen Candidate Cheri Honkala Over The Top Today!

A Black Agenda Radio Commentary by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon

Today, Tuesday March 21 is election day in Philly, and the Green Party’s Cheri Honkala is the apparent front runner in a 3 way race for state rep in the 197^th district.

The incumbent Democrat pled guilty to fraud, and her hand picked replacement was bounced from the ballot because he didn’t live in the district. Honkala was also ruled off the ballot after state election officials provided false information about filing dates to her campaign. So Green candidate Cheri Honkala and the Democrat are both write-in candidates in an inner city Philadelphia district where there literally are NO Republicans. This means the winner in today’s election WILL be a write in candidate, either another corrupt and arrogant Democrat, or the Greens’ Cheri Honkala.

Honkala is nationally known for being Jill Stein’s running mate in the Green 2012 presidential campaign, when she and Stein were arrested for the crime of demanding to be included in the presidential debates. But before that Honkala had been fighting for the economic and human rights of the poor and oppressed for more than 20 years.

A single mother who overcame homelessness, Cheri Honkala was co-founder of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union and co-founder of and National Coordinator of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. She’s been been a committed and tireless crusader on behalf of Philadelphians experiencing homelessness, poverty, and extreme poverty in District 197, one of the poorest in the state where many struggle to get by on less than $2 a day. In addition to housing rights, Cheri works for education and healthcare for all, social and economic equality, an end to the war on drugs and the resulting mass incarceration, and protection of immigrants’ rights. In the Pennsylvania legislature she will continue to fight for the dignity and basic human rights of each of her constituents and also fight for policies that redirect industries away from environmental destruction and toward sustainable and renewable energy, preserving a habitable future for all Pennsylvanians!

Pennsylvania state rep districts are small, and 3,000 write in votes are likely all that’s needed for Honkala to win. Greens have organized a potent door to door ground game to deliver those votes, and a strong committee of lawyers to defend them against challenges and fraud at the polls. The Democratic National Committee thinks this race is so important they sent out a mailer declaring this to be one of the first major special elections of the Trump era, and asking for contributions to keep the seat from going to a Republican. They know very well that Trump didn’t get a dozen votes in the 197^th last November, and their real opponent is the Green candidate Cheri Honkala. But corporate Democrats don’t trust their base of small and mid-level donors enough to say that. They must have a good reason.

Please take a moment to support Cheri Honkala’s campaign with a donation of $5, $10, $20 or more to defray their election day expenses and court costs. Click on this link, or if you’re listening to the audio of this commentary, go to bit.ly/cheri197 --- that’s bit.ly/cheri197.

Another world IS possible, another Philly is possible. And if they can beat the corporate Democrats and put a real independent fighter in office in Philly you can do it where you live too. The link again for those listening is bit.ly/cheri197--- that’s bit.ly/cheri197.

For Black Agenda Report and for the Georgia Green Party I’m Bruce Dixon

Bruce Dixon is co-chair of the GA Green Party and managing editor at Black Agenda Report. He lives and works near Marietta GA and can be reached via email at bruce.dixon(at)blackagendareport.com.

More Stories