Iowa Green Party

History & Archives

Green Politics in Iowa

The Iowa Green Party traces its statewide organization to the late 1990s.

Surviving Iowa Green Party archive material identifies March 1999 as the founding of the statewide organization, while Green organizing and local Green activity existed in Iowa before that date.

1999

Formation of the Iowa Green Party

The surviving Iowa Green Party archive identifies March 1999 as the founding date of the statewide Iowa Green Party.

The party developed from Green organizing already taking place in Iowa communities and began building a statewide political organization.

2000

Ralph Nader and a Statewide Ballot Status Milestone

The 2000 presidential election became an important milestone for the Iowa Green Party.

Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke appeared on the Iowa ballot as Iowa Green Party candidates for President and Vice President. Published election records report 29,374 votes statewide, approximately 2.23 percent of the Iowa presidential vote.

That result was enough for the Iowa Green Party to qualify for statewide ballot status. Green Party ballot access records identify February 2001 as the date when that status took effect.

Iowa Green candidates also appeared in other races during this period. For example, official 2000 Iowa election records list Russell Lovetinsky as an Iowa Green Party candidate for the Iowa House.

2001

National Green Party Affiliation

On June 7, 2001, the Iowa Green Party formally affiliated with the Green Party of the United States.

A surviving affiliation agreement contained in Federal Election Commission records established Iowa's relationship with the national Green Party. The agreement included provisions for Iowa delegates to the national organization, statewide conventions, voter registration, ballot access efforts, and the nomination of Green candidates for local, state, and federal office.

The Iowa Green Party was subsequently listed among the member state parties of the Green Party of the United States.

2002

A Statewide Green Ticket

The Iowa Green Party fielded a statewide gubernatorial ticket in the 2002 general election.

Jay Robinson ran for Governor with Holly Jane Hart as the Green candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Official Iowa election records identify the ticket as the Iowa Green Party ticket.

Published election records report 14,628 votes statewide, approximately 1.4 percent of the vote.

Because Iowa required 2 percent in the qualifying statewide race to retain statewide party status, the result was not sufficient for the Iowa Green Party to retain that status after the election.

Iowa legislative records later noted that the Green Party was dropped as a recognized Iowa political party because of insufficient electoral participation under the state's qualification requirements. Loss of recognized party status did not end Green political activity in Iowa.

Continuing Green Electoral Activity

Historical Iowa Green presidential tickets include:

2013

The Green Party of the United States held its Annual National Meeting at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Historical Archive

The Iowa Green Party is preserving historical records relating to Green political activity in Iowa.

Verified history is distinguished from incomplete historical working notes. Uncertain archival notes are identified carefully.

Historical Platform

The archive contains an Iowa Green Party platform dated 2002. It is presented as a historical platform, not the current platform of the Iowa Green Party.

Historical Platform

Help Preserve Iowa Green History

The Iowa Green Party is rebuilding and preserving its historical record.

People with historical Iowa Green Party materials or corrections are invited to contact the Webmaster.

Useful materials may include:

Contact:
web@iowagp.org

Historical submissions are handled before posting.

Archive Note

Historical information on this page is based on surviving records and publicly available sources. Some portions of Iowa Green Party history remain under research.

When records conflict or information cannot yet be independently verified, the material will be identified accordingly rather than presented as settled historical fact.

Archive Notice
Some documents and records on this website were created many years ago. Historical platforms, election records, meeting notes, photographs, articles, and organizational records are preserved because they document Green Party activity in Iowa. Historical material does not necessarily represent the current officers, structure, policies, candidates, or positions of the Iowa Green Party. Information that has not yet been fully verified may be identified as historical, archival, incomplete, or under research.

Historical Sources

Historical pages distinguish verified information, archival material, incomplete records, and information still being checked.

Source notes may include Iowa Secretary of State official election records, Green Party of the United States records, Iowa Green Party historical archive materials, Federal Election Commission records, and contemporary Iowa news coverage.