Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party
Abbreviation	GMPJP
Founded	May 30, 1970; 55 years ago (1970-05-30)
Headquarters	Dummerston, Vermont
Ideology	Socialism Anti-capitalism Environmentalism
Political position	Left-wing
Colors	Lime
Statewide Offices	0 / 6
Seats in the State Senate	0 / 30
Seats in the State House	0 / 150
Elected County Judges	0 / 42
Countywide Offices	0 / 42
Mayorships	0 / 8
Seats on the Burlington City Council	0 / 12
Other elected offices	0 (June 2025)[update]

The Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party (GMPJP) is a political party in Vermont, United States. It was known as the Liberty Union Party (LUP) until 2021. This party was started in 1970 by people who wanted to make big changes. They wanted to run in the 1970 Senate election.

The GMPJP calls itself a "non-violent socialist party." This means they believe in fairness and equality for everyone. They want to achieve this without using violence. In 1995, a newspaper called The New York Times said the LUP was important for starting new ideas in Vermont.

The GMPJP is the fourth-largest party in Vermont. It is smaller than the Democratic, Republican, and Progressive parties. Some well-known people who have been part of this party include Bernie Sanders and William H. Meyer.

History of the Party

How the Party Started

The Liberty Union Party (LUP) was created to take part in the Vermont elections of 1970. Some of its first leaders were William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone, and Dennis Morrisseau. They wanted to offer new choices to voters.

From the 1970s to the 1990s

In 1971, a national group called the People's Party was formed. It brought together many smaller socialist parties, including the LUP.

Bernie Sanders joined the LUP in 1971. He became a candidate for the party in several elections. In January 1972, he ran for the Senate and got 2% of the votes. He ran again in 1974 and received 4.13%. In 1976, Sanders ran for Governor of Vermont. He got 6.1% of the votes, which is still the best result for any LUP candidate for governor. Sanders left the party in 1977 because it was not very active between elections. Later, as an independent politician, he became a US Representative and then a US Senator for Vermont. He also ran for president as a Democrat in 2016 and 2020.

In 1974, political scientist Michael Parenti ran for the US House of Representatives for the party. He came in third with 7.1% of the votes. Even though many candidates ran, the party did not win many elections during this time.

From the 2000s to Today

In 2009, David Van Deusen won a local election for the Moretown Select Board. He was supported by the LUP and other groups. This was a big win for the Liberty Union Party. During his time on the board, he helped get better pay for town workers. He also helped disabled military veterans get more property tax relief. He supported using the Town Hall for a free children's play group.

In 2012, the party gained "major party status" again. This happened when their candidate, Mary Alice Herbert, received 13.1% of the votes for Vermont Secretary of State. This status means the party is officially recognized and has certain rights in elections. They kept this status in 2014 when Mary Alice Herbert got 10.32% of the votes for the same position.

In the 2016 Vermont gubernatorial election, former baseball player Bill "Spaceman" Lee ran for governor as the Liberty Union candidate. He supported healthcare for everyone and the right for Vermonters to own firearms. He received 2.8% of the votes, which was a good result for the party.

In September 2021, the party changed its name. It went from Liberty Union to Green Mountain Peace and Justice. Jessica Diamondstone, the party chair, said the old name might have sounded like it had right-wing ideas. She felt the new name would make the party's goals clearer.

In 2022, under its new name, the Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party had candidates for US Senate and Lieutenant Governor. In 2024, they also had candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, US House, and US Senate.

Election Results

Presidential Elections

Over the years, the GMPJP has supported different presidential candidates. These candidates usually came from other left-leaning political parties:

• People's Party: From 1971 to 1977, the LUP was part of this national party. They supported candidates like Benjamin Spock in 1972 and Margaret Wright in 1976.
• Socialist Party USA (SPUSA): The LUP supported SPUSA candidates in many elections. This included David McReynolds in 1980 and 2000, Willa Kenoyer in 1988, Mary Cal Hollis in 1996, and Stewart Alexander in 2012. In 2008, Brian Moore became their nominee by default.
• New Alliance Party (NAP): In 1984, the LUP supported NAP candidate Dennis Serrette. In 1992, they supported Lenora Fulani.
• Workers World Party (WWP): In 2004, the LUP supported WWP candidate John Parker.
• Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL): The LUP supported Gloria La Riva in both 2016 and 2020.
• Independents: In 2024, the GMPJP nominated Cornel West as its candidate for President.

Gubernatorial Elections

This table shows how the party's candidates for Governor of Vermont have done over the years. It lists the year, the candidate's name, how many votes they received, and their percentage of the total votes.

See also

• American Left
• Democratic Socialists of America
• Vermont Progressive Party
• Green Party of the United States
• History of the socialist movement in the United States