Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party
Founded	May 30, 1970; 55 years ago (1970-05-30)
Preceded by	People's Party
Headquarters	Dummerston, Vermont
Ideology	Socialism Anti-capitalism Environmentalism
Political position	Left-wing
Colors	Lime (Black sometimes used as well)
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	3 (2017)

The Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party (GMPJP) is a political group in Vermont, USA. Until 2021, it was known as the Liberty Union Party (LUP). This party describes itself as a "non-violent socialist party." This means they believe in a society where everyone shares resources fairly and works together peacefully.

The Liberty Union Party was started in 1970. Key founders included former Congressman William H. Meyer and Peter Diamondstone. The New York Times newspaper once called it a starting point for progressive ideas in Vermont. Today, it is the fourth-largest party in Vermont. It comes after the Democratic, Republican, and Progressive parties.

Party History: How it Started and Grew

The Liberty Union Party (LUP) was created to take part in the 1970 elections in Vermont. In 1971, a national group called the People's Party was formed. It brought together many state parties that had socialist ideas, including the LUP.

Bernie Sanders and the Party

Bernie Sanders joined the Liberty Union Party in 1971. He became a candidate for the party in several elections. In 1971, at his first party meeting, he was chosen to run for the Senate. He finished third, getting 2% of the votes.

Sanders also ran for governor for the party in 1976. He got 6.1% of the votes. This is still the best result for any LUP candidate for governor. He was the party chairman when he left in October 1977. Sanders left because the party was not very active between elections. Later, as an independent politician, Sanders became a U.S. Representative for Vermont in 1991. He became a U.S. Senator in 2007. He also ran for president as a Democrat in 2016 and 2020.

Other Key Elections and Candidates

In 1974, political scientist Michael Parenti ran for the House of Representatives for the party. He came in third with 7.1% of the votes. Bernie Sanders also ran again for the Senate but received 4.13% of the votes.

In 1976, John Franco, the party's candidate for lieutenant governor, got enough votes to send the election to the Vermont General Assembly's House. Over the years, many of the party's candidates, including co-founder Peter Diamondstone, ran in elections. However, none of them won a seat between 1970 and 2016.

Local Successes and Party Growth

In 2009, a candidate named David Van Deusen won a local election for the Moretown Select Board. He was supported by both the Liberty Union and Vermont Progressive Party. This was a big win for the Liberty Union Party. Van Deusen also won again in 2010. During his time on the board, he helped get better wages for town workers. He also helped increase property tax relief for disabled military veterans.

In 2012, the party became a "major party" again. This happened when Liberty Union candidate Mary Alice Herbert got 13.1% of the votes for Vermont Secretary of State. The party kept its "major party" status in 2014. Mary Alice Herbert again got 10.32% of the votes for Secretary of State.

Recent Elections and Name Change

In the 2016 Vermont gubernatorial election, former baseball pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee ran for governor as the Liberty Union candidate. He supported single-payer healthcare, which means everyone would have health insurance through a single system. Lee received 2.8% of the votes. This was the highest percentage for a LUP governor candidate since 1978.

In September 2021, the party changed its name. It went from Liberty Union to Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party. Jessica Diamondstone, the party chair, explained the change. She worried the old name might sound like the party had right-wing ideas. The new name, she felt, would make the party's political views clearer.

In 2022, under its new name, the Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party had candidates for U.S. Senate and Lieutenant Governor. Natasha Diamondstone-Kohout ran for U.S. Senate and got 0.5% of the votes. Ian Diamondstone ran for Lieutenant Governor and received 2.9% of the votes. Both candidates are related to Peter Diamondstone, one of the party's founders.

Liberty Union Party Gubernatorial Election Results

This table shows how the Liberty Union Party's candidates for governor have done over the years.

Presidential Candidates Supported by the Party

The Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party (and before that, the Liberty Union Party) has supported different presidential candidates over the years. These candidates usually come from other national leftist political parties.

• In 1972 and 1976, the party supported the candidates of the national People's Party.
• In 1980, 1988, 1996, and 2000, they supported candidates from the Socialist Party USA.
• In 2004, the party supported candidates from the Workers World Party.
• In 2008, Brian Moore and Stewart Alexander became the party's nominees after winning a primary election.
• In 2024, the Green Mountain Peace and Justice Party chose Cornel West as its candidate for President.

Presidential Election Results in Vermont

This table shows the presidential candidates the party has supported and their results in Vermont.

See also

• List of political parties in the United States
• List of democratic socialist parties and organizations