California's 168 delegates play key role at Green Party Presidential Nominating

CHICAGO - California's 168 delegates - by far the largest contingent of any state - will play a major role this week in choosing the Green Party's candidate for President at their 2008 Presidential Nominating Convention at the Palmer House Hilton and Chicago Symphony Center July 10-13.

The floor vote to choose the nominee will be held Saturday morning, California time.

With 419 votes needed to win the nomination, former George Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney www.runcynthiarun.org leads the delegate race with 304.5 delegates, including 45 won in California's presidential primary.

Kent Mesplay (www.mesplay.org), an environmental engineer from San Diego, leads a tightly-bunched second tier with 29.5 delegates, including three from California. Former West Virginia environmentalist, actor/producer Jesse Johnson (www.jesse08.org) has 27 delegates and Texas community organizer Kat Swift (www.voteswift.org), 24 delegates.

Former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader - who has declined to seek the Green Party nomination this time - sits in second place with 139 total delegates, including the 102 he won in the California presidential primary, leading all Green candidates. His 102 California delegates are pledged to him through the first round in Chicago.

"California is playing a key role at this convention. Beyond the nomination, many Greens from our state are poised to take leadership positions in the national party. While we are respectful of all Greens, California does represent the biggest Green voting block in the country," said Sanda Everette, the California Delegate Coordinator.