Congratulations to Ray Tricomo on winning the Green Party nomination for U.S. Senate, and to all the Green voters who stepped up for him. The endorsement of Ed McGaa at the statewide convention was a curious one indeed. At the time of the convention, McGaa had only been in the race and with the Greens for a few weeks. His opponent for the endorsement, Tim Davis, had been a Green Party activist for several years. While many point to a letter circulated at the convention (in part by members of Sen. Paul Wellstone’s campaign staff) urging delegates not to endorse anyone as a factor in McGaa’s victory, I think that it had more to do with a party that was dealing with twice as many people as it had at its previous convention.

At the end of the very long one-day event, McGaa’s eloquent speaking style and message of inclusion won more delegates than Davis’ message of voicing the Green platform and values in the race. Among the party faithful were many who had personally urged Davis to seek the nomination; this development was viewed with great dismay. That is where support for Ray Tricomo’s campaign began.

Tricomo has picked up the Green banner where Davis left it. His message, such as evaluating the effect of legislation for seven generations, comes straight from the party’s ten key values and accurately reflects the liberal conscience of the international Green movement. In the end, I think that McGaa had the best of intentions, but I believe his endorsement was the result of a party experiencing some growing pains. Tricomo was the better candidate to express the values of the larger movement, and the primary system has worked to affirm that.