Longtime political activist Howie Hawkins is considering a bid for the Green Party’s presidential nomination, he told supporters in an email sent Wednesday.
“The purpose of the exploratory committee is to see if there’s enough of a groundswell of support among Greens for me to run for the Green nomination for president—much less put all my energy for 18 months into crisscrossing the nation as the 2020 Green nominee,” Hawkins wrote.
“If you want me to run, please go to our Hawkins 2020 Exploratory Committee and sign up, send your comments, make a contribution, and share this message on social media. Let your fellow Greens and political activists know about this campaign so we can understand if a strong campaign is possible.”
Hawkins indicated he would be participating in the public matching program, with the first $250 given doubled by public funds.
Hawkins has run for governor three times since 2010 on the Green Party line and the party has maintained its ballot status each cycle by receiving more than 50,000 votes with him at the top of the ticket.
His platforms have a way of seeping into the political mainstream. In 2014, Hawkins ran on pledges for a $15 minimum wage and opposition to banning high-volume hydrofracking in the state.