Marijuana Reform Party
New York political party advocating cannabis legalization
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Marijuana Reform Party (abbreviated MRP)[1] was a progressive minor[broken anchor] political party in the U.S. state of New York dedicated to the legalization of cannabis.[2] Founded in 1997, the Marijuana Reform Party ran a candidate for Governor of New York and other statewide offices in 1998 and 2002.[3]
Marijuana Reform Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | MRP |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Dissolved | 2004 |
| Ideology | Cannabis legalization |
Gubernatorial tickets
Election results
Results in New York City elections
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Manhattan Borough President | Thomas Leighton | 6,235 | 3.0%[6] |
| 2001 | Manhattan Borough President | Garry Goodrow | 7,322 | 1.9%[7] |
| 2001 | New York City Mayor | Thomas Leighton | 2,563 | 0.2%[7] |
| 2001 | New York City Comptroller | Tracy Blevins | 17,340 | 1.2%[7] |
| 2001 | New York City Public Advocate | Chris Launois | 21,721 | 1.5%[7] |
Results in New York State elections
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | New York Governor | Thomas Leighton | 24,788 | 0.50%[8] |
| 1998 | New York Comptroller | Dean Venezia | 39,423 | 0.79%[9] |
| 2002 | New York Governor | Thomas Leighton | 21,977 | 0.47%[10] |
Results in federal elections
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | United States Senator | Corinne Kurtz | 34,281 | 0.69%[11] |
Competition with the Green Party
In 1998, gubernatorial candidate Tom Leighton accused the Green Party of New York of trying to have him removed several times from the November ballot by "challenging the validity of his petition signatures".[12] The Board of Elections rejected the claim lodged by Richard Hirsh of the Green Party. Both parties, which appeal to liberal voters, competed for 50,000 votes required for an automatic ballot line on future ballots.[12] After both parties failed to obtain enough votes to gain a place on local and statewide ballots, Leighton stated that he had "no plans to try again next time."[13]