Green candidate eyes Blaine House run

Lynne Williams, state chairwoman of the Maine Green Independent Party, sent a letter to members and others recently announcing her plan to run for governor in 2010. "I have made the commitment to run as a candidate for governor of Maine in 2010 and have made this decision based on a number of factors," she wrote. "I value our party tremendously, as it is the only currently viable alternative to the corporate parties." She then goes on to outline some priorities, including redefining growth and progress, restructuring the tax code, creating jobs in mass transit, and bringing an overall vision to Augusta. "In summary, we need to look at the economic situation in our state in a holistic way," she wrote. "We need to determine what we want our state to be, what we value and how we can protect what we value." In the last two gubernatorial election cycles, Green candidates have gotten close to 10 percent of the vote, with Jonathan Carter getting 9 percent in 2002 and Pat LaMarche getting 9.56 percent in 2006. After her 2006 run, her second try for the Blaine House, LaMarche said she would not run for governor again. Williams is a Bar Harbor attorney.