Benjamin R. Manski, July 16, 1974 (Pittsburgh, Penn.) -
VP candidate for Green Party of the United States (2012)
Running mate with nominee: Jill Ellen Stein (b. 1950)
Popular vote: 7,665 (0.36%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
The 2012 Green Party Presidential nomination was won by Massachusetts physician Jill Stein, a perennial Green Party candidate for various offices in the Bay State during the previous decade. From 2005-2011 she had been twice elected to the Lexington, Mass. town council, her only public office prior to running for the White House.
The cornerstone of Stein's campaign was the Green New Deal, a phrase that goes back to the early 21st century, was picked up and expanded on by the Green Party, and then later co-opted by progressive Democrats. The Party's 2012 Green New Deal not only called for assertive environmental measures but also included several social issues such as full employment, strict tariffs, support labor unions, upgrade the nation's infrastructure, tuition-free education, a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions, phase out dependence on oil-coal-nuclear power, repeal the Patriot Act, Statehood for DC, legalize marijuana.
Although Stein might have appeared radical to mainstream voters, she looked totally moderate when compared to her running-mate, controversial Philadelphia-based activist Cheri Honkala. The Green Party VP had a Dickens style hardluck upbringing and later survived as a homeless single mother living in her car. In her struggle she evolved into an unorthodox and in-your-face advocate on behalf of those living on the margins of society. Her method of operation was confrontational, probably giving her the record for number of arrests related to civil disobedience for 2012 nominees. Honkala's efforts worked in terms of generating attention for her cause. Back when magazines had more clout than they do today, Ms. Magazine named Honkala "Woman of the Year" in 2001, and Mother Jones bestowed the "Hellraiser of the Month" honor to her in April 2005.
Stein and Honkala were arrested more than once during the campaign in the course of protesting issues like foreclosures and being excluded from the Obama-Romney debates. Incarceration was considered just part of the election process.
In Wisconsin Stein's running-mate was Ben Manski, in Illinois it was Howie Hawkins.
Longtime activist Manski, who was one of the organizers for the 1999 WTO protest in Seattle [Washington State Trivia Alert!!] had joined the Green Party in 1990. He served as Ralph Nader's Midwest field director in the 2000 election. He had run twice before for county and state legislative offices, both times almost coming within reach of winning. In 2012 he was Jill Stein's campaign manager.
Initially placed on the ballot as a placeholder, Manski somehow ended up appearing on the final ballot with Stein. The press characterized that move as an accidental result of a bureaucratic entanglement.
Stein finished in 4th place nationally and in Wisconsin as well, with the Stein/Manski ticket finishing with 0.25% of the vote in that state.
Stein would run again in 2016 where she had morphed into a different kind of candidate who would have more of an impact on the outcome of the election. I'll get to that later.
Election history:
1996 - Dane County Board of Supervisors (Nonpartisan) - defeated
2010 - Wisconsin State Assembly (Green Party of the United States) - defeated
Other occupations: attorney, co-founder 180/Movement for Democracy and Education, founder of Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution
Notes:
Spent part of his childhood in Israel before his family moved to Madison, Wis.
