#LetButchSpeak Supporters Demand Politico Include Dr Butch Ware in Governor Forum
SACRAMENTO, CA — “This is not the first time that a strong Green performance in a candidate forum has led to that candidate being excluded from future debates” writes Mike Feinstein, former mayor and city council member of Santa Monica CA, in a letter to Politico’s California Playbook editors.
California voters have raised serious concerns about Politico’s handling of its upcoming California Governor Candidate Forum scheduled for August 27.
Politico’s Response to Voter Demands
After receiving a flood of emails, social media messages and calls from constituents urging the inclusion of Green Party candidate Dr Butch Ware, Politico removed the title “gubernatorial candidate” from the biographies of every candidate on its promotional materials, instead of addressing voter concerns and including Dr Ware in the forum.
A Strong Performance at SEIU Forum
This change comes after Dr Ware delivered a rousing performance at the SEIU gubernatorial candidate forum, where he consistently received the loudest and most enthusiastic audience response, and where he polled highest as the member favorite candidate.
Despite being presented with the opportunity to recognize this momentum and presenting Californians with a third party candidate, Politico instead has chosen to ignore the question of Dr Ware’s exclusion by erasing the word “candidate” altogether.
Corporate Over Voter Access
Further exacerbating public frustration, Politico will be hosting a post-forum mixer, where the invited candidates will be given exclusive time to mingle with the corporate sponsors underwriting the event. This rightfully raises profound questions about whether the forum is intended to serve California voters or corporate interests.
A History of Excluding Green Candidates
Unfortunately, this exclusion is not new. California’s political establishment and corporate media have repeatedly blocked Green Party candidates from sharing the stage:
1998: Green Party governor candidate Dan Hamburg drew overwhelming applause at a candidate forum alongside Democrat Gray Davis and Republican Dan Lungren, to the extent that Davis refused to participate in any further debates with Hamburg.
2002: Davis went so far as to bar Green Party candidate governor Peter Camejo from sitting in the audience of a televised debate from which Camejo had been excluded from appearing on stage.
2010: Green governor candidate Laura Wells was arrested outside a gubernatorial debate where she was excluded, but was ticketed to attend.
This consistent hostility toward third-party candidates continues in 2025 with Dr Butch Ware.
Voters Deserve Better
California voters deserve more. When corporate sponsors and billionaire donors dictate who voters are allowed to hear from, that’s not democracy, it’s a corpocracy.
Excluding Dr Ware denies voters a real, solution-based alternative to the corporate duopoly that has repeatedly failed them on affordable housing, healthcare, climate and education.
Call to Action - #LETBUTCHSPEAK
Politico should do the right thing: add Dr Butch Ware to the speaking roster and give California voters the full spectrum of candidates they deserve.
When they exclude candidates, they exclude you
Join us in demanding fairness and transparency. Donate or volunteer today to put voters back at the center of democracy.
Register Green in California to help Dr Ware qualify for debates.
Media Contact
Juwairia Abbas, Press Secretary
Email: press@butchware4gov.com
Phone: 917-891-0441
Jason Call, Campaign Manager
Email: manager@butchware4gov.com
Phone: 425-691-6631
