Kent Mesplay
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Kent Mesplay (born July 19, 1962) is the California delegate to the Green National Committee and unsuccessfully sought the 2004 Green Party Presidential nomination which he is seeking again in 2008.
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[edit] Personal
Mesplay was born and raised in Papua New Guinea to Lutheran Missionary parents. He graduated Valedictorian from Mira Mesa High School in 1980. In college, he studied Western and non-Western medicine, earning a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University and he obtained an undergrad degree in Engineering is from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA. After graduate school, Mesplay suffered through a long period of unemployment as he worked to develop a funded position for himself at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, CA, before moving to La Mesa and teaching math in the Grossmont Union High School District. He currently works as an Air Quality Inspector at the Air Pollution Control District, San Diego. [1]
[edit] Early politics
Mesplay has been a Green Party of California delegate to the Green National Committee since 2004 [2]. Formerly, he was elected Treasurer of the Green Party County Council, San Diego, he served from 1996-1997. Co-chair of the Communications Committee, Green Party County Council, San Diego, serving from 1996-1997.
[edit] Presidential election 2004
Mesplay sought the Green Party presidential nomination in 2004. Prior to the 2004 Green convention Mesplay was sixth in the "Soft" Delegate Count with 10 (1.3%) committed delegates [3]. Mesplay finished seventh in Round 1 of the Presidential Nomination Voting with 24 (3.1%) delegates. After a number of candidates withdrew or were eliminated Mesplay entered the second and final round, Mesplay finished third with 43 (5.6%) delegate votes. David Cobb recievied the nomination with 408 (53%) delegate votes beating out no nominee 308 (40%) (and endorsing Ralph Nader).
[edit] Round two of presidential nomination voting
770 delegates voting; majority = 386 votes [4]
- David Cobb - 408 (53.0%)
- No Nominee - 308 (40.0%)
- Kent Mesplay - 43 (5.6%)
- JoAnne Bier-Beemon - 8 (1.0%)
- Abstain - 3 (0.4%)
[edit] California Senate election 2006
In 2006 Mesplay attempted, unsuccessfully, to receive the nomination of the Green Party of California for the U.S. Senate election in California. He lost in the primaries to Todd Chretien. Chretien finished third in a field of six, losing to incumbent Democrat Dianne Feinstein (overall winner) and Republican candidate Richard "Dick" Mountjoy.
[edit] Presidential election 2008
Mesplay has announced he is seeking the Green Party nomination again in 2008, after a strong showing in 2004. Mesplay announced in his Senate run, "As a presidential candidate (2004, 2008) I stand for independence, decentralization, local security through sustainable planning and the usual green issues of a sane energy policy, the need to protect ecosystems and species, our dire need for an improved social safety net at the local level and a foreign policy cognizant of respect for other cultures." Socially, Mesplay supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage and holds other views typical of the Green Party Platform.
[edit] External links
- Kent Mesplay Official Site
- Official Kent Mesplay for President MySpace page
- Green Party Official Site
- Candidate profile at Project Vote Smart
- Interview with Lifted Magazine regarding '08 run
- Article in San Diego CityBEAT regarding '08 run
- Presidential campaign FEC disclosure report
