Politics

McKinney considers run for Green Party ticket

April 9th, 2012

A one-time staple of DeKalb County politics might have a hard time winning her old seat in Congress.

The Atlanta Progressive News reported McKinney told the online publication she plans to run for the seat. McKinney didn’t return WABE’s request for an interview.

McKinney has long been a Democrat. Since 2008, she’s been a member of the Green Party. The co-chair of DeKalb’s Green Party says McKinney is considering a run but has yet to file paper work or hire staff.

“Third party candidates in Georgia have not had a really good history.”

Behind Republicans and Democrats, political analyst Bill Crane says Libertarians have been the most successful “third” party in Georgia and Libertarian candidates usually gets no more than 5% of the vote.

If she runs, one of McKinney’s strengths could be the six terms she spent in Congress representing the 4^th district. But, Crane says she hasn’t been in office since 2006.

That same year McKinney had well publicized altercation with a Capitol Hill police officer and lost to Democrat Hank Johnson in the primary. Johnson, who still holds the seat, had not comment for this story.