Oregon Public Broadcasting

Ralph Nader appears headed for the Oregon ballot.   Leaders of a newly formed political party say they’ll get the activist’s name on the November ballot as a Presidential candidate. Salem correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

The Oregon Peace Party exists for one reason.

Greg Kafoury:  “It was created in order to put Ralph Nader on the ballot.”

Portland attorney Greg Kafoury is an organizer for the Ralph Nader campaign.  He says using a newly created political party to get Nader on the ballot was an attempt to stay under the radar until the last possible moment.

That’s to avoid what happened in 2004 when Oregon Democrats organized to keep Nader off the ballot.  Kafoury says Nader hopes to bring substance to the Presidential race.

Greg Kafoury:  “Look at the Presidential campaign.  It has already devolved down into personal issues.  Flag pins.  Who owns how many houses.”

Kafoury says Nader will be on the ballot in at least 45 states.  That includes Washington and Idaho.

In the 2000 Presidential election Nader received nearly 80,000 votes in Oregon.