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Randy Toler
Bornc. 1965(agec. 58)[1]
Elgin,Illinois,United States
Known for
Political partyGreen

Randy Toler(bornc. 1965) is an Americananti-nuclearpower activist, perennial candidate, and environmentalist. He claimed to have founded theGreen Party of the United Stateswhen he was 17 years old,[1]but this is disputed by the Green Party's official account.[2][3]Toler is a current co-chair of theGreen Party of Florida.[4]

Toler ran for school board inHillsborough County, Floridain 2014 and 2016, losing both elections.[5]He has filed paperwork to run in both the2024 Green Party presidential primariesand the Green Party nomination for the2024 United States Senate election in Florida.[6][7]He has claimed to have run for many other offices, includingMayor of Chicago,Governor, andUS Congress.[8]

Founding of the Green Party of the United States

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Toler has claimed to have founded the Green Party of the United States as a teenager in the 1970s while living inNiles, Michigan.[9]According to Toler, the party stuck mostly to the west coast for its first few years, with its largest branch inChicago.[2][10]In 1983, the party went national, opting to endorseWalter Mondale'sunsuccessful presidential runinstead of supporting the proposed candidacy ofJohn Anderson.[1][11]This led to a conflict with theCitizen's Partyover which party would represent the US Green Party abroad.[10]Toler's party was often in dispute with theGreen Party of California.[12]

Toler's account has been disputed.[2][8]The Green Party's official account credits Alan Philbrook and John Rensenbrink for founding theMaine Green Partyin 1984, which led to the national party being organized several years later.[13]Howie Hawkinsstated that Toler's Green Party was "just one guy" and that he had "conned the media many times."[14]

Activism

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Toler has been described as an "anti-nuclear" activist. In 1987, he attempted to recallRolling Meadowsmayor William Ahrens, but was denounced by many local politicians as an extremist.[15]That same year he organized a protest againstAmerika,a television series.[16]

In the early 2000s, Toler and his faction of the Green Party led opposition to an Illinois toll law.[17]

Lawsuits

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Toler sued theNewport Beachpolice chief in 1983 for $700 due to a high police presence outside of a Green Party fundraiser.[9]A spokesman for the police department denied any intention to monitor the group, instead citing concerns that alcohol would be served to minors at the event.[9]The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge.[18]

In 1986, he sued aLaRouche movement-affiliated newspaper for $4 million dollars due to slanderous statements made about the Green Party and their policy positions ondrug legalization.[19]

Electoral history

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2014 school board

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Toler ran for school board forHillsborough County Public Schoolsdistrict on a platform calling for greater resources for special needs students.[20]He finished in 6th place.[5]

2014 Hillsborough County Public Schools District 6
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan April Griffen (incumbent) 31,272 27% N/A
Nonpartisan Dipa Shah 19,022 16.4% N/A
Nonpartisan Stacy Hahn 18,214 15.7% N/A
Nonpartisan Paula P. Meckley 17,050 14.7% N/A
Nonpartisan Allison McGillivray Fernandez 14,441 12.5% N/A
Nonpartisan Randy Toler 7,587 6.5% N/A
Nonpartisan Lee Sierra 5,044 4.4% N/A
Nonpartisan Asher D. Edelson 3,302 2.8% N/A

2016 school board

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Toler ran again for school board, calling for endingbureaucracyand the elimination ofCommon Core,in addition to increased resources for special needs kids.[21]His wife, Alica, also ran for a different school board seat.[22]He finished in 5th place,[5]while his wife also lost her election.[23]

2016 Hillsborough County Public Schools District 7
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Catherine James 31,436 23.08% N/A
Nonpartisan Lynn Gray 26,795 19.67% N/A
Nonpartisan Stanley Gray 18,716 13.74% N/A
Nonpartisan Alan Clendenin 15,731 11.55% N/A
Nonpartisan Randy Toler 14,444 10.60% N/A
Nonpartisan Joseph Caetano 10,800 7.93% N/A
Nonpartisan Carlos Frontela 9,244 6.79% N/A
Nonpartisan Norene Miller 9,051 6.64% N/A

2024 presidential campaign

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See also:2024 Green Party presidential primaries

Toler filed paperwork to run for president in August 2021,[6]but did not campaign for the office until July 2023.[24]His platform calls for "putting the green back in Green Party."[8]He received only a half delegate vote during theconvention roll call.[25]Toler appeared at a Green Party debate inWorcester, Massachusetts.[26]

He has also filed paperwork torunforUS SenateinFlorida.[7][24]

Other races

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He has claimed to have run for many other offices, includingMayor of Chicago,Governor, andUS Congress.[8]

1984 congressional campaign

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Toler declared his candidacy forCalifornia's 43rd congressional districton January 14, 1984 as aDemocrat,having initially wanted to run againstWilliam Dannemeyerin the 39th district.[27][28]Toler lost the primary.

1992 and 1996 presidential elections

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Toler declared himself as a candidate for president in 1992,[29]he did not campaign and was not on any state's ballot. In 1996, he was a critical opponent ofRalph Nader'spresidential candidacy.[30]

Personal life

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Toler was born inElgin, Illinoisand grew up inNiles, Michigan.He attended theUniversity of Missouri.[31]

References

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  1. ^abcFarrel, William (September 19, 1983)."U.S.A. GREEN PARTY COMES TO WASHINGTON AND BACKS MONDALE".New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  2. ^abcFitzgerald, Alison (August 29, 1997)."Green Party attempts to quell infighting and gain influence".The News Herald.Associated Press– viaNewspaperArchive.
  3. ^Gaard, Greta (1998).Ecological Politics.Temple University Press.ISBN978-1-4399-0398-8.
  4. ^"2023-2024 Green Party of Florida Representatives".Green Party of Florida.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  5. ^abc"Randy Toler".Ballotpedia.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  6. ^ab"FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1533674".docquery.fec.gov.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  7. ^ab"FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1533671".docquery.fec.gov.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  8. ^abcdSokol, Markene (September 21, 2015)."Lifelong outsiders, married couple seek election to the Hillsborough School Board".Tampa Bay Times.RetrievedAugust 10,2023.
  9. ^abcJeanne, Wright (June 4, 1983)."Greens leader sues Newport police chief over fund-raiser".Santa Ana Orange County Register.RetrievedAugust 22,2024– viaNewspaperArchive.
  10. ^ab"Two factions fight to represent West German Green Party in U.S. - UPI Archives".UPI.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  11. ^"Mondale Choice of Green Party"(PDF).Arlington Heights Daily Herald.UPI. October 8, 1983.RetrievedAugust 22,2024– viaNewspaperArchive.
  12. ^Ross, Harold Wallace; White, Katharine Sergeant Angell (1996).The New Yorker.New Yorker Magazine.
  13. ^"Early History of the United States Green Party, 1984-2001".gp.org.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  14. ^"Greens to convene in Sycaruse"(PDF).Syracuse Herald Journal.April 22, 1993 – via [NewspaperArchive]].
  15. ^Rodriguez, Alex (April 30, 1987)."Man campaigns to dump mayor"(PDF).Arlington Heights Daily Herald– viaNewspaperArchive.
  16. ^Gregory, Ted (September 8, 1987)."WLS hit for refusing to air anti-'Amerika' views"(PDF).Arlington Heights Daily Herald– viaNewspaperArchive.
  17. ^Fusco, Chris (January 10, 2000)."Beware of a springtime tollway rebellion"(PDF).Arlington Heights Daily Herald– viaNewspaperArchive.
  18. ^"Court dismisses suit against police chief"(PDF).Santa Ana Orange County Register.July 23, 1983.
  19. ^"LaRouche paper sued"(PDF).Oak Forest Star.July 6, 1986 – viaNewspaperArchive.
  20. ^Perry, Mitch."Green Party member vies for Hillsborough County School Board seat".Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  21. ^"Hillsborough County School Board District 6: Randy Toler".Plant City Observer.August 21, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  22. ^"Lifelong outsiders, married couple seek election to the Hillsborough School Board".Tampa Bay Times.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  23. ^"Alicia Toler".Ballotpedia.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  24. ^abCruz, Abby; Gersony, Laura."'People are hungry for more choices': Inside the Green Party's push for 2024 ".ABC News.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
  25. ^Winger, Richard(August 18, 2024)."Green Party Convention Presidential Vote Tally".Ballot Access News.RetrievedAugust 19,2024.
  26. ^"Green Party candidates speak in Worcester Saturday".Spectrum News.RetrievedAugust 22,2024.
  27. ^"Toler declares candidacy for 43rd district"(PDF).Santa Ana Orange County Register.January 14, 1984. p. 33 – viaNewspaperArchive.
  28. ^Olswang, John (May 20, 1984)."Candidates running quieter in 43rd US District race"(PDF).Santa Ana Orange County Register.
  29. ^The Economist.Economist Newspaper Limited. 1992.
  30. ^"Illinois says Nader presidential ballots shouldn't count"(PDF).Southern Illinoisan.Associated Press.October 31, 1996 – viaNewspaperArchive.
  31. ^"About".Randy Toler for US President 2024.RetrievedJanuary 14,2024.
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