Kent Mesplay

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 lost again in 2008. He may run for the Presidential Nomination again in 2012. He is currently focusing his efforts on gaining a House seat for a region in or near Orange County, CA.

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, California. 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, California, before moving to La Mesa and teaching mathematics in the Grossmont Union High School District. He currently works as an Air Quality Inspector at the Air Pollution Control District, in San Diego. [http://www.politics1.com/greens04a.htm]

Early politics

Mesplay has been a Green Party of California delegate to the Green National Committee since 2004 [http://cagreens.org/delegates/#del] . 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.

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. [http://www.thegreenpapers.com/T04/Gr-Soft.phtml] 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).

Round two of presidential nomination voting

770 delegates voting; majority = 386 votes [http://www.thegreenpapers.com/T04/Gr-Nom.phtml]
*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%)

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.

Presidential election 2008

Mesplay announced he was 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.

Mesplay came in fourth at the convention, the nominee being Cynthia McKinney. [http://gp.org/2008-elections/2008-Presidential-Ballots_1.htm]

References

External links

* [http://www.mesplay.org Kent Mesplay Official Site]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=261074102 Official Kent Mesplay for President MySpace page]
* [http://www.gp.org Green Party Official Site]
* [http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=56516 Candidate profile] at Project Vote Smart
* [http://www.liftedmagazine.com/index-2.asp?ID=277 Interview with Lifted Magazine regarding '08 run]
* [http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=1805 Article in San Diego CityBEAT regarding '08 run]
* [http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/P40003279/ Presidential campaign FEC disclosure report]