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Green Party candidate Rozum says she has been pressured to leave the race

Green Party of the United States
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gp.org

Green Party candidate Ursula Rozum says she's been pressured to drop out of the race in the 24th Congressional district.  She won't say who's putting that pressure on her, but says she has the ability to take votes away from both major party candidates, Democratic challenger Dan Maffei, and incumbent Republican Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle.“The Sienna College poll that came out a few weeks ago showed that I have equal support from Democrats and Republicans, and 10 percent of independent voters,” said Rozum. “And in that poll only 19 percent of those voters had heard of me, while over a third of those who had heard of me were supportive."  

Rozum says she has no intention of dropping out. And she says when she goes door to door, many voters say they'll support her because they don't have any faith in the major party candidates.  

“The reality is that I'm not the problem, but it's the major who have perpetuated this failed electoral system that are the problem," she said.

Rozum says the current winner takes all plurality election system needs to be replaced by instant runoff voting, or proportional representation.    

Buerkle and Maffei are currently running neck-and-neck in the nationally-watched race. In the last poll, Rozum came in a distant third.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.