{{short description|New York political party advocating cannabis legalization}} {{Infobox political party | name = Marijuana Reform Party | logo = Marijuana Reform Party logo.jpg | colorcode = Green | leader = | spokesperson = | foundation = 1997 | ideology = Cannabis legalization | headquarters = | international = | website = | country = the United States | chair = | abbreviation = MRP | dissolved = 2004 }}
The '''Marijuana Reform Party''' (abbreviated '''MRP''')<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/onpolitics/elections/2001/results/parties.htm|title=Key to Party Abbreviations|newspaper=The Washington Post|year=2001|accessdate=November 13, 2009}}</ref> was a progressive minor{{Broken anchor|date=2024-05-30|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=List of political parties in the United States#Categorizing U.S. political parties|reason= The anchor (Categorizing U.S. political parties) has been deleted.}} political party in the U.S. state of New York dedicated to the legalization of cannabis.<ref name=Siegel>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1998/05/26/1998-05-26_pol_is_taking_a_pot_shot__go.html|title=Pol is taking a pot show gov wanna-be has inhaled|first=Joel|last=Siegel|work=Daily News|publisher=Mortimer Zuckerman|date=May 26, 1998|accessdate=November 13, 2009}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Founded in 1997, the Marijuana Reform Party ran a candidate for Governor of New York and other statewide offices in 1998 and 2002.<ref name=Burnt>{{cite web|url=http://www.nypress.com/article-10743-burnt-out.html|title=Burnt Out|date=December 28, 2004|accessdate=November 13, 2009|work=New York Press|publisher=Manhattan Media}}</ref>
==Gubernatorial tickets== *1998 – Thomas K. Leighton and Jeffrey C. Wright<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/1998-11-03/theater/reefer-madness/|title=Reefer Madness|date=November 3, 2008|access-date=November 13, 2009|first=Frank|last=Ruscitti|work=The Village Voice|publisher=Village Voice Media|archive-date=October 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019090936/http://www.villagevoice.com/1998-11-03/theater/reefer-madness/|url-status=dead}}</ref> *2002 – Thomas K. Leighton and Thomas J. Hillgardner<ref>{{cite web|url=http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5416|title=Marijuana Reform Party Candidates To Appear On New York State Ballot|date=September 20, 2002|accessdate=November 13, 2009|publisher=National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws|archive-date=November 9, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091109030350/http://www.norml.org//index.cfm?Group_ID=5416|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Election results== ===Results in New York City elections=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Office ! Candidate ! Popular Votes ! Percentage |- | 1997 || Manhattan Borough President || Thomas Leighton || 6,235 || 3.0%<ref name="NYT 1997">{{cite news | title=The 1997 Elections: Results | date=November 5, 1997 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/05/nyregion/the-1997-elections-results-the-races-for.html | work=The New York Times }}</ref> |- | 2001 || Manhattan Borough President || Garry Goodrow || 7,322 || 1.9%<ref name="NYC 2001">{{cite news | title=Election Results Summary: 2001 General Election | date=November 6, 2001 | url=http://vote.nyc.ny.us/downloads/pdf/results/2001/generalelection/general2001.pdf | work =New York City Board of Elections }}</ref> |- | 2001 || New York City Mayor || Thomas Leighton || 2,563 || 0.2%<ref name="NYC 2001" /> |- | 2001 || New York City Comptroller || Tracy Blevins || 17,340 || 1.2%<ref name="NYC 2001" /> |- | 2001 || New York City Public Advocate || Chris Launois || 21,721 || 1.5%<ref name="NYC 2001" /> |}
===Results in New York State elections=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Office ! Candidate ! Popular Votes ! Percentage |- | 1998 || New York Governor || Thomas Leighton || 24,788 || 0.50%<ref name="NY 1998 Governor Results">{{cite news | title=Governor Election Returns 1998 | date=November 3, 1998 | website=New York State Board of Elections | url=https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/GOVWEB.pdf | access-date=April 16, 2017 | archive-date=January 7, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107234026/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/GOVWEB.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | 1998 || New York Comptroller || Dean Venezia || 39,423 || 0.79%<ref name="NY 1998 Comptroller Results">{{cite news | title=Comptroller Election Returns 1998 | date=November 3, 1998 | website=New York State Board of Elections | url=https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/COMPWEB.pdf | access-date=April 16, 2017 | archive-date=January 7, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107234030/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/COMPWEB.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | 2002 || New York Governor || Thomas Leighton || 21,977 || 0.47%<ref name="NY 2002 Election Results">{{cite news | title=Governor Election Returns 2002 | date=November 5, 2002 | website=New York State Board of Elections | url=https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2002/general/2002_gov.pdf | archive-date=August 5, 2019 | access-date=April 16, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805040313/https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2002/general/2002_gov.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> |}
===Results in federal elections=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Office ! Candidate ! Popular Votes ! Percentage |- | 1998 || United States Senator || Corinne Kurtz || 34,281 || 0.69%<ref name="NY 1998 US Senate Results">{{cite news | title=United States Senator Election Returns 1998 | date=November 3, 1998 | website=New York State Board of Elections | url=https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/USSENWEB.pdf | access-date=April 16, 2017 | archive-date=January 7, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107234036/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/USSENWEB.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> |}
==Competition with the Green Party== In 1998, gubernatorial candidate Tom Leighton accused the Green Party of New York of trying to have him removed several times from the November ballot by "challenging the validity of his petition signatures".<ref name=Bonanos>{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/politics/newyork/features/3216/|title=Politics: Marijuana Party Accuses Green Party of Weed-Whacking|first=Christopher|last=Bonanos|date=September 28, 1998|accessdate=November 13, 2009|work=New York}}</ref> The Board of Elections rejected the claim lodged by Richard Hirsh of the Green Party. Both parties, which appeal to liberal voters, competed for 50,000 votes required for an automatic ballot line on future ballots.<ref name=Bonanos/> After both parties failed to obtain enough votes to gain a place on local and statewide ballots, Leighton stated that he had "no plans to try again next time."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/07/us/2002-elections-smaller-parties-liberal-party-others-fall-short-votes-stay-ballot.html|title=The 2002 Elections: Smaller Parties; Liberal Party and Others Fall Short of Votes to Stay on Ballot|date=November 7, 2002|first=Robert|last=Worth|accessdate=November 13, 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref>
==See also== * Cannabis political parties of the United States
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{NewYorkPoliticalParties}}
Category:1997 in cannabis Category:Cannabis political parties in the United States Category:Political parties established in 1997 Category:Political parties disestablished in 2004 Category:Regional and state political parties in New York (state)