Cochise County's Herald-Review Media publishes a letter by Richard Grayson, "A spoiler candidacy isn't a protest, it's a risk," about the Arizona Green Party

Today, Thursday, July 2, 2026, Cochise County's Herald-Review Media publishes a Letter by Richard Grayson, "A spoiler candidacy isn't a protest, it's a risk," about the Arizona Green Party in response to an earlier letter:

Gary Swing's letter highlights Green Party values – but Democrats share those values, too. The real question is electoral consequence.

In the entire history of the State of Arizona, no candidate not a Republican or Democrat has ever won a contested partisan election, and there is no reason to believe this year will be different.

With Arizona's governor, Secretary of State, and 6th Congressional District races all potential tossups, Green candidates can tip outcomes towards the Republicans. The Green Party establishment dismisses both major parties as a "uniparty" or "corporate duopoly," but that framing ignores real differences. Bernie Sanders, Zohran Mamdani, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are not Andy Biggs, JD Vance, or Kari Lake. Those differences matter enormously under an administration many Arizona Green Party members find authoritarian and corrupt.

The CD6 race between Republican Juan Ciscomani and Democrat JoAnna Mendoza could help determine control of the U.S. House. A spoiler candidacy by Mr. Swing there isn't a protest – it's a risk. The vast majority of voters, Democrat and Republican alike, will reject the Green Party's refusal to reckon with political reality no matter who their candidates are.

Richard Grayson

Apache Junction