Jay Robinson, former assistant librarian at Simpson from 1998-2001, is running for Governor of Iowa and stopped by Simpson College on Oct. 21 to speak to students.

Robinson is the Iowa Green Party candidate for the office of governor this year. Robinson is a Pastor in the United Church of Christ, a farmer, a children’s librarian in Ames and was a candidate in the Iowa House District 90 election in 2000.

Robinson is running to give people a choice.

“We give a choice to those who haven’t had a voice. Just our very presence as a Green party is opening up democracy and offering a choice,” said Robinson.

Robinson’s goal for stopping at Simpson was to educate students about himself and what he believes in.

“We’re offering a voice to people, especially a lot of young people. We have a natural demographic amongst 18-35 year-olds because we’re speaking about issues that affect everybody well into the future, especially environmental issues,” Robinson said.

As a member of the Green party, he feels run-off voting is very important; in fact, run-off voting is one of the main themes he’s stressing in his campaign, along with grassroots democracy, community agriculture, community-based economics and peace and non-violence.

Run-off voting is where voters can select not only their first choice, but their second choice as well. Robinson feels that run-off voting would prevent problems like the ones during the last presidential election, as well as helping to increase the amount of positive campaigning by politicians.

Robinson also stressed that the Green party is the only peace party. “The Green party is not for war,” said Robinson, in regards to the current conflict in Iraq.

Robinson added, however, that no matter what key points he has stressed in his campaign, he still will come in and “talk ag” because that’s what he is familiar with, having grown up in rural Baxter.

Robinson also feels that corporations are getting “bigger and bigger and fewer and fewer” and are beginning to “overpower the national governments.”

“Reclaim power for the people, reclaim power for the earth,” Robinson said, discussing the “globalization of corporations.”

Robinson encourages everybody to register and vote in the upcoming election.