Pat LaMarche
Encyclopedia
Patricia Helen "Pat" LaMarche (born 26 November 1960) is an American
political figure and activist with the Green Party
; she was the party's vice-presidential
candidate in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, with David Cobb
as its presidential candidate, and was one of seven co-chairs of the party's national committee
, the Green Party of the United States, elected to that position on July 24, 2005.
, Rhode Island
, the fourth of five children. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from Southern Ireland
. Her father, Paul Henri LaMarche, is a doctor, and her mother, Genevieve (née Judge), was at that time a housewife but later became an auditor employed by the state of Maine
. When the family moved to Bangor
, Maine, in the 1970s, LaMarche enrolled at John Bapst Memorial High School
where she graduated near the top of her class. She pursued her education with four years at Boston College
.
LaMarche returned to Maine in 1982, and the following year, she married Michael Russell. She had two children: Rebecca in 1985 and John in 1987. Patricia and Michael divorced in 1990. In the late eighties, she moved into the broadcasting field and was employed at various television and radio stations in the Bangor area. LaMarche has taught Public Relations at Husson College
's school of Communications and headed the Bangor chapter of the Children's Miracle Network
, which she saw go from one of the worst in the nation to the most successful.
In 1996 LaMarche moved south to Portland
, Maine
, to take a job at talk radio station WGAN
.
Until the beginning of her vice-presidential campaign, LaMarche was employed by a country music
radio station
in Maine under the pseudonym
of Genny Judge; however, this ended with her candidacy.
On September 5, 2004, LaMarche announced that she would be visiting and staying overnight in homeless
and domestic violence
shelters throughout the United States "to draw attention to those living on the edge of society." The campaign dubbed this LaMarche's "Left-Out Tour." Left Out in America, LaMarche's book which chronicles her tour through American homeless shelters, was released on October 5, 2006, by.
ticket for the 2006 Maine gubernatorial election
against incumbent Democrat
John Baldacci
. Her positions garnered the endorsement, among others, of Chris Miller, progressive former Democratic candidate for governor who lost in the primaries. LaMarche was one of three Maine Candidates who took advantage of Maine's Clean Election Act, a taxpayer-funded campaign system which rewards candidates with public funds if they meet the required 2,500 $5 contributions In November 2006, LaMarche received 51,992 votes (9.56%) in the Maine race for governor.
The LaMarche for Governor website was being permanently archived by the Library of Congress official 2006 Election archive. The site also won a number of awards, including The Golden Dot Award as Best Local Campaign Website of the 2006 campaign at the annual Politics Online conference held in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2007, A Pollie Award from the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) in the gubernatorial websites category, and An Honorable Mention from AAPC for mobile technology used in the LaMarche campaign.
.
column which can be read on line in the Bangor Daily News
. LaMarche is also a Contributing Author for the online news and commentary site New Clear Vision as well as a contributor to the Huffington Post.
Outwith her Journalism, LaMarche was Vice President of Safe Harbour, a Homeless Shelter based in Carlisle PA for several years. She returned to Maine in June 2011, having been offered the opportunity by Stephen King to institute "a left-leaning" Talk show. With her co-presenter, Don Cookson, LaMarche appears on the Station WZON show "The Pulse" 5 mornings each week. In November 2011, in order to raise matched funding on offer from Stephen King, LaMarche announced her intention to spend a week living in a "Hobbit Hole" outdoors, notwithstanding the bracing Maine Winter conditions.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political figure and activist with the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
; she was the party's vice-presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
candidate in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, with David Cobb
David Cobb
David Keith Cobb is an American activist and was the 2004 presidential candidate of the Green Party of the United States .-Career and political activities:...
as its presidential candidate, and was one of seven co-chairs of the party's national committee
Political party committee
In the United States, a political party committee is an organization, officially affiliated with a political party and registered with the Federal Elections Commission , which raises and spends money for political campaigning...
, the Green Party of the United States, elected to that position on July 24, 2005.
Early life
LaMarche was born in ProvidenceProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, the fourth of five children. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from Southern Ireland
Southern Ireland
Southern Ireland was a short-lived autonomous region of the United Kingdom established on 3 May 1921 and dissolved on 6 December 1922.Southern Ireland was established under the Government of Ireland Act 1920 together with its sister region, Northern Ireland...
. Her father, Paul Henri LaMarche, is a doctor, and her mother, Genevieve (née Judge), was at that time a housewife but later became an auditor employed by the state of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. When the family moved to Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
, Maine, in the 1970s, LaMarche enrolled at John Bapst Memorial High School
John Bapst Memorial High School
John Bapst Memorial High School is a private, independent, collegepreparatory high school in Bangor, Maine, United States. It serves approximately 500 ninth through twelfth grade students from 50 different communities in the region...
where she graduated near the top of her class. She pursued her education with four years at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
.
LaMarche returned to Maine in 1982, and the following year, she married Michael Russell. She had two children: Rebecca in 1985 and John in 1987. Patricia and Michael divorced in 1990. In the late eighties, she moved into the broadcasting field and was employed at various television and radio stations in the Bangor area. LaMarche has taught Public Relations at Husson College
Husson College
Husson University, formerly Husson College, is a private university located in Bangor, Maine, USA offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. Enrollment for the 2009-2010 academic year was over 3,500 students, with approximately 600 of those in graduate programs.-History:The university named after...
's school of Communications and headed the Bangor chapter of the Children's Miracle Network
Children's Miracle Network
The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals is an international non-profit organization that raises funds for children's hospitals, medical research and community awareness of children's health issues. The organization, founded in 1982 by the Osmond family and John Schneider, is headquartered in...
, which she saw go from one of the worst in the nation to the most successful.
In 1996 LaMarche moved south to Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, to take a job at talk radio station WGAN
WGAN
WGAN is an American AM radio station licensed to Portland, Maine and owned by Saga Communications. It is located at 560 on the AM band. The current format is News/Talk, with local news being provided by a small local staff and national news provided by CBS and CNN Radio.The station was founded in...
.
Public life
She was approached to run for governor of the state of Maine in 1998 on the Green Independent Party ticket. LaMarche led a respectable campaign that generated seven percent of the vote from a meager budget of approximately $20,000. She became the first woman in the history of the state of Maine to gain ballot access for a political party.Until the beginning of her vice-presidential campaign, LaMarche was employed by a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Maine under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Genny Judge; however, this ended with her candidacy.
On September 5, 2004, LaMarche announced that she would be visiting and staying overnight in homeless
Homeless shelter
Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people which seek to protect vulnerable populations from the often devastating effects of homelessness while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community...
and domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
shelters throughout the United States "to draw attention to those living on the edge of society." The campaign dubbed this LaMarche's "Left-Out Tour." Left Out in America, LaMarche's book which chronicles her tour through American homeless shelters, was released on October 5, 2006, by.
2006 gubernatorial election
On December 8, 2005, LaMarche announced her candidacy on the Maine Green Independent PartyMaine Green Independent Party
The Maine Green Independent Party is the oldest state Green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 18 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine...
ticket for the 2006 Maine gubernatorial election
Maine gubernatorial election, 2006
The Maine gubernatorial election of 2006 took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democrat John Baldacci was then re-elected to his second term....
against incumbent Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
John Baldacci
John Baldacci
John Elias Baldacci is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maine from 2003 until 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003....
. Her positions garnered the endorsement, among others, of Chris Miller, progressive former Democratic candidate for governor who lost in the primaries. LaMarche was one of three Maine Candidates who took advantage of Maine's Clean Election Act, a taxpayer-funded campaign system which rewards candidates with public funds if they meet the required 2,500 $5 contributions In November 2006, LaMarche received 51,992 votes (9.56%) in the Maine race for governor.
The LaMarche for Governor website was being permanently archived by the Library of Congress official 2006 Election archive. The site also won a number of awards, including The Golden Dot Award as Best Local Campaign Website of the 2006 campaign at the annual Politics Online conference held in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2007, A Pollie Award from the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) in the gubernatorial websites category, and An Honorable Mention from AAPC for mobile technology used in the LaMarche campaign.
Since 2006
In 2008, LaMarche announced that she would not run for governor in the 2010 electionMaine gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Maine gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor John Baldacci was term-limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010...
.
Other occupations
From 2007 -11, LaMarche authored a weekly syndicatedPrint syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
column which can be read on line in the Bangor Daily News
Bangor Daily News
The Bangor Daily News is an American newspaper that was founded on June 18, 1889; in 1900 the paper merged with the Bangor Whig and Courier. The Bangor Publishing Co. publishes the paper in Bangor, Maine, in addition to two weekly papers distributed by the BDN and several others distributed by the...
. LaMarche is also a Contributing Author for the online news and commentary site New Clear Vision as well as a contributor to the Huffington Post.
Outwith her Journalism, LaMarche was Vice President of Safe Harbour, a Homeless Shelter based in Carlisle PA for several years. She returned to Maine in June 2011, having been offered the opportunity by Stephen King to institute "a left-leaning" Talk show. With her co-presenter, Don Cookson, LaMarche appears on the Station WZON show "The Pulse" 5 mornings each week. In November 2011, in order to raise matched funding on offer from Stephen King, LaMarche announced her intention to spend a week living in a "Hobbit Hole" outdoors, notwithstanding the bracing Maine Winter conditions.
External links
- Official Pat LaMarche for Governor Website
- Biography from 2006 candidacy webpage
- LaMarche's column for Bangor Daily News
- Official biography (former Cobb '04 webpage)
- Interview with La Marche about her tour of homeless shelters
- 2004 Green Party Convention VP nomination acceptance speech
- LaMarche as contributor to the Huffington Post