Elizabethtown resident Timothy Runkle, who leads the county\u2019s Green Party and is co-chair of the state party, said Dastra is key to growing support in more areas of the county.<\/p>\n
\u201cTony brings some new energy into areas you probably haven\u2019t seen us prior,\u201d Runkle said, noting the Green Party has not had active participation in Lancaster city elections since the local party began in the 1990s.<\/p>\n
Dastra is no stranger to third-party politics. Before joining the Green Party, he established the GoldGoose Party and ran under its banner in several citywide races.<\/p>\n
Dastra said he wants the Green Party to become an organization that people can trust to find solutions, not just campaign for reelection. The key to growth and political change at the national level, he said, will be to encourage involvement at the local level.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really hope I can bring energy to the table that gets people running in their local areas, because if we want the two-party system to change, there needs to be pressures that cause it to give,\u201d Dastra said.<\/p>\n
Runkle said he wants the party to create a comprehensive plan that identifies community needs across the state and can target areas of growth. Throughout the process, he said party leaders are speaking to Pennsylvania residents to better understand what they want from the party.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really want to leave the failed politics and the corporate politics behind,\u201d Runkle said of voters who spoken to Green Party organizers. \u201cThey\u2019re really looking for coalitions powered by common people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recent voter registration trends do create a challenge for the Green Party\u2019s efforts to boost its numbers, Runkle said, as with any political party. More Pennsylvania residents are moving away from party politics and, instead, are registering as independents.<\/p>\n
According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, more than 1.1 million people statewide are registered independents. In Lancaster County, more than 65,000 people are registered independents, about 18% of all registered voters.<\/p>\n