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'{{short description|American activist and political candidate}} {{Infobox person | image = LauraWellsSacramento3.jpg | image_size = 200px | birth_name = Laura Wells | birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1948|1|2}} | birth_place = [[Traverse City]], Michigan, U.S. | occupation = former financial and business analyst | party = [[Green Party (United States)|Green]] | children = 1 | spouse = Charles Goodwin (engaged) |alma_mater = [[Wayne State University]], <br /> [[Antioch University]] }} '''Laura Wells''' (born January 2, 1948) was a candidate for [[U.S. Representative]] for [[California's 13th congressional district]] in the November 2018 election. She was the [[Green Party (United States)|Green Party]] candidate in the [[2010 California gubernatorial election|2010 governor's race]] in [[California]]. Wells is a political activist and former financial and business analyst. She supports making significant changes to [[California Proposition 13 (1978)|Proposition 13]] and to the current super-majority voting rule in the Sacramento legislature. In 2002 she garnered nearly a half million votes in her run for California state controller.<ref>Chang, Jack. {{cite web|title=Green Party's California gubernatorial candidate steps up|url= http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2466219.html|accessdate=2010-02-03}} "The Sacramento Bee", Saturday January 16, 2010</ref> At the last 2010 gubernatorial debate in California, which excluded all third party candidates, Wells was arrested upon attempting to enter the building to watch the debate.<ref name="mercurynews.com">{{cite web|title=Gubernatorial candidate arrested outside debate Tuesday night|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16327284|accessdate=2010-10-13}} "The San Jose Mercury News", Wednesday October 13, 2010</ref> ==Background and education== Laura Wells was born and raised in [[Michigan]]. She earned her BA from [[Wayne State University]] in [[Detroit]] in 1969, where she was a scholarship student, majored in foreign languages, and was elected to the [[Phi Beta Kappa society]]. Wells earned a Masters of Education at [[Antioch University]], and later worked in finance, business analysis and computer programming. Wells has resided in California for more than 30 years. She has one daughter, Natalia, born in Oakland, now a musician and graduate of the [[University of California at Santa Cruz]]. Wells is engaged to Charles Goodwin, a former probation counselor in the juvenile division. ==Politics and public service== Wells has served in numerous county and state-level leadership positions in the Green Party of California since she registered with the Green Party in 1992.<ref name=smartvoter>{{cite web|title=Laura Wells, Candidate for State Controller; State of California, November 5, 2002 Election|url= http://www.smartvoter.org/2002/11/05/ca/state/vote/wells_l/|accessdate=2010-02-03|publisher= Smartvoter.org }}</ref> She was a founding member of the Green Party County Council in Alameda County (1992–94; 2002–04) and co-founder and managing editor of the national Green Party newspaper, ''Green Focus'' (2002–2004). In 2006, Wells served on the executive committee of the "IRV for Oakland" ([[Instant Runoff Voting]]) campaign while running for state controller.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Instant runoff voting wins big in Oakland |url=http://www.gp.org/greenpages/content/volume11/issue1/elections13.php|last=Wells|first=Laura |journal= Green Pages| volume=11 | issue =1|date= Winter 2007 }}</ref> IRV is a voting system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, rather than selecting only one candidate, a method which eliminates the so-called [[spoiler effect]] in elections. Wells helped garner support for IRV from U.S. Representative [[Barbara Lee]] of Oakland and other local representatives of most political parties in Oakland, including Greens, Libertarians, Peace and Freedom, Republicans, and Democrats. In November 2006, IRV achieved 69% voter approval. On January 5, 2010, the Oakland City Council voted to adopt IRV for its mayoral and council elections.<ref>{{cite web|title=Instant-runoff voting a go for Oakland|url=http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_14132699|last=Rayburn|first=Kelly |work= [[The Oakland Tribune]]|date= January 6, 2010}}</ref> In 2002 and 2006, Wells ran campaigns for [[California state controller|state controller]],<ref name=smartvoter/><ref>{{cite web|title=Laura Wells, Candidate for State Controller; State of California, November 7, 2006 Election|url= http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/ca/state/vote/wells_l/ |accessdate=2010-02-03}} Smartvoter.org</ref> receiving 419,873 votes in 2002, the most ever for a Green Party candidate in a statewide partisan race in California.<ref name=gpsb>{{cite web|title=Green Party Speakers Bureau: Laura Wells|url=http://www.gp.org/speakers/detail.php?ID=39|accessdate=2010-02-03}} Greenparty.org</ref> In 2009,<ref name=gpsb/> Wells appeared on the Fox News program "Your World" several times to discuss tax fairness in California.<ref>{{cite web|title=Green Party: Tax the Rich|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/search-results/m/27469144/have-the-rich-pay-for-health-care.htm|accessdate=2010-02-03|first= Neil |last=Cavuto|work= Your World|publisher= [[Fox Business News]] |date= April 1, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Have the Rich Pay for Health Care|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/search-results/m/27469144/have-the-rich-pay-for-health-care.htm |accessdate=2010-02-03|first= Neil |last=Cavuto|work= Your World|publisher= [[Fox Business News]] |date= November 18, 2009}}</ref> Wells has also participated in ten international delegations to [[Canada]] and [[South America]] to study innovations in participatory [[democracy]] and new [[constitution]]s, and has broadly worked in a range of volunteer and professional capacities for community and labor organizations, including Pesticide Action Network (North America), Women's Economic Agenda Project, and [[SEIU]] United Healthcare Workers (West).<ref>{{cite web|title=Candidate Biographical Statement for GPCA State Coordinating Committee|url= http://www.greeningca.org/greeningca_lw.html|accessdate=2010-02-03 |publisher=greeningca.org}}</ref> She co-founded Green Focus, a party newspaper.<ref name=gpsb/> ==2010 campaign for California governor== In January 2010, Laura Wells announced her candidacy for governor of California in the 2010 election.<ref name="sacbee.com">Chang, Jack. {{cite web|title=Green Party's California gubernatorial candidate steps up.|url= http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2466219.html|accessdate=2010-02-03}} "The Sacramento Bee" Saturday January 16, 2010</ref> Wells won the Green Party primary on June 8, 2010 with over 78% of the votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=California Semi-Official Election Results: Governor - Statewide Results |url=http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/gov/59.htm |accessdate=2010-07-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707221252/http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/gov/59.htm |archivedate=July 7, 2010 }} California Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, Tuesday June 8th, 2010 Semi-official Election Results</ref> Wells' campaign emphasized the California budget and tax issues, particularly [[California Proposition 13 (1978)|Proposition 13]], passed during [[Jerry Brown]]'s tenure as governor, which she says must be changed, in part because it primarily benefits [[corporations]] over individuals. In a position paper on Proposition 13, Wells wrote: <blockquote>Prop. 13, in 1978, was promoted to California voters as a way to reduce taxes and to stop fixed-income seniors and others from losing their homes due to escalating property taxes. Since then, the bulk of the "tax relief" goes places the voters never intended--giant corporations. Corporate properties are rarely re-assessed since corporations don't die and seldom sell.<ref>Wells, Laura {{cite web|title=Prop 13 means bad luck for California|url=http://www.smartvoter.org/2002/11/05/ca/state/vote/wells_l/paper2.html |accessdate=2010-02-03}} Smartvoter.org, Position Paper, 2002 Candidate for Controller; State of California</ref></blockquote> Wells also favored lowering the margin needed to pass a budget and raise taxes in the state from two-thirds to a simple [[majority]]. She supported increasing funding for education, and the use of a 'split-roll tax' to keep cap residential property taxes while allowing higher property taxes for businesses. In a January 2010 interview with ''The Sacramento Bee'' discussing her views on taxes and the budget in California, Wells stated: <blockquote>The two parties, the Democrat and Republican parties, do not address the root causes of the problem," Wells said. "That's off the table for them. ... To get what we want and to have the revenue that pays for it we need to have a budget that makes sense.<ref name="sacbee.com"/></blockquote> Wells has also addressed the difficulty that third parties have in running candidates for state elections: <blockquote>... she says [the difficulty for third parties] is a result of the "locked-down" system the Democrats and Republicans have put in place. As a case in point, she said she had to pay $6,000 for a 300-word ballot statement when she ran for state controller in 2006, a fee she said blocks minor-party candidates from running.<ref>Chang, Jack. {{cite web|title=Are frustrated Californians ready to go Green?|url= http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/2010/01/are-frustrated.html|accessdate=2010-02-03}} "The Sacramento Bee" Capitol Alert, Friday January 15, 2010</ref></blockquote> Wells supports a [[Single-payer health care|Single Payer Universal Health Care]] solution for California, and if given the opportunity, says that she would gladly sign SB 840 (the Single Payer bill introduced by State Senator Sheila Kuehl) into law.<ref>{{cite web|title=Laura Wells for Governor, Platform: Healthcare – Key Themes| url= http://www.laurawells.org/platform/6-health-care.html|accessdate=2010-02-03}} LauraWells.org, Platform</ref> Wells also supports the use of clean, [[sustainable]], local energy, including publicly owned utilities, [[Community Choice Aggregation]] (CCA) and localized (distributed) electricity generation, instead of nuclear power or [[carbon sequestration]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Laura Wells for Governor, Platform: Energy and Climate – Key Themes| url= http://www.laurawells.org/platform/12-energy-and-climate.html |accessdate=2010-02-03}} LauraWells.org, Platform</ref> Wells also opposes government [[Troubled Asset Relief Program|bailouts]] of large corporations and banks and proposes the creation of a State Bank for California which could partner with local banks and credit unions, and potentially improve their ability to lend.<ref>{{cite web|title=FAQs: STATE BANK FOR CALIFORNIA| url= http://www.laurawells.org/platform/34-state-bank-for-california.html|accessdate=2010-03-08}} LauraWells.org, Platform</ref> Other Green Party candidates, such as the 2010 Illinois gubernatorial candidate [[Rich Whitney]], also support a State Bank proposal. Wells has been endorsed by San Francisco for Democracy<ref>{{cite web|title=San Francisco for Democracy: Endorsements| url= http://www.sf4democracy.org/index.php?view=home_pac.html#June10Endorsements|accessdate=2010-05-08}} sf4democracy.org</ref> and numerous elected officials, described at her campaign website. ===Arrested at debates=== On October 12, 2010, Laura Wells was given a ticket to watch the California gubernatorial debate at Dominican University in San Rafael by a friend of hers and used it to enter the building. Wells was initially allowed in, but upon being recognized as the Green Party gubernatorial candidate, she was approached by security and asked to surrender the ticket on the grounds that it was not issued to her, but to her friend. When she refused to surrender the ticket, she was handcuffed and taken from the building and put into a police car, and arrested for "trespassing at a private party". She was later released.<ref name="mercurynews.com"/> Wells stated: <blockquote>Republicans and Democrats will go to any lengths, even arresting candidates, to keep the truth from California voters. There are solutions, but voters aren't being allowed to hear from independent candidates.</blockquote> ==Electoral history== {{Election box begin no party no change | title=California State Controller Green primary, 2002}} {{Election box winning candidate no party no change| |candidate = Laura Wells |votes = 29,457 |percentage = 84.12 }} {{Election box candidate no party no change| |candidate = David Delano Blanco |votes = 5,561 |percentage = 15.88 }} {{Election box total no party no change| |votes = 35,018 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title=California State Controller election, 2002<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2002_general/controller.pdf |title=Secretary of State |accessdate=29 July 2008 |date=December 16, 2002 |publisher=[[Secretary of State of California]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731034656/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2002_general/controller.pdf# |archive-date=31 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2002_general/reg.pdf |title=Registration and Participation |accessdate=29 July 2008 |date=December 18, 2002 |publisher=[[Secretary of State of California]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731034445/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2002_general/reg.pdf# |archive-date=31 July 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change| |party = California Democratic Party |candidate = [[Steve Westly]] |votes = 3,289,839 |percentage = 45.32 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = California Republican Party |candidate = [[Tom McClintock]] |votes = 3,273,028 |percentage = 45.09 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Green Party of California |candidate = '''Laura Wells''' |votes = 419,873 |percentage = 5.78 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Natural Law Party (United States) |candidate = J. Carlos Aguirre |votes = 179,999 |percentage = 2.48 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = American Independent Party |candidate = Ernest F. Vance |votes = 96,019 |percentage = 1.32 }} {{Election box invalid no change| |votes = 480,063 |percentage = 6.20 }} {{Election box total no change| |votes = 7,258,758 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box turnout no change| |percentage = 36.05 }} {{Election box hold with party link without swing| |winner = California Democratic Party }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title=California State Controller election, 2006<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2006_general/contr.pdf |title=Secretary of State |accessdate=2008-07-16 |date=2006-12-16 |publisher=[[Secretary of State of California]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080717043447/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2006_general/contr.pdf# |archive-date=2008-07-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2006_general/reg.pdf |title=Registration and Participation |accessdate=2008-07-16 |date=2006-12-18 |publisher=[[Secretary of State of California]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080717043347/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2006_general/reg.pdf# |archive-date=2008-07-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change| |party = California Democratic Party |candidate = [[John Chiang (California politician)|John Chiang]] |votes = 4,232,313 |percentage = 50.62 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = California Republican Party |candidate = [[Tony Strickland]] |votes = 3,360,611 |percentage = 40.19 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Green Party of California |candidate = Laura Wells |votes = 260,047 |percentage = 3.11 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Peace and Freedom Party (United States) |candidate = [[Elizabeth Cervantes Barron]] |votes = 212,383 |percentage = 2.54 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = Libertarian Party of California |candidate = Donna Tello |votes = 188,934 |percentage = 2.26 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change| |party = American Independent Party |candidate = Warren Campbell |votes = 106,761 |percentage = 1.28 }} {{Election box invalid no change| |votes = 538,010 |percentage = 6.05 }} {{Election box total no change| |votes = 8,361,049 |percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box turnout no change| |percentage = 39.29 }} {{Election box hold with party link without swing| |winner = California Democratic Party }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title = California gubernatorial election, 2010<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-general/complete-sov.pdf |title=Statement of Vote November 2, 2010, General Election |access-date=2010-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025242/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2010-general/complete-sov.pdf |archive-date=2014-06-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = Democratic Party (United States) | candidate = [[Jerry Brown]] | votes = 5,428,458 | percentage = 53.77 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = [[Meg Whitman]] | votes = 4,127,371 | percentage = 40.89 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = American Independent Party | candidate = Chelene Nightingale | votes = 166,308 | percentage = 1.7 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Libertarian Party (United States) | candidate = Dale Ogden | votes = 150,898 | percentage = 1.5 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Green Party of the United States | candidate = Laura Wells | votes = 129,231 | percentage = 1.2 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Peace and Freedom Party | candidate = Carlos Alvarez | votes = 92,856 | percentage = 0.9 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Independent (politician) | candidate = Other (write-ins) | votes = 363 | percentage = 0.0 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 10,095,485 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box gain with party link no change | winner = Democratic Party (United States) | loser = Republican Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change | title = [[2014 California State Controller election#Primary election|2014 California State Controller primary]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2014-primary/pdf/2014-complete-sov.pdf |title=Statement of Vote June 3, 2014, Statewide Direct Primary Election |publisher=California Secretary of State |accessdate=September 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804045652/http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2014-primary/pdf/2014-complete-sov.pdf# |archive-date=2014-08-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = California Republican Party | candidate = [[Ashley Swearengin]] | votes = 1,001,473 | percentage = 24.79 }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | party = California Democratic Party | candidate = [[Betty Yee]] | votes = 878,195 | percentage = 21.74 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = California Democratic Party | candidate = [[John Pérez]] | votes = 877,714 | percentage = 21.73 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = California Republican Party | candidate = David Evans | votes = 850,109 | percentage = 21.05 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = Green Party of California | candidate = Laura Wells | votes = 231,352 | percentage = 5.73 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | party = California Democratic Party | candidate = Tammy D. Blair | votes = 200,532 | percentage = 4.96 }} {{Election box turnout no change | votes = 4,039,375 | percentage = 13.68 }} {{Election box end}} {{Election box open primary begin no change | title = {{ushr|California|13}} election, 2018<ref name="Primary Election" /><ref name="General Election" /> }} |- class="vcard" | style="background-color: <nowiki />#3333FF; width: 2px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] | class="fn" | [[Barbara Lee]] ([[incumbent]]) | style="text-align:right;" | 159,751 | style="text-align:right;" | 99.3 |- |- class="vcard" | style="background-color: <nowiki>#17aa5c</nowiki>; width: 2px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | [[Green Party (United States)|Green]] | class="fn" | [[Laura Wells]] ([[write-in candidate|write-in]]) | style="text-align:right;" | 832 | style="text-align:right;" | 0.5 |- |- class="vcard" | style="background-color: <nowiki />#E81B23; width: 2px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | class="fn" | Jeanne Marie Solnordal ([[write-in candidate|write-in]]) | style="text-align:right;" | 178 | style="text-align:right;" | 0.1 |- |- class="vcard" | style="background-color: <nowiki />#FED105; width: 2px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] | class="fn" | James M. Eyer ([[write-in candidate|write-in]]) | style="text-align:right;" | 39 | style="text-align:right;" | 0.0 |- |- class="vcard" | style="background-color: <nowiki>#DDDDDD</nowiki>; width: 2px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | [[No party preference (United States)|No party preference]] | class="fn" | Lanenna Joiner ([[write-in candidate|write-in]]) | style="text-align:right;" | 26 | style="text-align:right;" | 0.0 |- |- class="vcard" | style="background-color: {{Political party color|American Independent}}; width: 2px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | [[American Independent Party|American Independent]] | class="fn" | Vincent May ([[write-in candidate|write-in]]) | style="text-align:right;" | 3 | style="text-align:right;" | 0.0 |- {{Election box total no change | votes = 160,829 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box open primary general election no change}} |- class="vcard" | style="background-color: <nowiki />#3333FF; width: 5px;" | | class="org" style="width: 130px" | '''[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] ''' | class="fn" | '''[[Barbara Lee]] ([[incumbent]]) ''' | style="text-align: right; margin-right: 0.5em" | '''{{formatnum:260580}} ''' | style="text-align: right; margin-right: 0.5em" | '''88.4 ''' |- {{Election box candidate no party link no change | party = Green Party (United States) | candidate = [[Laura Wells]] | votes = 34257 | percentage = 11.6 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 294837 | percentage = 100.0 }} {{Election box hold with party link no change | winner = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}} ==References== {{Reflist | 2}} ==External links== *[http://www.laurawells.org Laura Wells' Gubernatorial Campaign Website] *[http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/14/green_party_candidate_excluded_from_california Green Party Candidate Excluded from California Governor’s Debate] - video report by ''[[Democracy Now!]]'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Laura}} [[Category:Activists from the San Francisco Bay Area]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Women in California politics]] [[Category:California Greens]] [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:Green Party of the United States politicians]] [[Category:Wayne State University alumni]] [[Category:Antioch University alumni]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States elections]] [[Category:21st-century American women politicians]] [[Category:21st-century American politicians]]'