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AMPCC backs Camejo for CA governor in 2002 elections
 

AMP Report

The American Muslim Political Committee (AMPCC), on November 3, 2002, endorsed Green Party candidate Peter Camejo for California governor, calling him the only candidate who has articulated an acceptable civil rights platform that ensures liberties in post-Sept. 11 California. The AMPCC includes American Muslim Alliance (AMA) the American Muslim Council (AMC), the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).

“He clearly and constantly has been for civil rights,'' Dr. Agha Saeed, national chairman of the American Muslim Alliance, told Contra Costa Times. Camejo and the Green Party, he said, have ``expanded the spectrum of political discussion'' and did more to include diverse groups in its policy decisions.

Recent polls show Camejo, of Walnut Creek, with about 5 percent support in the race against incumbent Democrat Gray Davis and Republican Bill Simon.

Camejo's campaign manager, Tyler Snortum-Phelps, said Dr. Saeed and other Muslims sought out the Green Party after growing concerned about Davis' and Simon's position on issues like racial profiling and immigration.

Dr. Saeed said the choice of Camejo ``could be construed as a protest endorsement,'' but that he preferred to think of it as an opportunity to make a certain voice ``more audible.''

In 2000, the AMA, AMC, CAIR and MPAC endorsed George W. Bush for president. But Dr. Saeed said that the world has changed greatly since then, that many people of Islamic faith find themselves disenfranchised from the political mainstream and deeply concerned about issues such as racial profiling the government's detainment of possible terror suspects without identifying them. Issues such as those moved the Muslim groups to the Green Party, he said.

Final results of the November 5, 2002 election showed:

Peter Camejo got 370,855 or 5.2% votes while the incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis received 3,394,917 or 47.4% votes and Bill Simon of the Republican Party got 3,039,021 or 42.5% votes.