Populist Party of Maryland

The Populist Party of Maryland (PPMD) originated as a vehicle for ballot access for the 2004 Ralph Nader presidential campaign. Unlike such groups in other states, the PPMD organization has survived beyond 2004, laboring to field candidates for local political offices. In 2006, Populists launched a campaign for governor of Maryland, nominating Chris Driscoll, their state chairman, and only member, as their candidate. Driscoll chose Ed Rothstein, a Baltimore labor organizer as his running mate. The Populist candidates emphasize the Populist alternative to Liberalism and Conservativism, tax cuts for working people through the Tobin tax, a "split-rate" land value tax, employee- or consumer-owned electric companies and municipal utilities (banned by Maryland state law since the late 1990s under energy reforms enacted by the Democratic General Assembly), and promoting government promotion of employee ownership and control of workplaces through Employee Stock Ownership Plans.