Goodspaceguy

Goodspaceguy (born Michael George Nelson; November 18, 1938) is an American perennial candidate from Washington state.[1]

Early life and education

Goodspaceguy received a B.A. from the University of Maryland and a M.S. from the University of Minnesota. Originally named Michael Nelson, he legally added "Goodspaceguy" to his name in 2006, becoming "Michael Goodspaceguy Nelson" and, subsequently, changed his name to the single word "Goodspaceguy."[2] He is a self-described extraterrestrial life.

Political history

Goodspaceguy has sought public office more than a dozen times,[3] including those of United States Senator and Governor of Washington. Though never endorsed by a party, he has contested elections as a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian and as a candidate of the non-existent "Employmentwealth Party" (under Washington elections law, candidates can declare themselves a member of any party, whether the party exists or not). In the 2014 race for Washington's 7th congressional district, Goodspaceguy identified himself with the "Work and Wealth Party."[4] His best electoral showing was in the 2003 race for King County Council district 8, in which he polled 16 percent of the vote against Dow Constantine.[2]

In addition to his frequent campaigns for local, state, and federal office, Goodspaceguy is a regular attendee of meetings of the Burien, Washington city council, during which he frequently participates in public comment sessions by introducing himself "Hello, my name is Goodspaceguy, I am from Phoebe, one of Saturn's many moons," in a language other than English. His use of languages other than English to introduce himself, he's explained, is in protest against the city's use of Spanish in some printed materials.[5] In his latest race, this time for a position on the Port of Seattle Commission in the August 4, 2015 primary, preliminary results show Goodspaceguy finishing second in a field of three candidates, with about 24,000 votes, or just over 9% of the total votes cast.[6][7] He ultimately lost the general election to incumbent Courtney Gregoire, but garnered 48,000 votes (13% of the vote) in the process;[8][9] Goodspaceguy was also endorsed by the 34th District Republicans prior to the general election, one of only two given by the group for the election alongside a Tim Eyman initiative.[10]

Goodspaceguy has called for space colonization and population control through a birth fee. He describes himself as "pro-choice on almost everything."[11]

See also

References

  1. Berman, Steve (21 May 2012). "New Federal Whistleblower Law Enhances National Security, Reduces Wasteful Spending". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 Ervin, Keith (12 August 2007). "Goodspaceguy Nelson challenges Constantine in race for District 8". Seattle Times. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  3. Holden, Dominic (8 July 2011). "Goodspaceguy on the End of the Shuttle Program". The Stranger. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  4. "4th Congressional District filling up". Spokesman-Review. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  5. "Goodspaceguy Calls for Burien City Council to End "Job Killing Minimum Wage"". Burien Daily. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  6. Results Detail: Port of Seattle Commissioner Position No. 2 KingCounty.gov elections results
  7. Brownstone, Sydney (August 7, 2015). "Um, Can We Talk About How More Than 23,000 of You Voted for Goodspaceguy?". The Stranger. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  8. "Election Results - General and Special Election: November 3, 2015" (PDF). King County Elections. November 6, 2015. p. 8. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  9. Brownstone, Sydney (November 4, 2015). "Really? 31,000 Votes for Goodspaceguy?". The Stranger. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  10. Connelly, Joel (October 14, 2015). "34th District Republicans endorse Goodspaceguy for Seattle Port Commission". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  11. Voter's Pamphlet August 19, 2008 Primary. Olympia, Washington: Washington Secretary of State. 2008. p. 10.

External links

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