The 2008 presidential campaign of Cynthia McKinney, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 11th district (1993–97) and 4th district (1997–2003, 2005–07), began on December 16, 2007, as a candidate for the Green Party presidential nomination via YouTube. She and her running mate Rosa Clemente accepted the Green Party's presidential nomination July 12, 2008 at the 2008 Green National Convention. Her campaign focused on issues such as racial profiling, September 11, 2001 attacks, and the Green Party's 10 key values. She also supported statehood for the District of Columbia, slavery reparations, electoral reforms including instant runoff voting, and calls for abolishing the death penalty and the War on Drugs.^[1]

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• Wikinews interviews U.S. Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney

On November 4, 2008, McKinney finished sixth in the election with 161,603 votes, 41,744 more votes than the Cobb/LaMarche ticket four years prior.^[2]

On December 11, 2007, McKinney announced her candidacy for the Green Party nomination for President of the United States^[3] in the 2008 presidential election.^[4]

McKinney had little to do with the party apart from having had Green Party loyalists working on her congressional campaigns. This changed drastically following her defeat in the 2006 election. McKinney attended the California Green Party strategy retreat in Sonoma, California, where she was the keynote speaker.^[5] On May 25, 2007, she was asked about a presidential run on WBAI and confirmed that she had thought about a Green run: "2008 has not been ruled out, some kind of effort. Certainly now it is questionable as to whether that effort would come under the banner of the Democratic Party."^[6]

On June 9, speaking at a Harlem fundraiser for her Congressional campaign debt, McKinney addressed speculation that she might run for president in 2008. At the end of the program, Robert Knight of Pacifica Radio, who emceed the evening's events, took the pulpit to ask: "I can't hardly wait for 2008. Ms. McKinney, in 2008, what color is your parachute?" McKinney responds from the audience, "it's not red and it's not blue."^[7] McKinney also appeared at the July 15 Green Party National Meeting in Reading, Pennsylvania, where she suggested that the Green Party could become a progressive political force. "[T]he disgust of the American people with what they see before them — all they need is the blueprint and a road map. Why not have the Green Party provide the blueprint and the road map?"

On July 17, McKinney also received the endorsement of the Workers World Party, the first time that party chose not to nominate a candidate of its own.^[8]

At an August 27 peace rally in Kennebunkport, Maine, McKinney confirmed the depth of her disenchantment with the Democratic Party, urging San Francisco voters to replace Nancy Pelosi with antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan. On September 10, in a letter to the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States, McKinney stated she would not seek the Green Party nomination for president.^[9] However, in early October it appeared that McKinney was making moves toward declaring herself an official Green Party candidate.^[10]

By October 9, 2007, Green leaders were receiving emails indicating McKinney had formally joined the Green Party. The emails also indicate McKinney could announce a Green Party presidential bid by the third week of October. Following a brief exploratory visit to California in mid-October, McKinney filed with the FEC. She formally announced her candidacy with a video on her website and on YouTube on December 16, 2007. Later that month she agreed to join with others on the Green Party California Primary Ballot for an event in San Francisco entitled Campaign 2008: A Presidential Debate That Matters.^[11] McKinney has also filed with the State Board of Elections of Illinois for the Green party in the presidential race.^[12]

On July 9, 2008, she named her running mate as Rosa Clemente^[13] and clinched the party's nomination three days later at the 2008 Green Party National Convention.^[14]

The Green Party had announced plans to get on all 50 state ballots and D.C. for 2008. They did not meet their goal. McKinney was on 32 ballots with 368 electoral votes (68.4% of the total possible) as well as another 17 states as a write-in candidate.
The following is a table comparison of ballot status in 2008 to 2004.

• Mumia Abu-Jamal^[25] journalist and activist;
• Jared Ball,^[26] withdrawn candidate for 2008 Green presidential nomination;
• Roseanne Barr,^[27] actress and comedian;
• Noam Chomsky^[28]
• Glen Ford,^[29] editor of Black Agenda Report journal;
• Professor Griff^[30] of hip-hop group Public Enemy;
• M1^[31] from hip-hop group Dead Prez;
• Ron Paul,^[32] candidate for 2008 Republican presidential nomination, and ten-term United States Congressman (Also endorsed Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and Ralph Nader);
• Cindy Sheehan,^[33] Gold star Mother and peace activist;
• Kat Swift,^[34] candidate for 2008 Green presidential nomination;
• Rich Whitney,^[35] 2006 Illinois Green gubernatorial candidate;
• Workers' International League^[36][37]
• Workers World Party.^[38]
• Daniel Sunjata, Tony Award-nominated actor.^[39]

• Comparison of United States presidential candidates, 2008
• List of candidates in the United States presidential election, 2008
• Third party (United States) presidential candidates, 2008