Background
Pentel grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from Hopkins High School. His father owned Pentel Pontiac and his mother was an employment counselor
Pentel grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from Hopkins High School. His father owned Pentel Pontiac and his mother was an employment counselor
After high school, Pentel studied theater at the University of Minnesota for a couple of years before moving to California, intending to go into show business.
Pentel was the gubernatorial candidate for the Green party three previous times, in 1998, 2002, and 2006. Having seen the results of pollution in California, Pentel became interested in the environmental movement. When he arrived back in the Twin Cities in 1986, Pentel joined Greenpeace, where he worked for 11 years as a field manager, volunteer organizer and lobbyist.
His platform consists of:
Stable, livable-wage jobs
Single-payer healthcare to cover all Minnesotans
Increased funding for education
Affordable low-cost housing
Clean water, air and soil
Clean, publicly financed elections
Instant runoff voting
Proportional representation
Corporate accountability
Rewards for efficient and sustainable energy
Tax breaks for local family farmers and organic agriculture
An economically and ethnically diverse administration
2010 - Governor - 6th of 7 running: 6,180 votes, for 0.29%
2006 - Governor - 4th of 6 running: 10,854 votes, for 0.49%
2002 - Governor - 4th of 7 running: 50,589 votes, for 2.25%
1998 - Governor - 4th of 8 running: 6,983 votes, for 0.3%
After the 2006 election, Pentel pursued the creation of a nonpartisan, political organization called the with a primary goal to establish ecological whole-cost accounting in Minnesota.
The organization later established itself as a political party.
