Kent Mesplay

Kent Mesplay (born July 19, 1962) is the California delegate to the Green National Committee who unsuccessfully sought the 2004 Green Party Presidential nomination which he lost again in 2008 and 2012.
Personal
Mesplay was born and raised in Papua New Guinea to Lutheran Missionary parents. He graduated Valedictorian from Mira Mesa High School in 1980. In college, he studied Western and non-Western medicine, earning a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University and he obtained an undergrad degree in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California. After graduate school, Mesplay suffered through a long period of unemployment as he worked to develop a funded position for himself at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Long Beach, California, before moving to La Mesa and teaching mathematics in the Grossmont Union High School District. He currently works as an Air Quality Inspector at the Air Pollution Control District, in San Diego.
Early politics
Mesplay became a Green Party of California delegate to the Green National Committee in 2004 [http://cagreens.org/delegates/#del]. Previously, he was elected Treasurer of the Green Party County Council, San Diego, which he served as from 1996-1997. During the same period, he was the co-chair of the Communications Committee, Green Party County Council, San Diego.
Presidential election 2004
Mesplay sought the Green Party presidential nomination in 2004. Prior to the 2004 Green convention Mesplay was sixth in the "Soft" Delegate Count with 10 (1.3%) committed delegates. Mesplay finished seventh in Round 1 of the Presidential Nomination Voting with 24 (3.1%) delegates. After a number of candidates withdrew or were eliminated Mesplay entered the second and final round, Mesplay finished third with 43 (5.6%) delegate votes. David Cobb received the nomination with 408 (53%) delegate votes beating out no nominee 308 (40%) (and endorsing Ralph Nader).
Round two of presidential nomination voting
770 delegates voting; majority = 386 votes
*David Cobb - 408 (53.0%)
*No Nominee - 308 (40.0%)
*Kent Mesplay - 43 (5.6%)
*JoAnne Bier-Beemon - 8 (1.0%)
*Abstain - 3 (0.4%)
California Senate election 2006
In 2006 Mesplay attempted, unsuccessfully, to receive the nomination of the Green Party of California for the U.S. Senate election in California. He lost in the primaries to Todd Chretien. Chretien finished third in a field of six, behind incumbent Democrat Dianne Feinstein (overall winner) and Republican candidate Dick Mountjoy.
Presidential election 2008
Mesplay announced he was seeking the Green Party nomination again in 2008.
Socially, Mesplay supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage and holds other views typical of the Green Party Platform.
Mesplay came in fourth at the convention, the nominee being Cynthia McKinney.
Presidential election 2012
Mesplay announced during an interview with Wikinews on June 29, 2008, that he was in the planning stages for a 2012 presidential campaign. On May 24, 2011, he filed with the FEC as an official candidate for Green Party presidential nomination. He lost the nomination to Jill Stein, receiving only 17 delegates out of 294. Mesplay came in 3rd place with Stein receiving 193.5 and comedian Roseanne Barr getting 72.

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