I DON’T REALLY WANT TO GET into politics here. I’d rather talk about watching hours of old Nirvana interviews. But if this all goes to plan, Grunge-Era Washington State voters might see a familiar name on this fall’s presidential ballot…
Krist Novoselic.
A social science major, longtime political activist, former board chair of the national non-partisan FairVote organization, supporter of voters rights, opponent of the major party system that has plagued elections for decades—and, oh yeah, the bass player from Nirvana—Krist is aiming to establish a new centrist independent state political party called The Cascade Party of Washington.
But he doesn’t actually want to run for president. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s run for office to prove a point.
Turns out, one of the requirements for a minor independent party to be officially recognized in Washington state is that the party submit a presidential ticket in state elections. This rule, which is only possible once every four years, doesn’t require the party to run a presidential ticket in any other states. It’s something of a formality which The Cascade Party has already petitioned the state to change.
The only place where Novoselic’s name will potentially be on the ballot is in Washington state.
The party is planning to be active in local elections starting in 2025. They have until July 27 this year to collect 1,000 signatures for the nomination in order to establish the Cascade Party as a bona fide party in the eyes of the state. To that end, Novoselic has put together an all-star Seattle band with Mark Pickerel of Screaming Trees and Seattle guitar dynamo Kathy Moore which they are calling The Bonafide Band.
The band has been on a string of shows throughout the state since last month, which have functioned as ‘political conventions.’ They’ll be in Bremerton July 10 at The Charleston. That show is also in support of a local independent candidate for state representative Josh Smith, but they won’t be giving speeches or getting political.
They’ll just be playing music.
“One of my goals is to have as much fun as we possibly can,” Krist, 59, said in his first official stump speech for the effort to establish the new party last month. He was speaking in front a small crowd on a Friday afternoon at the soft opening of The Music Project on World Music Day in Aberdeen.
He describes the Cascade Party as a ‘demonstration party,’ aiming to demonstrate that voters should have power of their political futures. “Just by doing this, we are a success,” he said.
The party is intent on achieving official state recognition in order to be on the same playing field as republicans and democrats with regard to campaign funding. They are planning a membership driven idea of a party with a grassroots structure in which there is no ‘party boss.’
Leaning towards millennials, they’re hosting their own social media platform on their own private server for party members. But the party also seems to be driven by old school civic ideals with a focus on policy activism and local elections.
“We’re tired of the propaganda, we’re tired of the government censorship, but we’re doing something about it,” Krist said. “You don’t have to give your power to a commission. You don’t have to give your power to the plaintiffs in some federal case. The voters have the power. The voters should choose who represents us… Imagine that!”
Krist is neither republican nor democrat. Over the years, he’s supported ideas on both ends of the spectrum. His political activism began back in the Nirvana days when he spoke out publicly against a proposed bill which would’ve prohibited the sale of certain music to kids under the age of 18. He started his first political action committee in those days. The Joint Artists and Musicians PAC fought for artist and musicians rights, including fighting against the Seattle Teen Dance Ordinance.
Krist supported the Barack Obama campaign in 2008 before breaking ties with the democratic party in favor of voting independent.
He supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson in the next race. He was blackballed on the internet after commenting about the political context of a Trump speech during the 2020 riots. He met Andrew Yang in 2022 and joined the Forward Party, before realizing that none of these existing political parties were really a good fit for him.
“So I quit,” Krist said. “And the next day, we started The Cascade Party.”
During the Q&A at the meeting in Aberdeen, some in the crowd grilled Krist on the party’s policy positions and longterm goals, seemingly poking at social norms which have become politically-charged and immediately divisive.
Krist didn’t have so much direct answers but more of a stance of empowering voters to decide. You can sign the petition if you want, or don’t if you don’t want to. Start your own party if that’s what calls to you, he says to the audience.
I don’t really want to talk politics here, but after watching the geriatric train wreck of the nation’s first 2024 presidential debate last month, there’s a disillusioned, optimistic and anarchistic part of me that feels this two party system is irrevocably broken and would vote for this guy over either of the current candidates in the main stream… if he actually had a chance to be president.
Instead, I guess I’ll just go to the show. // BILL MAN
KRIST NOVOSELIC’S BONAFIDE BAND w/ Star Anna, 8 p.m., all ages, $10 advance, $15 at the door at the Charleston. Tickets at bonafideatthechuck.eventbrite.com. More about the Cascade Party Of Washington at cascadeparty.org
