McCourt plans to run for governor of New York on Green ticket

MALACHY McCOURT, writer, actor and brother of the author of Angela’s Ashes, says he plans to run for governor of New York. If elected, he pledges to work to end nuclear energy programmes and revoke the death penalty.

McCourt will make official his declaration on Sunday, April 30, at the Cinema Arts Centre in New York.

In a statement, McCourt who is well-known in New York City progressive politics, said: “It is quite clear in the Bible ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’.”

He is seeking the Green Party nomination for governor for November’s election and will be one of the candidates at the Green Party of New York State Convention in Albany on May 20, 2006.

McCourt said that he will also use the campaign “to bring to light the neglect of folks with disabilities”.

McCourt’s campaign manager Maria Kuriloff said: “If we can gather 15,000 signatures for Malachy McCourt, we earn the right to continue to enrol as Green Party voters in New York state.

“If Malachy McCourt receives 50,000 votes for governor, the Green Party will regain its automatic ballot status. We think Malachy can do it,” she added.

In 1998, the Green Party ran Al Lewis, the labour activist and ‘Grandpa’ from the 1960s TV show, The Munsters. He didn’t defeat Pataki, but managed to collect more than 52,000 votes. Lewis died in February.

McCourt, who was born in New York and spent his youth in Ireland, has long aired his political views as a local radio talk-show host.

McCourt has appeared on public radio and numerous TV talk shows. His latest of eight books is “I Never Drink When I’m Sober,” and he writes a newspaper column called “Sez I to Myself.” He also has acted in soap operas, in films including The Molly Maguires, She’s the One, The Devil’s Own, and “Green Card,” and in the TV prison series, Oz.

He has been on the New York Times bestseller list with his book A Monk Swimming about his childhood in Ireland. He is also the co-author, with his brother, Frank, of the play, A Couple of Blaguards. His book “Bush Lies in State” criticises Republican President Bush as a “dry drunk” who should be thrown from office.

McCourt’s campaign has already set up a web-site at www.malachyforgovernor.com