Green Party candidate Jill Stein's campaign said Saturday that it has asked repeatedly to meet with Bernie Sanders to discuss collaborating to "build a progressive revolution" in the United States, but it denied ever having Stein step aside to
give Sanders the presidential nomination.
"We have said we were willing to discuss a variety of cooperative approaches, including the possibility of creating a united ticket," campaign co-chair Gloria Mattera said in a statement through email. "At no point, however have we simply offered that we would just step aside and give the presidential nomination of the Green Party to Senator Sanders without serious discussions of issues and strategies."
However, Sanders is expected to end his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination within days. Earlier this week, Stein told
The Guardian newspaper that she would be willing to step aside and let him take her place.
"I've invited Bernie to sit down explore collaboration — everything is on the table,' Stein said "If he saw that you can't have a revolutionary campaign in a counter-revolutionary party, he'd be welcomed to the Green Party. He could lead the ticket and build a political movement."
But on Saturday, Mattera's statement indicated that the decision over the eventual nominee ultimately rests in the hands of the delegates at the Green Party's convention, being held in Houston from Aug. 4-7, and most delegates are already pledged to Stein.
"Such a ticket was conditioned on discussing and agreeing on a joint program moving forward," said Mattera in the statement. "We have always been clear that the path to a progressive revolution does not go through the Democratic Party, a position that Sen. Sanders had shared through most of his political career."
Further, while the party agrees with the Vermont Independent senator on many issues, including analysis and solutions, there remains "significant differences" that need addressed, including on foreign policy and the role of the military, the campaign said in the statement.
There are also specific domestic issues, including abolishing student debt and the need to transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy by the year 2030.