(Luis Rodriguez/Green Party Watch)

If elected, Rodriguez would be the first Green Party governor of California and only the state's second Hispanic governor. Rodriguez has never held public office, and now he, and other Green Party of California (GPCA) candidates, face the obstacle of collecting 10,000 signatures from registered Californian voters by February 20 due to the passage of Proposition 14.

Despite these challenges, Rodriguez is optimistic about not only appearing on the June primary ballot, but also challenging a Democrat or Republican candidate in the November election.

Why have you decided to run for California governor?

It's not a very democratic process when only two parties have a voice and only money can speak. It takes a lot of money to run for office. Other voices have to be heard. There are so many different ways to look at what has to be done. I want to speak to people who want to see the end of poverty and better healthcare. 

What made you choose to run on the Green Party ticket?

I respect the Green Party. They have values that I support. It would require me gathering a lot more money from other people to be a Democrat, and I don't play those games. I'm not your average politician. I've never held public office, and I'm not interested in the governor's mansion. I'm running to help the deprived and disenfranchised voters of our state. 

You previously ran for vice president in 2012 on the Justice Party ticket. What was behind that decision, and how have you changed as a politician since then?

I don't mind being around campaigns, but my interest isn't so much that I'm going to be a politician like others. I want to be somebody who puts together a program that actually works, to represent those who aren't well represented. This campaign is definitely different. We're doing grassroots campaigning because in the State of California, we now have to get 10,000 voter signatures, and we've had only eight weeks to do this. If we're going to get the second highest vote in the primary after Gov. Jerry Brown, it's got to be organized from the ground up.

Do you believe that you are qualified to run for governor? Have you received criticism saying otherwise?

I know a lot of politicians, and to sustain office, they have to be raising money all the time, making deals. And that's experience I don't have and I don't want. I've been an activist for 40 years, made policy changes in L.A. and Chicago and ran two businesses and a nonprofit. I think I have the capacity to do what's needed without being caught in that web of intrigue and big money. 

What do you feel are the most important points of your platform?

I decided to make poverty a centerpiece. Everyone's talking about poverty, but no one's actually talking about ending it. I would like to challenge the state, the richest state in the union with the highest poverty rate in the United States, to challenge poverty, to ask, "Does it have to happen?" and, "How can we provide livable jobs?" We want to provide jobs not by bringing in big-name corporations, but by keeping it in the community and giving people the tools, capacity and access. I'm also for a clean and green environment, free health care, free education, arts, music and dance festivals in every neighborhood. And I want to overhaul prison system. 

How does your personal history with gang and criminal activity influence you as a politician?

What I've found working with gang members and drug addicts is that change is possible. The correction system is a waste of money and a waste of people's lives. I met a 14-year-old in a correctional facility who wrote a beautiful poem and found that he was sentenced to 135 years in state prison. This is a waste of everything. I know these kids. I work with them. Some of them have done horrendous things, but they can still change their lives. I want to implement restorative practices and healing practices like writing, art circles and job training. 

There has never been a Green Party governor of California or any other state. What will you bring to this election that's different?

I have such a variety of experiences. I was a gang member and drug addict in my teens. How many candidates for governor have worked in a steel mill? I've been a journalist for 35 years, covered stories all over the U.S. and been in war zones. I think I bring to the table all these experiences. I've learned from them. I'm also sober — I don't drink, don't smoke — I have four children, and I've been drug-free, gang-free and crime-free for 40 years. I'm someone who's more of a regular folk.

The last — and only — time there was a Hispanic governor of California was in 1899. Do you believe California politics lack diversity?

Absolutely. The state's got a long way to go to incorporate everybody. East sides of town are still generally poor, black and brown people. The UC system has a very low number of Latino students as compared to other students, but our prisons are close to 80 percent blacks and Hispanics. There's definitely a disconnect. Something's not right about how we look at our political candidates, but I don't want to be labeled as a Latino candidate. I want to speak for all the poor. A lot of people don't know that the largest single number of poor people are white people.

How does your cultural identity shape you as a politician?

I'm very linked to my community, the Mexican-Chicano-Latino community, which is very large in California and very related to my indigenous roots. I feel that I have ties here as long as any human being has been on this land. I have a creativity and modern way of looking at things. I created myself as a writer and poet against all odds. I break through boxes that people create. Being inventive and imaginative is something I bring to the table. 

What message are you trying to get out to California voters as the primary approaches?

Our main message is that we need to have more voices and more choices. The primary kind of affords that there will be a large number of people running. I would like for California voters to see us as a viable alternative to the two party system, someone who's not beholden to big money, and the two party system, and can really address issues. We don't have the kind of money that you can pay so that you don't have to get signatures, but one way or another we'll be on the ballot. We need to convince people that we should be the party to challenge Gov. Brown, to be something new and different and raise the issues all the way to November. My slogan is “Imagining a New California,” and that's what we trying to get people to do. Imagine first, and then take action to make it happen.