Samson LeBeau Kpadenou

Samson LeBeau Kpadenou
Personal details
Born
Samson Komlan-LeBeau Kpadenou

(1974-04-30) April 30, 1974 (age 50)
Political partyGreen
RelationsGeorge Crockett Jr. (grandfather)

Ethelene Crockett (grandmother) George Crockett III (uncle)

Kyra E. Hicks (cousin)

Samson Komlan-"LeBeau" Kpadenou (born April 30 1974) is an American political activist and waiter who served as an advisor for Jill Stein's 2024 presidential campaign and is her running mate in several states as a placeholder for Butch Ware.[1] He was previously a candidate for Florida House of Representatives District 87 in 2018 where he won 15% of the vote against incumbent David Silvers,[2][3] and was co-chair of the Green Party of Florida.[4]

Early life and career

Kpadenou was born in April 1974 to Dr. Samson Kossivi-Bernard Kpadenou and Ethelene Jones.[5] His maternal grandparents are George Crockett Jr.,[6] and Ethelene Jones Crockett. He is the nephew of George Crockett III, and first cousin of Kyra E Hicks.

His father, Samson Kpadenou, was born in Lomé, Togo but moved to the United States for college.[5] Kpadenou's father took on the primary role in raising him after his parents divorced in 1976.[5] As an adult, Kpadenou worked in the service industry, getting a job at the City Cellar in CityPlace in West Palm Beach in 2007 and working there until the pandemic of 2020.[3] He co-founded the Black Lives Matter branch in West Palm Beach, the Green Party of Palm Beach County, and the Palm Beach County Democratic Socialists of America. Before his political awakening in 2016, he was a supporter of President Barack Obama.[7][8]

Campaigns

State House campaigns

Kpadenou announced his candidacy for the Florida House of Representatives' 87th district as a Green Party candidate in October 2018 against incumbent David Silvers.[2][3] He raised about $6,000 compared to Silver's $145,000.[3][7] Most of Kpadenou's support came from individual voters while he ran a left-wing campaign.[2][6] He lost the general election in November, finishing second with 4,622 votes (15.45%).[9]

He filed to run for the same district in 2020, but was not on the ballot due to the difficulty of petitioning, campaigning and fundraising through the COVID pandemic.[9]

Jill Stein 2024 presidential campaign

Main article: Jill Stein 2024 presidential campaign

Jill Stein recruited Kpadenou as her campaign press liaison in October 2023, just prior to her official announcement.[1] He was also used as a placeholder for her vice presidential nominee Butch Ware while petitioning, and will be on the ballot in Tennessee,[10] Alabama (as an Independent),[11] Idaho (as an Independent),[11] Kentucky (as the Kentucky Party),[11] and Minnesota.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b Astor, Maggie (2023-11-09). "Jill Stein Announces Third-Party Bid for President". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  2. ^ a b c Erblat, Austen (2018-10-19). "Samson LeBeau Kpadenou challenges David Silvers for Florida State House District 87". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  3. ^ a b c d Thompson, Kevin D. "Lawmaker David Silvers faces Green Party newcomer in District 87". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  4. ^ "Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition: PBC Green Party Activist Samson Kpadenou Running for FL House of Representatives". Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  5. ^ a b c "Obituary information for Dr. Samson Kossivi Kpadenou". Modetz Funeral Homes. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  6. ^ a b "Samson LeBeau Kpadenou: Green Party". WPEC. 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  7. ^ a b Doonan, David (2018-11-09). "The Green Party of Florida Slate 2018, laying the Foundation". Independent Political Report. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  8. ^ Doris, Tony; Sorentrue, Jennifer; Galewitz, Phil (2009-01-21). "Speech silences boisterous crowd". The Palm Beach Post. pp. B004 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Samson LeBeau Kpadenou". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  10. ^ Evans, Jordan Willow (2024-09-05). "Seven Presidential Tickets Make Tennessee Ballot, While Others Fall Short". Independent Political Report. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  11. ^ a b c d "2024 Presidential Election by State". The Green Papers. Retrieved 2024-09-14.