State Chairpersons

The following is a list of those who have served as Peace & Freedom Party of California state chairpersons. The state chair is chosen by PFP officers and its two-year terms are alternated between members from Northern California and Southern California.

John Haag
State Chair, 1968-1970;
Candidate for Lt. Gov., 1970

1968-70¹: Michael Schon, Los Angeles County; Hugh Manes, Los Angeles County; Jack Weinberg, Los Angeles County; John Haag, Venice Chapter, Los Angeles County

1970-72: Irv Sutley, Sonoma County

1972-74: C.T. Weber, Long Beach Chapter, Los Angeles County

1974-76: Karen Hudiburgh, San Francisco City and County

1976-78: Milton Takei, Santa Barbara County

1978-80: Maureen Smith, Santa Clara County

1980-82: Mike Noonan, Los Angeles County

1982-84: Emma Mar, Alameda County

1984-86: Lewis McCammon, Los Angeles County

1986-88: Maureen Smith, Santa Cruz County

1988-90²: (None)

1990-92: Maureen Smith, Santa Cruz County

1992-94: Gerald Horne, Santa Barbara County

1994-96: Marsha Feinland, Alameda County

1996-98: C.T. Weber, San Diego County

1998-00³: Marsha Feinland, Alameda County

2000-02³: Kevin Akin, Riverside County

2002-04³: Marsha Feinland, Alameda County

2004-06: Kevin Akin, Riverside County

2006-08: Debra Reiger, Sacramento County

2008-2010: Kevin Akin, Riverside County

2010-2012: C.T. Weber, Sacramento County

2012-2014: Kevin Akin, Riverside County

2014-2016: Debra Reiger, Sacramento County

2016-2018: Kevin Akin, Riverside County

2018-2020: John Reiger, Sacramento County

2020-2022: Kevin Akin, Riverside County

2022-2024: Debra Reiger, Sacramento County

Notes
¹Michael Schon served from December 1967 until the founding State Convention in March 1968. Hugh Manes served from the founding State Convention until the official State Convention in August 1968. Neither Schon nor Manes were recognized by the Secretary of State. Jack Weinberg was the first state chairperson recognized by the Secretary of State. Weinberg served from August 1968 until he resigned in November 1968. A special State Central Committee meeting was called in December 1968 to replace Weinberg. Michael Schon and John Haag were elected to serve the remainder of Weinberg’s term. Haag and Schon drew straws to see which name to send to the Secretary of State. Haag won and was recognized by the Secretary of State as the new state chairperson.

²In 1988, the State Convention reached a deadlock. A faction supporting Lenora B. Fulani for President walked out and elected Kwaku Duren of Los Angeles County as State Chairperson. Another faction supporting Herb Lewin for President elected James Green of Los Angeles as State Chairperson. A third faction, consisting of several past officers, refused to recognize the results and asked the Secretary of State not to recognize either of the other two factions. All records were kept by the latter group until a ruling was made by the Secretary of State, who refused to intervene with the internal party problems and never made a ruling.

³In 1999, Peace and Freedom Party was removed from the ballot in California. The party stayed off the ballot until 2003. This was the first time in California history that a party had been removed from the ballot for more than one election and then re-qualified for the ballot.

Compiled October 1, 2006 by C. T. Weber; last updated February 6, 2023.