Nader chosen as the presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party

August 8, 2008 Independent United States presidential candidate Ralph Nader and his running mate Matt Gonzalez were selected as the presidential and vice-presidential nominees of the California Peace and Freedom Party during its convention on August 2. Nader won the nomination with 46 votes or 60.7% of the ballots, edging out challengers Gloria La Riva, Brian Moore and Cynthia McKinney. The nomination guarantees ballot access for Nader in California, which accounts for 10% of the national vote.

Prior to the convention, Nader participated in a forum in Sacramento on August 1 with his three challengers. The meeting lasted three hours in a standing-room packed to capacity. After the forum, delegates from the party cast their ballots among the four candidates. Following Nader, La Riva, the nominee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, received 27 votes. Moore, the nominee of the Socialist Party, received 10 votes and Green Party nominee McKinney finished in last place with 6 votes.

Following the nomination, the Peace and Freedom Party praised Nader and Gonzalez, arguing that, "both nominees agree with the fundamentals of the Peace and Freedom platform and bring with them a strong combination of experience, credibility, and legislative accomplishment.”

The party platform includes support for socialism, feminism and environmentalism.