If there’s one thing that’s going to get Green Party candidate Carl Estabrook on Capitol Hill, he said it’s his opposition to the war on Iraq.

Estabrook is running alongside Republican Tim Johnson and Democrat Josh Hartke to represent the 15th Congressional District. Estabrook is the first third-party candidate to be on the ballot in the 15th District since 1914, and his views along with the entire Green Party of the possibility of war on Iraq are what he thinks could attribute to a win Tuesday.

The way Estabrook sees it, he brings the only anti-war opinion to the campaign race, and in reality, only two parties are running for election since the Republican and Democratic parties are so similar.

“I’m amazed with the number of people who know something’s wrong with this war,” he said.

Estabrook was nominated by the Green Party in January and is a visiting professor of sociology at the University of Illinois. He received his Ph.D at Harvard and has taught at Brown, Notre Dame and the University of Rochester. He has lived for 15 years in Champaign with his wife, Leigh, and together they have five children and two grandchildren.

Estabrook said a lot of supporters of the Green Party are people who are realizing neither the Democratic or Republican parties are right for them because they no longer represent them economically or represent what they stand for.

“It’s the growing realization that these two parties aren’t working for them,” he said. “We don’t agree with most of the issues Republicans and Democrats agree on.”

But aside from the war on Iraq, the Green Party stands for a number of issues Estabrook said are not on the minds of the other parties. The Green Party represents something bigger as a whole, bringing democracy to the system.

Estabrook believes the current ideology that America has a democratic system because it pulls down a level on voting day doesn’t mean the country is practicing democracy.

“That’s not really democracy,” he said.

Furthermore, Estabrook thinks the Republican and Democratic parties differ slightly, leaving little choice on voting day.

“Democracy isn’t just choosing between two prepackaged candidates,” he said. “I think we need a second party in this district.”

Instead, the Green Party represents grass roots democracy, which means democracy doesn’t start in government offices but among the people and their wants and needs, he said.

“Democracy is that they can establish conditions of their lives,” Estabrook said. “We don’t think that can be done from the top down; it has to be done all over.”

Also on the platform for Estabrook is ecological wisdom, social justice and non-violence. One of the key issues in the social justice aspect for Estabrook is taking a look at the cost of living for the nation.

“In a sense, it’s sort of going unnoticed,” he said.

He said a decade ago, it was possible to graduate college, marry, have children and live off of one salary. However, it’s now nearly impossible for a college-educated couple to buy an apartment and live off of two salaries. That scenario is something he said he would like to change.

“Their lives are being confiscated,” he said.

Other primary issues for Estabrook are universal health care, guaranteed annual income, rights to education, jobs and adequate housing; ending the war on terrorism; and free trade agreements.

With elections right around the corner, Estabrook said he is relatively optimistic on success in the polls.

“It’s perfectly reasonable that we can win,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it; it’s been fun.”

But if not, Estabrook said he and the party have accomplished what they set out to do, which was to get themselves on the ballot.

“They never thought we could do it,” he said. “If we don’t (win), I’ll be glad we have the ongoing basis for the party.”