Former presidential candidate Peter Camejo dies

Peter Camejo, a longtime activist and author, died today of cancer at the age of 68.

Camejo was perhaps best known for his runs for elected office. He was Ralph Nader's running mate in 2004. And he was the Green candidate for Governor of California 3 times.

In California's 2002 gubernatorial election - when the 2 leading parties fielded disastrous candidates - Camejo won 5% of the vote, which was a respectable showing for a third party in an era known for its totalitarian suppression of dissent. (He ran ahead of the Republicans in San Francisco.) He was also a Green candidate in the recall do-over of 2003, and again in 2006.

He even ran for President in 1976.

But there was more to Peter Camejo than just electoral politics. When he was in college, California's then-Gov. Ronald Reagan called Camejo one of the state's 10 most dangerous citizens all because he protested against the Vietnam War. Camejo later opposed the illegal Iraq War.

Remember the name Peter Camejo when you look at past elections. He ran under a third party, but he was much more accomplished than many major party candidates of recent years.