Greens Begin to Displace Republicans in Maine

From Ballot Access News:

At the November 2, 2010 election, Green Party nominees for the State House outpolled their Republican opponents in four districts. The best Green showing was in Brunswick, in the 66th district. See this pre-election story, which has an interview with all three candidates. The results were: Democratic 38.62%; Green 33.33%; Republican 28.05%. The Green nominee was K. Frederick Horch. The other districts in which Greens outpolled Republicans were the 115th, 118th, and 120th districts, all in Portland.

Smart Politics Tallies Third Party and Independent Vote Totals

From Eric Ostermeier at Smart Politics:

A Smart Politics review of 2010 U.S. House election data finds that the 16.1 percent won by Traficant in his 17th CD race in Ohio was the best showing by an independent or third party candidate in districts contested by both Republican and Democratic candidates. And he did it without spending a dime. . . .

Only three other independent or third party candidates who squared off against both Democratic and Republican candidates reached double digits.

After Traficant, the next best showing was turned in by Dan Hill, a conservative who was nominated by petition in Nebraska's 3rd CD race.
• Hill received 12.0 percent - just 5.9 points behind Democrat Rebekah Davis (17.9 percent) in a race easily won by Republican incumbent Adrian Smith.
• In Florida's 12th CD, Tea Party candidate Randy Wilkinson won 10.7 percent in an open seat race won by Republican Dennis Ross.
• In Tennessee's open 3rd CD contest, independent Savas Kyriakidis won 10.5 percent in a district won by Republican Chuck Fleischmann.

Ten independent and third party candidates scored better than Traficant's 16.2 percent, although none of them faced two major party candidates in their respective races.

Nine ran in districts without a Democrat on the ballot:
· FL-06: Independent Steve Schonberg (28.5 percent)
· OK-01: Independent Angelia O'Dell (23.2 percent)
· FL-04: Independent Troy Stanley (22.8 percent)
· MO-09: Libertarian Christopher Dwyer (22.3 percent)
· LA-05: Independent Tom Gibbs (21.4 percent)
· TX-24: Libertarian David Sparks (18.4 percent)
· TX-07: Libertarian Bob Townsend (18.0 percent)
· TX-31: Libertarian Bill Oliver (17.5 percent)
· AL-01: Constitution Party candidate David Walter (16.9 percent)

One other independent candidate, Bob Jeffers-Schroder in WA-07, ran in a disrict without a Republican on the ballot, winning 17.0 percent.

It remains to be seen whether Traficant, who will turn 70 next year, has run for political office for the last time.

CA: Neo-Nazi Receives Nearly 28% Support in Local Election

An article by Jeff Hall at the National Socialist Movement website announces that the Neo-Nazi candidate for Western Municipal Water District, Division 2, Riverside California, received nearly 28% support in elections held earlier this month.  Hall writes:

We will see the day when a National Socialist candidate receives the votes in their district to take public office. Today, November 3rd, 2010, I rest at 27.79% of the total votes in my district after receiving thousands of votes while running openly as a member of the National Socialist Movement. 

Another Nazi in California received roughly 10% support in a race for school board.  As the San Jose Mercury News reported:

National Socialist Movement regional leader Jeff Hall had 28 percent of the vote in his race for the Western Municipal Water District serving District 2 in Riverside after all precinct votes were counted. Incumbent Tom Evans had 72 percent.

Former Aryan Nations member Dan Schruender had 10 percent of the vote in the six-way race for two seats on the Rialto school board. Leading candidates Joanne Gilbert and Edgar Montes had more than 20 percent each.

GA: Four Reasons for "Unprecendented" Libertarian Success at the Ballot Box

From Savannah Now:

Surveying the results, state party chief Daniel Adams called them a base "with which to move forward." Maybe, but it's a slender base, and the Libertarians have a long way to go before they can really compete with the major parties. Credit them for energy and skill, but four other things also helped them do better at the polls this year.

First, the greater number of televised debates that included Monds - who often did well - gained him and his party unprecedented exposure.

Second, speculation that he might siphon off enough votes to deprive the frontrunner a majority and force a runoff drew additional attention.

Third, Monds was an alternative for people who didn't like Deal or Barnes.

Last, the Libertarians seeking other offices faced long odds, but - except in the U.S. Senate race - not as long as they might have been.

Sure, voters knew almost nothing about them, but they knew little more about the major-party hopefuls, except for GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson.

OK: Pirate Party Endorsed Candidate Received 20% Support in Race for State Legislature

From the Oklahoma Pirate Party:

The Pirate Party of Oklahoma would like to take this opportunity to thank the candidates that have received our endorsements and congratulate them for standing up for democracy in Oklahoma. It takes courage to become involved in the political process, and these candidates endured hardships and time away from their families in order to bring choice to Oklahoma. We are happy to share the preliminary results of their campaigns:

• Angelia O’Dell, US Representative, District 1: 23.19%
• Clark Duffe, US Representative, District 5: 1.75%
• Zachary Knight, State Representative, District 46: 19.7%
• Edward Shadid, State Representative, District 85: 10.53%

Again, the Pirates want to give a very heartfelt thank you to these candidates for running, and for accepting our endorsement.

Knight and Shadid, respectively, were previously identified by the OKPP as Independent/Green and Independent/Libertarian candidates.

CO and CA: Constitution Party Candidates for Governor Led the Third Party Pack

From Constitution Party News:

Tom Tancredo's American Constitution candidacy in Colorado won 620,632 votes. This total is far and away the top votal total for any candidate outside the Democrat or Republican Party. It appeared near the end that he might win the race. His total percentage nearly doubled his poll numbers when he entered the race. His race assured the American Constitution Party of Colorado major party status in that state. He received more than three times as many votes as his Republican opponent.

Receiving the second highest vote total of all of the "alternative party" candidates for Governor across the country was Chelene Nightingale in California. Nightingale, the Constitution Party endorsed American Independent nominee attracted, according to the California Secretary of State, 133,716 votes, or 1.7% of the total vote for the six candidates for Governor (the California results for Governor are amazingly still incomplete). To put this result in some perspective, Chelene won more than twice as many votes than the AIP nominee for Governor received four years ago, in 2006. She also, obviously, ran ahead of all of the other "alternative party" in California in this election. In recent years AIP candidates had generally placed well back in the crowd, or dead last, in Gubernatorial contests in California.

MN-House: Strongest Showing by Third Party and Independent Candidates Since 1944

From Eric Ostermeier at Smart Politics:

A Smart Politics analysis of election returns since the early 1940s finds that the 5 percent mark notched by third party and independent candidates on Election Day across six congressional districts in Minnesota was the largest such number since 1942, the last election cycle before the DFL merger.

MA: Cahill Regrets Running with Republican, Faults RGA for GOP Loss in Gov Race

From NECN:

The Independent candidate for Massachusetts governor, Tim Cahill, says it wasn't his fault Republican Charlie Baker lost to Deval Patrick.  Cahill told the Boston Herald the Republican party is to blame for its own candidate's defeat. He says the Republican Governors Association strategy backfired. Cahill says he personally is to blame for his own loss and it was a "mistake" to partner with Paul Loscocco.

The Republican in this race had previously blamed Cahill for being a "spoiler" and causing his loss to the Democrat. 

MA: Independent Candidate Describes Leftwing Tea Partisan Campaign for Congress

From Mr. Zine by Michael Engel:

I ran as an independent candidate for Congress in Massachusetts against a visibly tired and increasingly unpopular but entrenched liberal Democratic incumbent, and a Tea Party Republican.  My message was, "The old system is broken -- let's start building a new one!"  I stated that I wanted to fight what I described as the trend towards a corporate state.  In that context, I criticized an overgrown and unresponsive federal government, Obamacare, the stimulus package, financial regulatory legislation, and the bailouts.  In short, I took the Tea Party line leftward.

I advocated a decentralized, community-based approach to economic recovery and job creation and I explicitly described myself as a "democratic socialist" on economic issues.  I participated in four debates, got lots of radio interviews and decent media coverage, and was endorsed by at least one local paper, with favorable comments in two more.  The state Green-Rainbow Party endorsed my candidacy . . . 

2010 Elections Wrap-Up

The 2010 elections were a mixed bag for the third party and independent political movement.  Public discontent with the Democratic and Republican parties undoubtedly raised the profiles of third party and independent candidates for office across the country and at all levels of government.  Yet, that discontent did not translate into deep and widespread support for third party and independent alternatives to the false choice offered by the Democratic and Republican parties.  At the same time, however, there were quite a few notable successes:

• Rhode Island elected its first Independent governor, Lincoln Chafee.  
• In Maine, Eliot Cutler further demonstrated the viability of Independent politics, besting his Democratic rival for second place in a contest which the Independent ultimately lost by only a few percentage points. 
• In Colorado, Tom Tancredo's late entrance into the gubernatorial race significantly raised the national profile of the Constitution Party, and demonstrated the viability of third party politics, besting his Republican rival for second place in the race.
• Third parties gained or retained ballot access in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Wisconsin.  See this preliminary report at Ballot Access News.
• The Vermont Progressive Party has likely won seven seats to the state legislature.  
• Over 1,000,000 votes were cast for Libertarian candidates for US House across the country.
• Green Party candidates won a number of elections for local offices across the country. 
• Candidates of the Independent American Party of Nevada won four races for local offices.

I launched Third Party and Independent Daily at the beginning of this year in the expectation that 2010 would be an historic year for third party and independent politics in the United States.  And, as numerous studies have shown, it was.  But we still have a long way to go.

As a final note, I'd like to thank all of TPID's contributors for their many posts over the course of the year.  Be sure to check out their respective sites linked in the sidebar if you haven't already!  I would also like to thank the numerous candidates who took the time to respond to requests for comments or  interviews, including Dan La Botz, Eliot Cutler, Jake Towne, Daniel Reale, Jaimes Brown, and Darcy Richardson.  And, of course, many thanks to TPID's friends and readers across the country and throughout the third party and independent blogosphere!

PA-15: Jake Towne Receives 8% Support in Independent Bid for US House

From Jake Towne:

From the not-yet-100%-official results from the state elections board, 15,241 votes were cast in favor of freedom in the district yesterday, for about 8% of the total.  I suppose the bad news (and sorry to be blunt) is this means 92% of the votes were cast for more debt, war, taxes and reckless government spending.

The volunteers have all my thanks, for without them, there would simply be no campaign.  Close to 70 volunteers staffed many of the major polling stations for the day, and at most reported the GOP or Dem workers  were not present – or got cold or left after several hours.  Also, many thanks to the owner of Pies On Pizzeria in Catasauqua for holding the Victory Party, the place was packed!  I am very humbled by all the support from voters, volunteers, and the 1,019+ donors who backed the campaign.  You are all my heroes/heroines.

FL: Darcy Richardson Fires Last Salvo in Race for Gov, "Alex Sink Doesn't Get It"

From Uncovered Politics:

Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink has spent much of the autumn campaign trying to distance herself from President Obama. She did so at her own peril, says Darcy G. Richardson, economist Farid Khavari’s running mate for lieutenant governor.

“The fact of the matter is that there never was a real Democrat in this race,” said Richardson while campaigning in Jacksonville on Friday. “From the beginning, Alex Sink has tried to portray herself as a moderate Democrat when, in fact, she supports much of the national Republican agenda.”

Richardson, 54, pointed to Sink’s support for extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, those earning $250,000 or more — a position that puts her at odds with the Obama Administration while exposing her deeply-held Republican ideology.

Contrary to Sink’s misguided and pernicious logic, if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire for the nation’s wealthiest citizens, the vast majority of small businesses will be entirely unaffected, said Richardson, adding that, according to the IRS, less than 3 percent of tax returns reporting small-business income are filed by taxpayers in the top two income brackets — individuals earning $170,000 or families making $210,000 per year.

Eliminating the tax cuts will in no way prevent small businesses from creating the jobs that might lift our sagging economy, said Richardson. “Like Grover Norquist and other conservatives who shamelessly look out for the interests of the rich and well-connected, Alex Sink is propagating a myth.
“The vast majority of small businesses in Florida won‘t pay a penny more in federal taxes if the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy are eliminated,” said the independent candidate for lieutenant governor. “What they really need is credit and a state-owned bank willing and able to provide it.

“Alex Sink doesn’t get it,” he continued. “As Florida’s chief financial officer and a candidate for governor, one would think that she would have a better understanding of tax policy.”

Read the whole thing.  

Rhode Island Elects State's First Independent Governor, Lincoln Chafee

From the Providence Journal:

Four years after losing his seat in the U.S. Senate, Lincoln D. Chafee has won his bid to become Rhode Island’s first independent governor, taking the office his father, the late John H. Chafee, held in the 1960s. He squeaked out a victory over Republican John F. Robitaille — after spending more than $1.6 million of his family’s personal fortune — in an election-night nail-biter in which Robitaille came within less than 100 votes of beating him as the votes were still rolling in. With an unknown number of provisional ballots yet to be counted, Chafee led Robitaille 36 percent to 34 percent, with fewer than 8,000 votes between them.

ME-Gov: Cutler Concedes in Close Race for Governor

From the Portland Press Herald, Eliot Cutler's Statement on Concession:

At noon today I will announce at a press conference here in Portland that I have spoken with Mayor Paul LePage and congratulated him on his victory. The results that are available to us this morning are unofficial and informal, but I believe that it is unlikely that there will be a material change in the outcome.

Although we all will await the official tabulations by the Secretary of State, I do not want to make it more difficult for Paul to assemble the team he needs to govern the State of Maine and to prepare a budget for the next biennium. In all likelihood, he will be the next governor for all the people of the State of Maine, and all of us who love the State of Maine should give him our support as he sets out on a difficult journey.

I am unendingly grateful to you for your investment in the effort we have made and your support for our vision for Maine.

I am proud of the fact that we came from literally zero to just a few thousand votes short of winning in a mere 16 months. And I am prouder still that we stuck a dagger in the heart of negative campaigning in the State of Maine, that we never ran a single negative attack ad nor made a single personal attack, that we withstood an onslaught of lies, slander and deception directed against us and that we emerge from this race with our heads held high and our integrity intact. You should be proud of your participation in this campaign, and I hope that you are, as I am. I am indebted to you and grateful to you.

NY-Study: In Nearly 40 Races, Only One Candidate on Ballot

From Poli-Tea:

On New York's general election ballot, 2010, there are at least four candidates in all of the races for statewide offices (excluding elections for the judiciary).  However, in the 241 races for US House, State Senate and State Assembly, there are only 39 contests in which there are more than two candidates on the ballot; and there are 37 in which there is only one!  These are just some of the findings from a Poli-Tea study and analysis of New York's general election ballot. 

Read the whole thing. 

OH: An Open Letter to Progressive Democrats from Dan La Botz, Socialist Party Candidate for US Senate

An open letter to Ohio progressives from Dan La Botz, Socialist Party candidate for US Senate. Sent in to TPID via email:

Dear Friends and Fellow Progressives,

In the Senate race, the Democratic Party in Ohio has largely ignored your wishes, crushed your hopes, and now abandons you to the Republican Rob Portman. In the beginning, when many and perhaps most of you wanted Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to be the Senate candidate, the Democratic Party organization used its power and its money to push Brunner aside and impose Lee Fisher as the candidate. Now, as we approach election day, Lee Fisher has apparently thrown in the towel, giving up on his race and turning his remaining campaign funds over to the Democratic Party to use for other races where they think they still have a chance.

What are you going to do with Fisher having failed so badly and now going down to defeat? I know that you won’t vote for Rob Portman or for the Libertarian or Constitution or party candidates who are perhaps even further right than he is. But I am afraid that you might waste your vote by casting it for Lee Fisher. This would be squandering your vote. 

PA: Hugh Giordano Proposes Ambitious Package of Election Reforms, Equal Access, Open Primaries . . .

From Montgomery Media News:

Hugh Giordano, the independent Green Party candidate for State Representative in the 194th District, has a strong stance when it comes to elections and how they should be run. “Elections in this state are so biased and unfair, that the voters never really have the opportunity to vote for someone they really want to. “The goal of this package of reforms is to ensure open, clean elections so that the citizens of Pennsylvania get the representation they deserve,” says Giordano.

Giordano supports a shift to open primaries in Pennsylvania . . . Giordano supports equal ballot access for third-party and independent candidates. . . . Giordano supports campaign finance reform . . .

WV: Constitution Party Candidate Vies for Byrd's Vacant Senate Seat, Calls for Audit of Fed

From the Parthenon:

A third-party candidate is seeking to be elected to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat left vacant by Robert C. Byrd. Jeff Becker, the Constitution Party's candidate for the election of West Virginia's new U.S. Senator, said he wants to help government make a return to Constitutional values.

Becker said if he is elected, initiating an audit of the Federal Reserve will be a top priority. "It's a shadowy organization," Becker said. "There's nothing federal about it. It's a private bank. "We need to get back to sound constitutional money. Our money is supposed to be based on silver and gold, but the paper money that is being printed isn't backed by anything."

MS: Constitution Party candidate, Giaramita, profiled in Desoto Times

From the Desoto Times:

Gail Giaramita, a Constitution Party candidate in the 1st U.S. Congressional District race, said America needs to "turn back to God" and adhere to the tenets of the U.S. Constitution.  In her DeSoto Times-Tribune editorial board interview, she opened her remarks with a prayer.

Giaramita previously ran for Mississippi State Representative as a Republican. "We have storms coming," Giaramita said. "If we don't turn back to God quickly, we won't have the foundation we need to face them."  Giaramita called for less government intervention in the lives of ordinary Americans.  "The framing fathers envisioned we would be in control of our own lives and our money," she said.

CT: Green Candidate for House "Swings from the Hip"

From the Bristol Press:

Ken Krayeske, the 38-year-old Green Party congressional contender, one of four people seeking the 1st Congressional District seat, relishes the opportunity to challenge the conventional wisdom.  At a debate this week, for example, he got tossed what for most politicians would be a softball on whether to move ahead with the proposed Coltsville National Park that would bring jobs, tourists and recognition to Hartford. Swinging from the hip, Krayeske fired back that he opposes “building a museum that honors genocide” and pointed out that Elizabeth Colt’s five children all died before her. He said she considered it a curse for having made guns that led to so many deaths over decades. Krayeske said he would rather see other Hartford factories singled out in a park to showcase the rise of American manufacturing. . .