The three nationally-organized minor parties that always run the most candidates have fewer candidates for US House on the ballot this year than they did in 2004.
The Libertarian Party has 114; in 2004 it had 144.
The Green Party has 45; in 2004 it had 47.
The Constitution Party has 28; in 2004 it had 43.
The Independent Party of Virginia has 3 candidates for U.S. House on the ballot, but the national Green Party is adamant that the Independent Green Party of Virginia is not part of the Green Party.
Some of these totals may change. Please comment if you feel this information is incorrect. A breakdown by state (for 2006) follows:
Libertarian: Alaska 1, Arizona 8, California 24, Colorado 3, Connecticut 1, Florida 1 (on as independent), Illinois 1, Indiana 2, Kentucky 3, Louisiana 5, Michigan 13, Missouri 9, Montana 1, Nevada 2, New Hampshire 1, New Jersey 4, New Mexico 1 (if lawsuit wins), New York 1, Oregon 1, South Carolina 1, South Dakota 1, Texas 25, Utah 3, Virginia 1, Wyoming 1.
Green: Alaska 1, California 7, Colorado 3, Connecticut 2, Delaware 1, Maryland 4, Michigan 8, Minnesota 1, Missouri 4, New York 1, Oregon 1, Pennsylvania 4 (one is being challenged), South Carolina 3, Tennessee 2, Vermont 1 (uncertain), Wisconsin 2.
Constitution: California 2, Colorado 1, Idaho 2, Kentucky 1, Michigan 8, Minnesota 1, Nevada 3, New Jersey 1, Oregon 4, Pennsylvania 1, Texas 1, Utah 3.
Tennessee has such restrictive regulations, no one runs for much of anything with a party label, other than the two old parties.
If there are two Green Party candidates, they are running as “independent,” not as Green Party.
Theoretically, new party candidates CAN run, but the petition signature requirement is beyond any reasonable expectations.
Greens supported one Terry Stulce in the Democrat Primary for Third District U.S. Representative, but he was edged out by Brent Benedict, who had run in 2004 for a Tennessee legislative seat. Benedict had then been a Libertarian, but, as is true for the others, had run as an independent.
He is not given much of a chance against well-financed and well-entrenched incumbent Zach Wamp, but then he wasn’t given much of a chance in the primary.
Wamp, breaking his earlier promise to term-limit himself, is derided even among big-government “liberals” as a pork-barrel politician, and Brent Benedict is stressing his own fiscal conservatism. His Web site is http://www.brentbenedict.com.
Theoretically we have two LP candidates in NY.
Both Mike Syvia and Eric Sundwall are not officially on the ballot. Sundwall is undergoing challenge and Sylvia has not been challenged.
Great reporting!
The Independent Green Party of Virginia is proud to have nominated/endorsed a full slate of federal candidates in 2004 and 2006. In 2000, and 2002 we put many house candidates on the ballot also.
Gail Parker (IG) U.S. Senate on the ballot.
By district:
1st District. Col. Marvin Pixton, on the ballot as Independent. Recruited to run by Indy Greens, and all petition signatures collected jointly.
2nd District. Col. John Kelly – Write In
Adoptive father of Green Party founder Petra Kelly
3rd District. Shirley Harvey – Write In.
On the ballot for City Council
4th District. Col Albert Burckard. (IG) on ballot
5th District. Businessman Joe Oddo (IG) on ballot
6th District. Reverend Martin Jeffrey (IG) write-in
7th District. Dr. Brad Blanton, our 2004 nominee, our current 7th District Chairman, and member of our Central Committee. On ballot as indy
8th District. Businessman Jim Hurysz,
9th District. Dr. Bob Lazo (IG) write in
10th District. Bill Woods Indy Green endorsee
11th District. Ferdinando Greco (IG) on the ballot.
We wish third party, Independents, and Greens on the ballot continued success. Winning is participating. Winning is getting on the ballot, in the debate, and helping define the debate.
The Indy Greens of Virginia are grateful to the 60,000 Virginians who signed our petitions in 2006.
Thank YOU Virginia. Indy Greens have spoken face to face personally to over 700,000 Virginians in 2006. That’s almost tenth of the states entire population. 9 months of work day after day.
Thank You Virginia for making us the first Green Party in the South to put a statewide candidate on the ballot – other than in a Presidential race. That actually happened in 2005, when we put Russ Potts on ballot for Governor.
Five years out of the last seven we’ve played a major role in putting a third party Virginia alternative on the ballot.
Bottom line is we need More Candidates, Less Apathy!
That the “press secretary for life” of the national Green Party doesn’t understand the value of this, is his problem.