Virginia elects all 100 members of its House of Delegates on November 3, 2009. For the first time since Virginia started printing party labels on general election ballots (for office besides just president), six parties have candidates on the ballot for House of Delegates. The Independent Green Party has 7 nominees with the party label; the Constitution Party has 3; the Libertarian Party has 1; the Green Party has 1.
Both of Virginia’s independent House members are running for re-election. Lacey Putney has a Democratic and a Constitution Party opponent. Watkins Abbitt is unopposed. Thanks to Carey Campbell and Kimberly Wilder for telling me that the Virginia State Board of Elections had finally posted its list of candidates.
Republicans have nominees in 84 of the districts, and Democrats have 70 nominees. Therefore, there are 46 of the 100 districts with no Democrat-Republican contest. There are 16 independent candidates. According to the Independent Green Party, three of the candidates with “independent” as their label are really Independent Green Party members.
Virginia started printing party labels on general election ballots (for office other than president) in 2001.
The elections database on gp.org shows two Green candidates running for House of Delegates this year in Virginia. You wrote that there’s only one. Who is it, and what happened to the other one?
The Green on the ballot is Joshua Ruebner in the 47th district (Arlington).
I thought the Modern Whig Party was going to run someone. Did they not qualify or was I mistaken and they were running a candidate for some other race in VA?
[a] If you have any interest in ethics, be leary of the Independent [so called] Green Parties. They are much more connected to political pirate Frank [$500] MacKay and the Independence Party and the [so called] reform movement.
They are not Independent, they are not green, and they are not much of a party. They ‘hunker down’ when ever the questions of their true identity and real agenda are raised……..
[b] My minor explorations of the modern whigs is similar to the imploding reform movement. My subjective opinion is that Modern Whigs are ‘web site thin’!
With all due respect to Donald Raymond Lake, the Modern Whig Party is doing quite well. They were bantering the idea of running a campaign in Virginia, but decided to focus on candidates elsewhere where they feel there is a better shot at winning. Modern whig Party candidates tha have announced and are on the ballot so far are in Florida and in New Jersey’s 14th District for state assembly.
Founded by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, the Modern Whig Party continues to be recognized by various mainstream media outlets and has held numerous in-person meetings.
[a] I think the Independent Green Party actually is more in line with traditional environmental issues than the actual Green Party. Independent version focuses on rail and traffic which is important to a large swath of Virginia.
[b] I don’t trust groups like this so-caled “reform party-USA” by citizens for better veterans home because groups like that have “leaders” or more likely Web site managers who don’t think enough of their groups… or Web sites… to even put their names behind it. The Modern Whig Party lists a slew of credible people and is gaining steam as a known entity throughout the country. The Whigs, while not there yet, also have a few candidates so I wouldn’t take too much stock on the questionable statements of those who would discount a growing endeavor based on minimal research or thought.
Thanks for info about Modern Whig Party