The Constitution Party lost its status as a qualified party in Wisconsin in 2006, because it failed to run any statewide candidates that year. Wisconsin requires parties to poll 1% of the vote for any statewide race in midterm years, in order to remain ballot-qualified.
This year, the Constitution Party used the independent petition method to place a nominee on the ballot for U.S. Senate. He has the ballot label “Constitution Party.” Therefore, if he polls at least 1% of the vote, the party will again be qualified. The nominee is Robert Taylor. He is the only candidate on the ballot for U.S. Senate, other than the two major party nominees.
Twice before the Constitution Party has had a nominee on the ballot in Wisconsin for U.S. Senate, but neither time did the nominee poll as much as 1%. However, in both those previous instances, there were at least four candidates on the ballot.
The Mid-West Super-state Parliament Circuit #8
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin
http://www.usparliament.org/ss8.htm
John Gaspari [Conservative], Andrew Stout [Green], John Talbot [Green], Fred Wagner [Green], Randy Toler [Green], Lowell Mathes [Green], Norman Nithman [New], Bill Cruzen [Pot], Michael Baker [Socialist Party USA], Chelsea Bush [Republican], Tracy Pryhuber [Republican], Earl Bagwell [Info. Not Avail.], Jeff Fecke [Anarchist], Chuck Pasch [Environmentalist], Jodi Sellers [Pot], Jim Riley [Info. Not Avail.], Anesdy [Non-Party], Peter Stone [Democratic], Gail Baxter [Green], Fred Strauss [Republican], Kevin Lewis [Republican], Christopher J. Oberman [Pot], Sam Steffan [Pot], Ted Kuhn [Radical American Movement], Allen McKinney [Open]
Helping Rob Taylor is the fact that he is not a political novice. He in his second term as Alderman in Cumberland, Wisconsin. So, he has achieved success, gained experience and developed at least some base at the local level. He has also conducted a very energetic campaign this year. Fingers are crossed that he will do well and certainily well enough to keep the Constitution Party on the ballot as we move toward 2012.