On Sunday, July 15, the ballot-qualified Independent Party of Delaware held its state convention in Bridgeville. It nominated Alex Pires for U.S. Senate, but declined to nominate anyone for President. Rocky Anderson had sought the presidential nomination. In 2008, the Independent Party had nominated Ralph Nader for President.
Pires, the U.S. Senate nominee, had already collected 9,200 signatures to be an independent candidate. He is well-known and has an energetic campaign. However, even though the legal requirement is 6,070 signatures, Pires felt Delaware’s signature verification process is poorly administered and that he could not be certain his petition would be approved. With the Independent Party nomination, he is safely on the November ballot.
I wonder why the party didn’t nominate anyone for president? Seems odd that they have a spot on the ballot and wouldn’t use it. Are they likely going to fill the spot later on or is it pretty much set that they will not nominate anyone for president then?
As I’ve said many, many times, and I’ll probably have occassion to say it again, “3rd partisans are often their own worst enemies.”