On August 1, the New Mexico Secretary of State informed Jon Barrie that he doesn’t have enough valid signatures to be on the November ballot as the Independent American Party nominee for U.S. Senate. He would have been the first minor party or independent candidate for U.S. Senate on the New Mexico ballot since 1996 if he had had enough valid signatures. He was told he lacks 277 valid signatures.
The state requires 6,018 valid signatures. On June 26 he had submitted 10,279 signatures. He had already successfully collected 3,009 signatures on a different petition to qualify the Independent American Party. New Mexico, alone among the states, requires a newly-qualifying party to submit one petition to qualify itself, and then separate petitions for each of its nominees (other than presidential nominees).
Barrie had created the Independent American Party mostly as a vehicle so that he could run for U.S. Senate. If he had run as an independent, he would have needed 18,054 valid signatures. He will contest the finding that he did not have enough valid signatures. Thanks to Gary Odom for this news.
Very frustrating. I welcomed his US Senate candidacy even though he is running IAP rather than CP.
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Gary. There are many, many more voters registered as partisans either as “Independent American,” “American Independent,” or “Independent Party” than there are “Constitution Party.” Shouldn’t that tell you folks in the Constitution Party something? What part about the label “Independent” do you and the other CP folks not understand?
Yes, I will acknowledge that some of these people may have thought they were registering simply as “Independent.” But so what? Can you guarantee me that all people who register as “Democrats” are philosophical Democrats? Can you likewise guarantee me that all people who register as “Republican” are philosophical Republicans?
Hopefully, someday the Constitution Party will learn the mindset of the average voter who has no use for either the Democratic or Republican party, and when it does, the CP – perhaps under a more generic name which reflects a political label which most of these people are comfortable with – then the CP will begin to really become a serious 3rd party.
Oh, by the way, I intend to vote for Virgil Goode in November. And I’m an Alabama Independent – not a member of the CP.
@3 Do you think Virgil will be on the Alabama ballot?
At last report, the same team that got Baldwin on in Alabama in 2008, got Goode on the ballot in ND this year and has the Libertarian ballot access contract in Alabama has been offered a lowball rate in Alabama which is not really adequate to get the job done.
Also at last report the Constitution Party of Alabama chair has washed his hands of this petition drive completely according to a petitioner we know who has spoken to him recently.
Another one of our petitioners has been offered a much more attractive deal for other states, so why is the offer for Alabama so low as to virtually guarantee failure?
Common Tater: I hope efforts are successful in getting Virgil Goode on the Alabama ballot. Goode was in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago partly in an effort to get the petition moving. If he is not on, I may write in, but since I don’t know if he has even filed a slate of electors with the Secretary of State, it would be almost moot to do so.
I cannot speak for the CP of Alabama leadership. I do know there is a mindset among some in the party of placing priority on local offices which are (1) easier to obtain ballot position for and (2) are within reach of at least influencing the outcome. Smart thinking, but the presidential campaign is the nucleus of most 3rd parties and the glue which holds them together and that effort should not be discarded.
There is somewhat of a split among the CP in Alabama which has weakened even the ability to obtain the 5000 signatures for Goode. How sad. It is one thing to hold a difference of philosophical opinion on one or two issues(while agreeing on a majority of other matters)and allow such disagreement to destroy the unity and growth of the party. As I’ve preached for years, “3rd partisans are their own worst enemies.” Democrats and Republicans know how to respect differences of opinion and this is one reason why they win. 3rd parties (and some independents) can’t and this is why most are doomed to failure.
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I’m bummed too; Jon Barrie seemed like a really good guy and a excellent candidate for U.S. Senate, even though the party he was running in is currently commanded by a bunch of reprehensible, incompetent idiots.