Several recent New Mexico polls for the U.S. Senate race have shown Independent American Party nominee Jon Barrie at 9%. These polls also generally show the Democratic nominee, Martin Heinrich, hovering near 50%, and Republican nominee Heather Wilson, the Republican nominee, at or near 40%.
Barrie is the first minor party or independent candidate for U.S. Senate to appear on the New Mexico ballot since 1996. The Independent American Party of New Mexico is not affiliated with any party outside New Mexico, and has no presidential nominee.
more details here:
http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2012/09/new-mexico-senate-independent-jon-barrie-scores-9-in-competing-polls/
According to the Albuquerque Journal of October 6th …
“[Heather] Wilson pollster Public Opinion Strategies went on to conclude last week that Barrie ‘is getting double digits among independents and Democrats.’
“’It shows there are enough people out there looking for an independent candidate, more so than people think,’ Barrie said of the poll data.”
“But Barrie’s generic-sounding Independent American Party might lead voters to think he is more of a centrist candidate, said Research & Polling President Brian Sanderoff. “There’s disenchantment out there, and it’s reflected here,’ Sanderoff said. ‘And some people are saying they support this candidate — who in my opinion they’ve never heard of — but they like this notion of an independent party even though they might not be familiar with the politics of this particular party.’
It looks like the NM IAP is affiliated with the USIAP, which ran some candidates in Utah and Minnesota last decade. If I recall the Utah IAP broke from the American Party and formed its own national organization, but never really grew past 2 or 3 state parties. Interesting to see them pop up again somewhere new.
BTW, how is Gary Johnson polling in NM?
The IAP also ran several candidates in Tennessee several years ago including one for the US Senate.
Johnson is pulling 12% in NM