On June 13, the New Jersey Libertarian Party state meeting decided not to run anyone for U.S. Senate in the October 16, 2013 special election. No other minor party or independent candidate seems to have announced plans to run anyone either. It is possible that the ballot will list only the Democratic and Republican nominees. Any other candidate could get on the ballot with 800 valid signatures by mid-August.
NJ voters would be fortunate to find on the ballot a candidate that could talk openly about the extreme dysfunction of the Senate, and the plurality method used to elect its members. The bipartisan establishment shouldn’t get a free pass.
The 100th anniversary of the first election of a senator under the 17th Amendment is good day for such a candidate to emerge.
Hopefully one of the tiny political parties surprises us with a candidate, like the TVP did in Massachusetts.
🙁 Aw, shucks.
Senator Augustus Bacon’s (D-GA)election in July of 1913 though reported in media is difficult to authenticate. First election under 17th Amendment Sen Blair Lee I (D-MD)in November of 1913 more likely. My bad.
I’m not sure why it’s hard to authenticate Sen. Bacon’s election. Google News shows that it was reported at the time, including, apparently, in the Atlanta Constitution (only part of an article visible, but it says, “Throughout Georgia occurs today the special election to insure the validation of the seat of United States Senator A. O. Bacon. In effect, the election is a formality only. Senator Bacon was overwhelmingly elected at the primaries last fall. …”).
I’ve seen newspapers get stories wrong, but usually when they say an election is taking place that day within their own circulation area, the election is actually taking place.