Last month, West Virginia minor parties did unusually well in races below president. For Governor, Mountain Party nominee Charlotte Pritt polled 5.89% of the vote, the best showing for a West Virginia gubernatorial nominee who was not the Democratic or Republican nominee since 1992, when she (as a Democratic write-in candidate in November) polled 7.38%. If one excludes the Pritt 1992 showing, no minor party or independent had polled as much as 5% for West Virginia Governor since 1920.
The only November 2016 Libertarian nominee for U.S. House, Zane Lawhorn in the 3rd district, polled 8.14%. This was the highest percentage for anyone running for U.S. House in West Virginia who was not a Democratic or Republican nominee, and who was running in a district with both major parties in the race, since Ken Hechler was a write-in in 1976. Hechler was the Democratic incumbent at the time. Setting aside his example, the Libertarian 2016 showing for U.S. House (in races with both major parties also running) was the best for any minor party or independent since 1914.
Also, the Libertarian nominee for Agriculture Commissioner, Buddy Guthrie, polled 10.31%. The Republican got 48.41% and the Democrat got 41.28%. This was the best showing for a non-major party nominee for statewide office since Ross Perot’s 1996 showing.
The Socialist Equality Party nominee for State House, 16th district, Naomi Spencer Daly, received the vote of 6.87% of the voters who cast a ballot in her race. She was the only legislative nominee of any party with “Socialist” or “Socialism” in its name on the ballot anywhere in the United States this year.
West Virginia did not have a U.S. Senate election in 2016.
I was personally hoping for Pritt to pull in the 9% some of the polls showed, but I’m happy the only one to beat her third-party percentage recently is herself, lol. I also have mad respect for Daly. It can not be easy to get people to vote for someone with “Socialist” next to their name.
“The Socialist Equality Party nominee for State House, 16th district, Naomi Spencer Daly, received the vote of 6.87% of the voters who cast a ballot in her race. She was the only legislative nominee of any party with “Socialist” or “Socialism” in its name on the ballot anywhere in the United States this year.”
Richard I think SEP Candidates Jerry White Pres and Niles Niemuth VP would take exception to that. They made the Ballot in Louisiana by petitioning if I remember correctly. Does La not print out party Affiliation ?
I know Gloria LaRiva (PSL) ran on the Ballot Line of other Parties line Peace & Freedom and Liberty Union etc. But the various flavors of Socialists secured ballot lines in a handful of states. I’m talking Ballot Line Qualifications not Write-in. None of those States print Party Affiliation ?
Those were presidential candidates, he said legislative. The American socialist parties, for reasons I can’t fathom, seem to have no interest in fielding legislative candidates.
It’s very easy to fathom if one stops to do the research. The first thing is that State Legislatures are making it tougher to qualify for the ballot by progressively raising qualification standards. Socialists carry a substantial extra burden. The Legacy of the Smith Act in the 1930s, HUAC in the 1950s and Cointelpro in the 1960s. The social stigma from those hideous programs has never worn off. Any one who follows this webpage knows the SWP recently filed with the courts a petition to extend their reporting exemption with the IRS. Another glaring example is the SWP’s Ballot Qualification Drive to achieve Permanent Ballot Status in the State of Delaware a half dozen years ago. The drive was initially successful but they were unable to maintain their numbers and fell of the ballot a few years later. Jeremy there are a plethora of reasons, uniquely their own, why Socialist why to keep a low profile.
And then there’s the Constitution Party at… wait for it… 0.57% for governor. That’s ZERO.57 – the exact same percent that Phil Hudok got in a near identical 5-way race for US Senate in ’14.
West Virginia lists the hometowns of candidates on the ballot, so that has some interesting regional effects for the D/Rs and for the third parties.
Third party candidates in their home counties in WV-
Governor: Pritt won 9% in Kanawha County, Moran won 11% in Preston County, Hudok won 5% in Randolph County (and didn’t top 1.51% in any other county)
Secretary of State: Buckley won 19% in Hardy County.
Auditor: Ricketts won 23% in Jefferson County.
Ag Commissioner: Guthrie won 19% in Monongalia County (despite Leonhardt also being a county resident)
Attorney General: Kolenich won 12% in Upshur County, Sharley won 14% in Monongalia County.
Lawhorn won 32% in his home county (Mercer County).
So the hometown effect was particularly extreme in WV this year. Perhaps the elimination of straight ticket helped to inspire some of these spikes in third party numbers in WV.