The November 2012 election returns for state legislative candidates reveal that the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties each had a handful of state legislative nominees who polled at least 30% of the vote.

For the Constitution Party, the only legislative nominee who polled as much as 30% was Gregory Hughes, who polled 31.29% in Nevada’s First Senate District against a Democrat. The district is in Las Vegas. Among the Constitution Party legislative nominees in the nation who had both a Democratic and a Republican opponent, the highest percentage was earned by Janine Hansen, who polled 19.54% against both a Democrat and a Republican in Nevada’s 19th State Senate district, which covers the eastern half of rural Nevada and runs all the way from Idaho to California.

For the Green Party, the best percentage was earned by Fred Smith in the Arkansas 50th State House district. He faced one opponent, a Democrat, but a court ordered that the votes for the Democrat not be counted, so Smith is credited with 100% of the vote, and, of course, was elected. Five other Green legislative nominees polled more than 30% of the vote. Two were in Hawaii: Keiko Bonk polled 31.35% in a race against both a Democrat and a Republican in the 20th House district in Honolulu; and Kelly Greenwell polled 33.42% in the State Senate, 4th district, on the big island, against a Democrat.

Also for the Greens, K. Frederick Horch polled 32.51% in a race against both a Democrat and a Republican in Maine’s 66th House district in Brunswick. Also in Maine, in the 115th House district, in Portland, Seth Berner polled 33.42% in a race against a Democrat. In Florida, Karen Morian, in the 12th House district in the Jacksonville area, polled 31.73% against a Republican.

For the Libertarian Party, three candidates polled at least 30% of the vote. In South Carolina’s 26th House district, Jeremy C. Walters polled 47.06% against a single opponent. The opponent was a Republican but she was on the ballot as an independent. In Colorado, Tim Menger polled 40.96% against a Republican in the 54th House district in Grand Junction. And in Florida, Franklin Perez polled 34.05% against a Republican in the 28th House district, which consists partly of Seminole County.

The highest percentage for Libertarians running against opponents from both major parties was earned by Steve Allen Stefanik, running in New Hampshire’s House district, Hillsborough County #16. He polled 19.91%.

Indiana ballot access laws, since 1983, have been so restrictive, the Libertarian Party is generally the only party that appears on the ballot for statewide office and Congress. No other party, other than the two major parties, has appeared on the Indiana ballot for a statewide office since 2000, when Pat Buchanan petitioned as the Reform Party nominee.

But the petition requirements for legislature aren’t too restrictive, so in 2012 both the Constitution Party and the Socialist Party placed one or two legislative candidates on the November ballot. The Constitution Party’s nominee, Audrey Queckboerner, polled 8.06% in a race in the 85th district in northeast Indiana. The race also included a Republican and a Democrat.

The Socialist Party ran two legislative nominees, both in the Indianapolis area. In the 39th House district, the state chair of the Socialist Party, John Strinka, polled 9.77% in a two-person race. The Socialist Party, before 2012, had last had legislative candidates on the ballot in Indiana in 1946, and none of the 1946 candidates polled more than .4%. Also in 2012, Socialist Party nominee Ronald Haldeman polled 3.35% in a two-person race against a Democrat. He probably would have done better, but he was running in a black majority district with a black incumbent, and Haldeman is white.

On June 1, 2010, the South Carolina Republican Party and one of its county units filed a federal lawsuit, hoping to win a ruling that the party may close its own primaries. That case is Greenville County Republican Party v State, 6:10-cv-1407. The case has not had a decision yet but will have a trial in mid-2013. Recently the Republican Party identified two expert witnesses who will testify. The state has not yet said who its expert witnesses will be.

South Carolina has never had registration by party, and has always provided that any registered voter may choose any party’s primary ballot. In the past the Democratic Party of South Carolina had a rule limiting its primary to whites only, but that was held unconstitutional in 1947.