On November 2012, the Working Families Party New York nominee for U.S. Senate (who was also the Democratic nominee) received more votes on the Working Families line than the Conservative Party nominee for the same office (the Conservative nominee was also the Republican nominee). The U.S. Senate totals represented the first time that the WFP had outpolled the Conservative Party in a New York statewide race. The two US Senate totals were: Working Families 250,580; Conservative 240,819.

But the U.S. Senate race was an aberration. When one looks at other public offices up in New York state in 2012, the Conservative Party still outpolled the Working Families Party.

In the U.S. House races, the Conservative Party nominees polled 257,439 votes, which was 4.84% of the total vote cast in the districts in which the Conservative Party had nominees. By contrast, in U.S. House races, the Working Families Party polled 219,104 votes, which was 3.65% of the vote in the districts with WFP nominees.

In State Senate races, the Conservative Party nominees received 321,494 votes, which was 6.56% of the total vote cast in districts with a Conservative on the ballot. The Working Families Party received 148,472 votes, which was 3.63% of the total vote in districts with WFP in the race.

In Assembly races, Conservative nominees got 277,922 votes, or 6.73% of the vote in districts in which the Conservatives participated. The Working Families Assembly figures were 174,137 votes, or 4.62%.

Also, in the presidential race, Mitt Romney received 262,035 votes (3.72%) as a Conservative, whereas President Obama received 147,643 votes on the WFP line, or 2.09%.

In 2012, the Conservative Party displayed more independence than the Working Families Party did. Among the congressional and legislative nominees of each party, the Conservative Party ran 27 nominees who weren’t major party nominees. The Working Families Party only ran five nominees who weren’t major party nominees.

Four New Hampshire State House members have introduced HB 143, to restore the straight-ticket device that was repealed in 2007. The sponsors are Jeanine Nutter (R-Merrimack), Lenette Peterson (R-Merrimack), Don LeBrun (R-Nashua), and Frederick Rice (R-Concord). The bill would not give a straight-ticket device to any party unless that party had polled 4% for Governor or U.S. Senator in the last election.

If this bill had been in effect in 2012, the Libertarian Party would not have had its own straight-ticket device, even though the Libertarian Party successfully completed the party petition and had its own party column (except that the title of the Libertarian Party column was “Libertarian and Other Candidates”; independent candidates were also in the Libertarian column).

Democrats have a majority in the State House, so this bill, which lacks any Democratic co-sponsors, may have an uphill battle. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the news.

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%.