This article quotes Dr. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, as saying that Tom Clements may outpoll Alvin Greene in this year’s U.S. Senate race in South Carolina.  Clements is the Green Party nominee and Greene is the Democratic Party nominee.

The only Green Party nominee for U.S. Senate who ever outpolled either the Democratic or the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in any general election, so far, was Jed Whittaker in Alaska in 1996.  He polled 29,037 votes, and his Democratic nominee polled 23,977.

No Libertarian has ever outpolled a major party opponent for U.S. Senate.  The closest any Libertarian Party nominee came to doing that was Carla Howell in Massachusetts in 2000.  She polled 308,860 votes and her Republican opponent polled 334,341 votes.

On July 6, Public Policy Polling released a poll of the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina.  It shows Republican Richard Burr, the incumbent, at 38%; Elaine Marshall, Democrat, 33%, Michael Beitler, Libertarian, 10%; undecided 20%.  See the detailed results here.

The poll shows that Beitler gains support disproportionately from voters age 18-29 (18%), and secondarily from voters age 30-45 (12%).  Voters over age 45 only give him 7% support.  The poll also shows that Beitler draws 14% support from African-Americans.  By party, 7% of Democrats support him; 4% of Republicans support him; and 26% of independent voters support him.  Thanks to Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for the link.  Beitler was in a 3-candidate debate recently.

Howie Hawkins, New York Green Party gubernatorial candidate, has this 14-minute talk on how to circulate petitions effectively.  Thanks to Green Party Watch for the link.