Kathleen Curry, the only independent in the Colorado legislature, has raised more campaign contributions for this election than either of her major party opponents, even though she is being forced to run for re-election as a write-in candidate. And Tom Tancredo, Constitution Party nominee for Governor, has raised more money than his Republican opponent. For the Curry campaign contribution story, see here. For the Tancredo campaign contribution story, see here.
On September 12, the Working Families Party of New York, and Andrew Cuomo, each announced to the press that Cuomo will be the Working Families Party nominee for Governor. Cuomo is expected to also be the Democratic Party nominee and the Independence Party nominee. See this story. Thanks to Independent Political Report for the news.
Normally is isn’t newsworthy when the Working Families Party cross-endorses a Democratic nominee. However, in this case there had been some doubt.
Independent Political Report reports that former Congressman Ken Hechler of West Virginia has endorsed Jesse Johnson for U.S. Senate this year. Johnson is the nominee of the Mountain Party, which is the ballot-qualified Green Party affiliate in West Virginia.
Hechler is one of the most distinguished ex-members of Congress living. He has been a professor; Associate Director of the American Political Science Association; a former four-term Secretary of State of West Virginia; a former Assistant to President Harry Truman; and an assistant to the prosecution at Nuremberg, Germany, in 1945-1946. He was the research director for the national Democratic Party’s presidential campaign in 1956. The IPR report includes a you tube showing Hechler endorsing Johnson, and Johnson’s response.
Jesse Johnson in 2008 polled 4.44% for Governor when he was the Mountain Party’s nominee. That was the highest percentage of the vote that any minor party or independent candidate had polled for Governor of West Virginia since 1920.
The Independent Party of Connecticut has been organized on a statewide basis since 2008. In 2010, as in 2008, most of its nominees have been its own members. But, both in 2008, and continuing this year, the party has also cross-endorsed the nominees of other parties. Its choices of which nominees of other parties to cross-endorse shows an unusual approach to politics.
In 2008, the Independent Party nominated Ralph Nader for President, and cross-endorsed six Republican nominees for the state legislature. It also ran its own nominees for one seat in the U.S. House, and nine of its own members for the legislature. One of its members who ran for the legislature, Cicero Booker, who was also cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party, had such a strong campaign that he became the only minor party nominee to qualify for full public funding.
This year, the Independent Party is again eclectic. It has its own nominees for most statewide offices, headed by its gubernatorial nominee, Thomas E. Marsh. But it cross-endorsed the Green Party nominee for Attorney General, Stephen Fournier. It cross-endorsed a Democrat for State Senate in the 14th district; it cross-endorsed the Republican nominee for U.S. House in the 5th district; it cross-endorsed three Republican nominees for state legislature; and it even cross-endorsed the nominee of the Connecticut for Lieberman Party in State House district One.
The party’s cross-endorsed nominee in State House district 100, John Szewczyk, himself has an unusual set of nominations. He is the nominee of the Republican, Libertarian, Connecticut for Lieberman, and Independent Parties.
In 2010, the Independent Party is also running its own nominees for nine legislative seats. It is running more of its own members for state and federal office than any other minor party in Connecticut this year. Here is the party’s web page.
The 2010 election is on November 2. On September 10, Wisconsin promised the federal government that it will count votes mailed back by overseas absentee ballots in 2010 if they arrive as late as November 19. See this story. A new federal law in effect this year tells the states that they must mail overseas absentee ballots no later than 45 days before an election, but Wisconsin can’t comply with that law this year because its primary is so late. The late date for allowing ballots to be received is a compromise measure, in effect this year only. Thanks to Eric Garris for the link.
