The Reform Party only had six candidates for U.S. House, but they polled 51,877 votes. The total was boosted by the showing of the party’s nominee in Colorado’s 4th district, Eric Eidsness. He polled 11.33%, the best showing for any U.S. House nominee of a nationally-organized party, in a race with both a Democrat and a Republican. Eidsness was helped by the fact that so many Republicans dislike incumbent Marilyn Musgrave. However, she was re-elected, although she polled less than 50% of the vote.

The Socialist Workers Party only had three candidates for the U.S. House on ballots, but they polled 16,809. This is the highest SWP total for U.S. House since 1998. The Socialist Workers Party is the only nationally-organized minor party that polled more votes for U.S. House in 2006 than it had in 2004. Even the Democratic Party polled fewer votes in 2006 than in 2004 (despite its greater number of victories), because turnout in 2006 was only about two-thirds of 2004 turnout.

The only other nationally-organized minor party with U.S. House candidates this year, not mentioned so far during posts of the last two days, is the Socialist Equality Party. It had one candidate, who polled 1,863 votes.

On November 16, the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia, again heard Miller v Brown, 3:05cv-266. The issue is whether the First Amendment protects the Republican Party’s right to insist on a closed primary for itself. The case was originally rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Henry Hudson (a Bush Jr. appointee) on procedural issues, but the 4th circuit had said the case is procedurally sound, and should be heard on its merits. The state defended Virginia’s existing system by saying that if the Republican Party doesn’t like having an open primary, it is always free to hold a nominating convention instead. The state also complained that if the party wins the case, the state will be forced to institute registration by party. It was difficult to predict which way Judge Hudson will rule.

Teddy Roosevelt’s Progressive Party polled 2,205,542 votes for its candidates for US House in 1912, and 1,117,939 votes for that office in 1914.

But after that, no party other than the Democratic and Republican Parties had ever polled as much as 1,000,000 votes for its candidates for US House, until the Libertarians did it in 2000, 2002, and 2004. The totals were: 2000 1,727,181; 2002 1,204,248; 2004 1,026,668.

But in 2006, the Libertarians have fallen short of that benchmark. With approximately 98% of the national vote now counted, the Libertarian total (not including the special election in the Texas 22nd district) stands at 608,308. The lower total is a consequence of fewer Libertarian candidates this year (for that office) than in any year since 1994.

The US Senate Libertarian total this year so far is 602,436.

This year, the 2nd highest total for US House was achieved by the Green Party, whose total now stands at 273,071. The Green US Senate total so far is 358,067.