In November 2022, the Americans Coming Together Party ran three legislative candidates in West Virginia. The party is a centrist party. One of its nominees, S. Marshall Wilson, polled 39.7% of the vote in a two-person race, against a Republican opponent. That is the highest percentage for a minor party legislative candidate in West Virginia in at least 95 years.
In mid-December 2022, the Alabama Secretary of State gave a free list of the registered voters to the Libertarian Party, because it had qualified for statewide ballot access in the 2022 election. Alabama charges more for the list of registered voters than any other state ($37,000) but gives a free list to qualified parties.
Although the Libertarian Party did not poll 20% for any statewide race last year, it did poll over 20% for countywide partisan offices in Madison, Macon, and Jackson Counties, so it is on the ballot for 2024 for all county partisan offices in those three counties.
The party is seeking sponsors for a bill to lower the 20% vote test to something lower.
If President Biden and Vice-President Harris died in this period, the next President would be the U.S. Senate President Pro Tempore, Patty Murray of Washington state. Just now there is no Speaker. Thanks to Charles Stewart and Doug Hess for this thought.
On December 16, the Florida Secretary of State granted recognition to the Conservative Party. Its chair is Keith C. Westbrook of Gainesville.
On November 8, 2022, Libertarian Party nominee Sean Schriver, running for State House, district 71, polled 32.24% in a two-way race. That is the highest percentage for any minor party candidate for Iowa legislature since before World War II.
Iowa, unlike other midwestern farm states, does not have a history of strong support for minor parties. No minor party candidate has been elected to the Iowa legislature since a Populist was elected in 1891.
Until 2022, the highest percentage for a minor party candidate for the Iowa legislature had been in 1964, when Conservative Party nominee Reuben Rustad had polled 25.38% in a two-person race.
The 71st State House district is in Dubuque County. Schriver’s only opponent was a Democrat.
