The only nationally-organized minor parties that had state legislative candidates on the ballot in more than a single state (with their party label on the ballot) are the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties.
At the November 2008 election, the Green Party elected one state legislator in Arkansas, Richard Carroll. Other impressive showings by Green Party legislative candidates occurred in Maine and Minnesota. In Maine, four Greens outpolled their Republican opponents. They are William S. Linnell, who polled 22.27% in the 8th State Senate district; Michael Hiltz, who polled 30.09% in the 115th House district; Daniel Jenkins, who polled 25.47% in the 119th district; and Sandy Amborn, who polled 30.20% in the 120th district. In Minnesota, Farheen Hakeem also outpolled her Republican opponent. She got 30.4% in House district 61B.
The Constitution Party had no state legislative candidates with both a Republican and a Democratic opponent who polled as much as 10%. The highest showing for that type of race was made by Benton Petersen in Utah’s 24th State Senate district, with 9.45%. However, the Constitution Party had two candidates with impressive percentages in races with only a single major party opponent. They were both in Nevada. Janine Hansen polled 34.75% in the Rural Nevada State Senate district (that is the official name of that particular Senate district; it has no number). Also Zachery Triggs polled 30.47% in the 33rd Assembly district.
The Libertarian Party’s best legislative showings were in New Hampshire and Indiana. Rex Bell, in Indiana’s 54th State House district, polled 33.49% in a race with only a single major party opponent. In New Hampshire, exact percentages are not available today because the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s webpage has been down for the last two days. But it appears that Lisa Wilber, in the Hillsborough 7th State House district, polled approximately 28% in a race with a full slate of Democratic and Republican opponents. Check back later for the exact percentage. Other New Hampshire Libertarian state house candidates with a full set of opponents from both major parties who surpassed 10% include Morey Straus in the Hillsboro 11th district, Richard Tomasso in the Hillsboro 17th district, Matthew Kahn in the Hillsboro 27th district, and Brendan Kelly in the Rockingham 14th district. Outside of New Hampshire, Libertarian legislative candidates in races with both a Democrat and a Republican who surpassed 10% are Sheri Stearns in the Kansas 43rd House district, with 12.35%; and Pamela J. Brown in California’s 40th Assembly district, with 14.76%
Posted to IPR by Paulie
20 responses so far ↓
1 Catholic Trotskyist // Jan 19, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Has Maine ever had any Green state legislators?
2 Trent Hill // Jan 19, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Yes. They elected one in 2004, he lost re-election in 2006. His name was…..Eder?
3 citizen1 // Jan 19, 2009 at 6:46 pm
In CT Jim Farrel received 9.8% in a three way race with a Dem incumbent and a petitioning candidate that ran as the Rep candidate two years ago. Jim Farrel was representing the Constitution Party and does not even live in the district. He finished second to the incumbent.
4 Richard Winger // Jan 19, 2009 at 10:06 pm
John Eder, the Green Party legislator in Maine, won two terms, in 2002 and re-election in 2004.
I didn’t include Jim Farrell in Connecticut because that was a race with no Republican nominee. If I had included all the races with only one major party nominee, there would have been dozens of minor party candidates with 15% or more.
5 Trent Hill // Jan 19, 2009 at 10:12 pm
John Eder, I thought the last name was right.
He narrowly lost re-elected in 2006,right?
At any rate, that means that of the 3 major third parties…the Libertarian Party has had a state legislator LEAST recently. The Green Party has had 2 since 2004, the CP has had 1.
And the GP currently has a former Congresswomen while the CP has a number of former congressmen. The LP has Bob Barr and (sort of) Ron Paul.
6 Ross Levin // Jan 19, 2009 at 10:29 pm
The LP sort of has Mike Gravel, too. And I’m sure each party has dozens of prominent people that just might not be instantly recognizable names.
7 Trent Hill // Jan 19, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I dont think each party has dozens of current or former Congressmen…
The LP and GP sort of share Mike Gravel,lol.
Is Gravel a registered Libertarian?
8 Ross Levin // Jan 19, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Yeah, I think so. He doesn’t do anything for the GP, but beyond the presidential race he didn’t do anything for the LP either. He voted for Obama and he’s still just as much a Democrat as he ever was (which doesn’t really mean he was ever much of a Democrat). I don’t think he cares much for parties.
9 paulie cannoli // Jan 19, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Well, he did campaign for Jesse Johnson a little bit.
10 Ross Levin // Jan 19, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. He’s a shared commodity.
He endorsed whoever endorsed the national initiative and sought his endorsement. That guy John Murphy who I worked for – an independent – got his endorsement. So did Neil Stephenson, an Lper. I forget if anyone else did.
11 Richard Winger // Jan 19, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Mike Gravel lives in Virginia. Virginia doesn’t have registration by party.
12 Ross Levin // Jan 19, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Helpful as always, Richard.
13 ATM // Jan 19, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Trent, which other congressmen besides Hostettler of Indiana and (briefly) Smith of New Hampshire does the CP have?
14 Trent Hill // Jan 20, 2009 at 12:10 am
So far as I know, Smith was not a brief entrance–he considers himself a member still. The other who considers himself a member is Steve Stockman.
15 Trent Hill // Jan 20, 2009 at 12:33 am
Interestingly, John Eder was elected to Cumberland County Charter Commission, District 1, ME
16 Jill Stone // Jan 20, 2009 at 2:46 am
Hooray to Pam Brown! California Libertarians are proud of you!
17 Vindex // Jan 20, 2009 at 2:57 am
Mike Gravel is an opportunistic parasite, who thought his “anti-establishment” views were passable as “libertarian,” at least in so far as the LP could provide him a platform for his issues that was denied to him by the Democratic Party. However, he still is as much of a liberal as he ever was, and never, ever was a Libertarian–even if he did join the party.
Why else would Gravel essentially disappear from the LP after he lost the nomination?
I say, good riddance.
18 Thomas M. Sipos // Jan 20, 2009 at 12:17 pm
At least Mike Gravel was honest about his differences with Libertarians. He never pretended to be what he is not.
Root, not Gravel, is the opportunist.
Root arrived with anti-Libertarian views, then flip flopped all over the spectrum, trying to get his talking points into something that would simultaneously (1) get him the nomination, and (2) not t hurt his chances at a neocon talk show gig in the future.
Root is using his VP run to try and get book deals and talk show gigs even now.
Gravel was honest about who he was, and where he stood, and he never tried to exploit the LP for personal gain.
Root was shifty about who he was, and continues to exploit his LP “creds” for personal benefit.
Root, not Gravel, is the opportunist.
19 Trent Hill // Jan 20, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I think anti-libertarian is unfair. I’d say neo-libertarian, in the mold of Neal Boortz, Glenn Beck, etc.
With that said, they aren LIBERTARIAN views.
20 Michael Seebeck // Jan 20, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I would point out that Gravel has not “disappeared” since Denver. He has been out spreading the word for the LP without being involved in the LNC circus.
Harry Caray, in his autobiography, talked about working for the great Bill Veeck, and he commented that while he got along great with Bill, they never really socialized together outside the White Sox. Year later harry asked Bill why. Bill replied, “Harry, you sold the White Sox the way you knew best, as did I. By doing it separately, we sold twice it twice as much.”
Wise words from the great visionary Veeck, and that’s what Gravel is doing now.
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