Dierdre Scozzafava, Republican candidate for New York’s 23rd Congressional District in the special election this year, has abruptly suspended her campaign amidst plunging support, saying it would be the best thing for her party. The race is now between Democratic Party candidate Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

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Ballot Access News
On October 30, Jim Duensing, who was chairman of the Nevada Libertarian Party until March, 2009, was shot by a Las Vegas policeman after the police had stopped Duensing for making an illegal turn and some illegal lane changes. According to this newspaper story, he was in a rental car, and he bolted [...]

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In an article today, the Associated Press is speculating about third parties’ near-term future in this country, based on strong candidacies this year:
Third party candidates could upend two major races in elections Tuesday, and the success of those candidacies is a warning shot fired at both major parties by voters angry at government and disillusioned [...]

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In light of the potential close three-way split (and there are nine other candidates in the race, too), three major newspapers have printed opinion pieces in favor of instant runoff voting.

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The candidates for US House of Representatives for the 23rd District in New York are: Bill Owens (Democrat); Dede Scozzafava (Republican); and Doug Hoffman (Conservative). There is an excellent story at the Times Union political blog analyzing the race.

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In New York City, the United Federation of Teachers union declined to endorse a candidate for Mayor. Though, a group within the UFT –called ICE — has made an interesting endorsement: They ask members to vote for anybody on the ballot, except incumbent Mayor Bloomberg. Because there are 8 candidates on the ballot — including 5 running solely on a third party line — that endorsement should help the numbers for third parties.

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Ballot Access News
A Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll released October 29 for the U.S. House race in New York’s 23rd district shows these results: Democrat Bill Owens 33%, Conservative Doug Hoffman 32%, Republican Dede Scozzafava 21%, undecided 14%. See here for details.

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tony Norman offers a mea culpa for his previous Nader-bashing and some great compliments for the man.  Read the full thing here.
For the last decade, Mr. Nader has been portrayed as a pill by the popular press — a humorless, Quixotic figure doomed to eternal political isolation thanks to his uncompromising devotion [...]

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Las Vegas City Life
THE story of John Wagner’s rise to the top of the Independent American Party mirrors the growth of the party itself — surprising, sudden and fueled by anger at the major political parties.
On Oct. 14, the party’s board appointed Wagner chairman. A former Republican Party activist, Wagner took the helm from former [...]

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A debate was held with all five candidates for the Special Election [on Election Day, Nov 3, 2009] to fill the seat of Ellen Tauscher in the 10th Congressional District in California. The candidates represented the two major parties, plus the Peace and Freedom Party, the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party.

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The Modern Whig Party’s first candidate for office and their only candidate on the ballot this November is Gene Baldassari, a New Jersey State Assembly candidate in the 14th district.  The Trentonian recently ran this piece profiling him:
HAMILTON — Gene Baldassari, a Hamilton resident and lifelong Republican, said New Jersey has been ruined by the [...]

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Ballot Access News

John Mertens, an engineering professor, is running for U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010 on a platform of abolishing federal subsidies for ethanol. He says such a step would save $70,000,000,000 per year and also help the environment. He says he is an independent candidate, but that he also is seeking the nomination [...]

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2008 Libertarian V.P. nominee Wayne Root today writes that  President Obama is
taking notes right out of Bernie Madoff’s playbook — steal from one group to pay off his friends. And why did Bernie do it? To increase his own wealth, power, control and ego. Sound familiar? Obama is doing the same thing- the only difference [...]

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2008 Libertarian Party V.P. nominee Wayne Root’s book Conscience of a Libertarian is climbing in its Amazon sales rank. It is currently

#4 in Philosophy > Politics
#5 in Politics > U.S.
#1 in Law > Taxation
#1 in Law > Business
#24 in Politics

Here are current Amazon sales rankings for books written by past LP presidential nominees and would-be [...]

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Among the quotations in the Village Voice article with Green Party candidate for Mayor of NYC Reverend Billy Talen:

“What is the city? We’re the city. The “City” will go on with its bubble economy. But we have homes, loved ones, children. And as the corporations fade away we’re starting our own companies, we’re making our own arrangements, we’re counting on our neighbor’s genius to help pull us through. As we say in the Church of Life After Shopping, Change-allujah!”

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