Indiana’s Jefferson Evening News and Tribune reports that Eric Schansberg, the Libertarian U.S. House candidate in the state’s Ninth District in 2006 and 2008, says he is “not opposed to running as a major party candidate” in the future. Schansberg received four percent of the vote this year.
While Schansberg says he is “not sure there’d be room for him to run in the Democratic Party” because the seat is held by a Democrat, he “would consider the Republican Party. ‘I think he would probably be a viable candidate if he ran as a Republican,’ said Linda Gugin, professor of political science at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany.” As for the candidate himself, he said, “I’ve had people approach me on both sides, saying, ‘Wow, I wish you were our candidate.'”
..And I would say 4% as a Third Party is more meaningful than 20% as a major.
While I am not familiar with his district, libertarians who run as Republicans tend to either lose the primaries or win the right to be destroyed 80-20 by Democrats in the general.
If I ever run I’d probably run as a Democrat-Libertarian (fusion) but not in the Milnes sense lol. New Jersey is *very* blue. :p
but I don’t know.
Schansberg is an eloquent voice for libertarian principles. He doesn’t seem like the type of person who would really change himself to conform to the worst aspects of the GOP. Go for it!