Excerpts from the news story:

“We’re against affirmative action and against illegal aliens coming into this country and they’re displacing white workers and eventually the white population,” said Bertram.

[..]

“In my opinion I see him putting his race first,” said Keith Wesley.

Wesley added, “I can’t believe that, this day and age it’s running like that.”

Others said Bertram’s view did not make sense.

“I don’t think that in West Virginia especially, illegal immigrants are at the top of our priority list on issues,” said Jamie Braunlich.

[..]

“Well it will generate interest but, then again I didn’t expect to get their support anyway, those people that are other than the white heritage,” said Bertram.

“Oh to me he is bringing it back years. We’re trying to go forward and to me he is going backwards,” said Wesley.

The West Virginia Secretary of State’s web page carries the unofficial votes for Governor in the October 4 special election. Here is the link.

So far, the percentages are: Democratic 50.23%, Republican 46.40%, Mountain 1.90%, independent .97%, American Third Position .35%, write-ins .14%. UPDATE: at 11:15 pm, the newer percentages are Democratic 49.37%, Republican 47.17%, Mountain 2.01%, independent .94%, American Third Position .37%, write-in .14%.

The 2011 special election is the fourth gubernatorial election at which the Mountain Party (West Virginia’s Green Party affilate) has participated. The party’s earlier gubernatorial totals have been: 2000 1.61%; 2004 2.48%; 2008 4.44%.

Today West Virginia is holding a special gubernatorial election. Besides the Republican and Democratic candidates, there are two third party candidates, one independent candidate, and three write-ins. The third party candidates are the Mountain Party’s (West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party) Bob Henry Baber, former Mayor of Richwood, and Harry Bertram of the American Third Position Party. The independent candidate is Marla Ingels. According to Wikipedia, there are also three write-in candidates. They are: Phil Hudok, teacher and registered Constitution Party member, Rick Bartlett and Donald Lee Underwood. Phil Hudok has the support of the West Virginia Constitution Party. See their article, “OK with Phil HudOK – WRITE-IN for Governor”. See this article about the election.

Related Articles:

October 4, 2011: Special WV Governor election today with Mountain Party candidate Baber
September 23, 2011: Interview with Bob Henry Baber, WV Mountain Party gubernatorial candidate
September 12, 2011: Mountain Party’s Baber takes part in WV Governor’s Debate
June 18, 2011: American Third Position Qualifies for 2011 Special Election for West Virginia Governor
May 3, 2011: Mountain Party Nominates Bob Henry Baber for West Virginia Special Gubernatorial Election

Dave Schwab at Green Party Watch:

West Virginia is holding a special election for governor today, October 4, and one of the candidates is the Mountain Party’s Bob Henry Baber. The Mountain Party, WV’s Green Party affiliate, has made a name for itself by opposing mountaintop removal mining, which both Democrats and Republicans support and which MP candidates have dubbed “ground zero for global climate change”. WBOY Channel 12 recently interviewed Baber for his thoughts on the election:

“To speak for the common man, woman and child of West Virginia and try to move West Virginia into the 21st century and tell the truth about where we are, running a three-legged race with Mississippi to be the poorest state in the union — and we should be the wealthiest — it can never be a futile effort. You just do what you do and leave it to the voters to decide. Where would the world be without futile efforts?” he said.

“Politics is awful hard to read. I know the people are sick of the negative ads. I feel that I have some wind at my back right now. I think the Mountain Party is going to grow this year.”

Over at Alternet, Jeff Biggers has published a detailed interview with Bob Henry Baber, the West Virginia Mountain Party’s candidate for governor in an October 4th special election:

In a blatant genuflect to the coal industry’s stranglehold over state politics, the West Virginia Broadcasters Association blocked the participation of popular Mountain Party gubernatorial candidate Dr. Bob Henry Baber last week, as it hosted a widely denounced debate between the two climate-change-denying, Big-Coal-bankrolled candidates.

Never has West Virginia seemed more like an embarrassing 19th-century throwback to dirty politics and absentee corporation control over the very heart of democratic elections than in the upcoming gubernatorial race.

Never has Baber’s inspiring and heartfelt campaign platform for a just transition to a sustainable and clean energy economy in ailing coal country seemed more timely — and threatening to the Democratic and Republican Parties.

Read Biggers’ interview with Bob Henry Baber at Alternet.

New Martinsville, WV, September 9, 2011 – Raymond V. Davis III is an Independent who is running for the US House of Representatives. His campaign platform is focused on methods to help create jobs in West Virginia. Mr. Davis believes the way to create full employment is to build up existing small businesses and to create a tax exemption for new businesses for the first five years. Mr. Davis also believes that the two party system is not working any longer and our current representatives don’t serve the interest of the people in West Virginia and are too influenced by the lobbyists in DC.

Mr. Davis is working a door to door campaign to collect 1800 registered voters signatures to gain ballot access. If you have any questions contact him at davisra36@yahoo.com.You can follow Mr. Davis on twitter : @RDavis2012 and his website is : http://raymondvdavisiiiforuscongress.webs.com

On October 4th West Virginia will hold a special election for Governor. On September 7th a 3-Way Debate was held between candidates Earl Ray Tomblin (Democrat), Bill Maloney (Republican) and Bob Henry Baber (Green-Mountain).

Thumbnail Image: By Valerius Tygart (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

On October 4th West Virginia will hold a special election for Governor. On September 7th a 3-Way Debate was held between candidates Earl Ray Tomblin (Democrat), Bill Maloney (Republican) and Bob Henry Baber (Green-Mountain).

I support the elimination of the food tax. I am opposed to new taxes on the middle class and small businesses and favor tax relief.

Baber is running on a platform of Fiscal Responsibility, Proper Environmental Regulation, Affordable Health-Care, and Job Creation. His full platform is available on his website: baber4governor.com. The Green-Mountain Party strongly opposes mountain-top removal, seeing West Virginia’s mountain ranges as a state treasure and natural tourist attraction, along with acknowledging the negative impact said coal extraction techniques have on the surrounding environment.

Thumbnail Image: By Valerius Tygart (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons

59 WVNS News via Poli-Tea:

Baber, a Mountain Party candidate, said there is a ceiling no third-party candidates can push through.
“What happens is they say ‘you guys don’t show anything in the polls.’ You won’t show in the polls if the people can’t hear your message,” he said. “It’s a self-fulfilling philosophy.”

[. . .]

The former mayor of Richwood, Baber said he feels left out of the process because he has not been invited to speak at public events where the two major party candidates — Democratic nominee acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Republican nominee Bill Maloney — have appeared. Baber most recently was not invited to a debate sponsored by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association. His campaign maintains that leaving him out was not only unfair to him, but also to West Virginia voters.

“They have wiggled and created some sort of bogus rule that is really insulting to the people of West Virginia,” Baber said. “They have decided for the people of West Virginia who they get to hear. It’s un-American. If you’re on the ballot, you should get to be part of the debate.”. . . .

Previously at IPR:

Mountain Party’s Baber takes part in WV Governor’s Debate

West Virginia Mountain Party Nominates Bob Henry Baber For Governor

Weston, WV (HNN) — The Libertarian Party of West Virginia (LPWV) held an executive committee meeting on Saturday, June 26, 2011 in Weston. At the meeting, they elected Tom Thacker as the new Chairman of the LPWV, who served as Secretary of the LPWV from 2010 to 2011. Tom works as an abstractor for Hawkeye Research in Harrisville, WV and is also active with the West Virginians for Life.

Another Buckhannon native, Alan Westfall,  was elected as the Vice Chairman of the LPWV. Alan works for the Water Department of the City of Buckhannon and is also active with Younglife. Long time WVLP member Karl Swisher of Jane Lew was elected as the Treasurer of the LPWV.

The LPWV would like to thank Dr. Jim Lark for taking the time to appear at the meeting. Dr. Lark served as the United States Libertarian National Chairman from 2000 to 2002. Lark is a professor of systems engineering at the University of Virginia. He is currently the Region 5-South representative to the LNC.

The Libertarian Party of West Virginia (LPWV) is dedicated to principles of smaller government, lower taxes, more personal liberty and individual responsibility. The WVLP wants to keep the Federal government out of most dealings within West Virginia. The WVLP principles are guided by our founding fathers and their writings including the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and the West Virginia State Constitution.

Tom Thacker said “We believe that Thomas Jefferson had it right when he said, “A society that would trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both and deserve neither” and Thacker added “I believe most West Virginians believe that our elected representatives most important objective should be protecting freedom for individuals from the first heartbeat to the last.”

The next WVLP meeting will be in Fayetteville on Saturday, August 13. If you would like to become more involved with the Libertarian Party please contact Tom Thacker at tom@lpwv.org or visit the website lpwv.org.

————————

Also see our previous coverage of the LPWV’s activities.

————————————————————–

On May 14, 2011 The Libertarian Party Of West Virginia held a meeting at the Truck Stop Restaurant in Flatwoods WV to resolve an LPWV officer issue. Our Chair Tad Birtch has recently returned from a 90 day deployment in the Middle East. Unfortunately Tad has had to relocate out of the state of West Virginia and will be unable to continue as Chair. Tad has done a great job and we wish the best for him.

I became the new Chair of the LPWV, Alan Westfall is now the Vice Chair and Karl Swisher is the Treasurer.

We need to call a general membership meeting sometime in June to confirm the new officer selections, discuss a candidate for Governor in 2012 and any other business that comes up. What I would like is for all interested parties to email me back and select a Saturday in June that would work for them. I understand we might not find a date that works for everyone but we would like to find the best possible date.

West Virginia State Senator Clark Barnes (R-Beverly) has introduced SB 417, to ease the definition of “political party.” The existing law, ever since 1916, has defined a political party as a group that polled at least 1% of the vote for Governor in the last gubernatorial election. SB 417 would define “political party” as a group that either polled 1% for any statewide race at the last election, or which has registration of at least one-twentieth of 1%. That works out to 608 registered members. A companion bill will probably be introduced in the House soon, but its registration threshold will be exactly 1,000 registered members.

If either bill passed, the Libertarian Party would automatically be back on the ballot, since it has over 1,000 registered members. The Constitution Party, which did the work of getting the bill introduced, probably could get its registration up that high fairly quickly. The Green Party is already ballot-qualified in West Virginia, although its name is the Mountain Party. It also has over 1,000 registered members.

If the bill were enacted, it would relieve minor parties of the burden of always feeling they must run a gubernatorial candidate. Sometimes minor parties would rather save their resources for lower level offices, but when ballot access depends on a party’s polling a certain vote in one high-profile race, they have no choice but to run in such elections. Thanks to Jeff Becker for the news.

Connecticut Senator Andrew Maynard (D-Stonington) has introduced Proposed Bill 778, which cuts the number of signatures for statewide and U.S. House candidates, in the general election, down to 1,000 signatures. Current law requires 7,500 signatures for statewide candidates, and signatures equal to 1% for U.S. House candidates, which is always close to 3,000 signatures in midterm years and 2,400 in presidential years. The bill was introduced at the request of the Libertarian Party. In 2008, Connecticut was one of the five states in which the Libertarian Party was unable to place Bob Barr on the ballot. The other states in which Barr didn’t appear were West Virginia (which has since reduced its signature requirement), Louisiana, Maine, and Oklahoma (where a bill is pending to reduce the signature requirement).

Thanks to Marc Montoni for this news.

This list was put together by Brent McMillan, consisting of Green Party campaigns for State House (or Assembly) seats. It includes all of the races that finished with over 15% of the vote in 2010:

• Mark Miller for State Representative 3rd Berkshire District, MA 4,459 votes 45.0%
• Jeremy Karpen for State Representative District 39, IL 5,354 34.7%
• Fred Horch for State Representative District 66, ME 1,272 34.38%
• Ben Manski for State Assembly District 77, WI 7,761 31.0%
• Anna Trevorrow for State Representative District 120, ME 945 31.04%
• Seth Berner for State Representative District 115, ME 1,002 27.93%
• Charlie Howe for State Representative District 115, IL 7,178 24.91%
• Cheryl Wolfe for State Representative District 11, MT 1,052 24.86%
• Mark Swaney for State Representative District 90, AR 2,393 24.83%
• Jack Lindblad for State Assembly District 39, CA 9,728 21.09%
• Nicholas Payne for State Representative District 67, CT 1,366 20.34%
• Rex D’Agostino for State Representative District 183, PA 3,482 19.1%
• Mark Meyers for House of Delegates District 11, WV 768 19.06%
• Cynthia Santiago for State Assembly District 51, CA 12,753 18.26%
• Hugh Giordano for State Representative District 194, PA 3,547 18.1%
• Lee Scott Laugenour for State Representative 4th Berkshire District, MA 2,483 18.0%
• Kenneth Williams for State Representative District 29, IL 4,122 17.2%
• Linda Macias for State Representative District 21, AZ 12,204 17.01%
• Vince LaMie for State Representative District 105, IL 2,928 15.2%

Note the wide range of geographical locations, from Maine to California, Wisconsin to Arizona, Illinois, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Montana, and Arkansas.

The eleven Green Party candidates on the ballot this year for US Senate netted a combined half million votes. The 510,000 votes is the highest combined total for Green Party Senate candidates since 2000, when Medea Benjamin won 326,000 votes for US Senate in California and Vance Hansen picked up over 100,000 in Arizona.

The 2010 results were clearly led by Tom Clements in South Carolina, whose 118,000 votes gave him 9.37% of the total. Clements had the most votes and the highest percent of the vote of all Green Party US Senate candidates in 2010.

LeAlan Jones was the second big finisher with 116,000 votes, 3.19% of the total. Interestingly, in 2008, Kathleen Cummings running for US Senate in Illinois finished with 115,621 votes for 2.56% of the total.

All (unofficial) results for 2010 Green Party US Senate candidates:

• Tom Clements (SC) – 118,952 (9.37%)
• LeAlan Jones (IL) – 116,685 (3.19%)
• Bob Kinsey (CO) – 36,323 (2.17%)
• Jim Brewer (HI) – 7,756 (2.10%)
• Jesse Johnson (WV) – 10,048 (1.91%)
• John Gray (AR) – 14,402 (1.87%)
• Jerry Joslyn (AZ) – 20,235 (1.43%)
• Duane Roberts (CA) – 93,178 (1.19%)
• Kenniss Henry (MD) – 19,324 (1.13%)
• Colia Clark (NY) – 39,536 (0.97%)
• Cecile Lawrence (NY) – 33,768 (0.83%)

Total: 510,207 votes (1.86%)

These are preliminary election results, subject to change.

For a spreadsheet that lists historical election results for Green Party US Senate candidates, click here. Much appreciation is shown toward Green Party Executive Director Brent McMillan, whose election database is my primary source for historical election information for Green Party candidates.

Over the last few weeks, in opinion pieces for college and university newspapers across the country, students have stepped up their criticism of the reigning two-party state and duopoly system of government. AJ Warne writes for the Daily Athenaeum, out of West Virginia University, and argues that the “rise of a third (or fourth) party will better the political landscape.” An excerpt:

The United States is taking leaps and bounds toward a more effective and self-regulating political system even if it is going unnoticed. The bipartisan system that has constipated the political processes of this country for the greater part of its existence is beginning to change a little each year, but this year more than any other in the past.

The changes taking place in the United States are very important and should force voters in every state to look beyond the party of their parents and the normative party lines seemingly etched in stone from generations before. The abandonment of a strict left or right political system will instigate political creativity, foster better political cooperation and ultimately benefit the American people. For the past several elections, candidates who are not typical of one party or another have started popping up all over the map. . . . .

It is asinine to believe the political beliefs of an entire nation can be lumped into two aged categories. The advent of parties that do not follow the conventional left or right of center dichotomy will lead to systemic changes and benefits that will be reaped by the entire nation. This will make policymaking more difficult, but more good will come from the increased labor to bear the same policy fruit.

In another piece, from Brittany Forell, writing at the Standard Online out of Missouri State University, the author reminds her fellow students that “voters have a third option on election day.” Excerpt:

Keep reading…

CHARLESTON, WV: Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson, who is running to fill Robert C. Byrd’s vacant U.S. Senate seat, has won endorsements from historical heavyweights Senator Mike Gravel (D-AK) and Congressman Ken Hechler (D-WV). In West Virginia, the Mountain Party is the affiliate of the Green Party of the United States.

As U.S. Senator, Mike Gravel earned his reputation as a maverick for having the courage to read the Pentagon Papers into the Congressional Record, a major turning point in America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Senator Gravel was also responsible for authoring and/or sponsoring virtually every major piece of environmental legislation during his tenure.

Says Gravel, “Jesse is not beholden to the special interests that are doing the exploitation in West Virginia. You want to vote for Jesse Johnson, because when he’s there, he will represent your interests, day in and day out, and he’s got the courage to do it.”

Congressman Ken Hechler was also regarded as a maverick. In 1965, he was the only member of Congress to march with Dr. Martin Luther King at Selma, Alabama. Hechler authored the landmark Coal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1969, credited for saving the lives of countless WV coal miners. Venerated as the elder statesman of the anti-surface mining movement since the 1960’s, Hechler has participated in numerous protests near mountaintop removal mining sites in the West Virginia coalfields.

Putting aside partisan politics, Hechler, a Democrat, praised Johnson for his “moral compass” and stated that he was the ultimate solution for West Virginians.

Additionally, Jesse Johnson has received an endorsement from Charlotte Pritt, who made history as the first woman ever from a major party in West Virginia to win a gubernatorial nomination.

The Sierra Club of WV has also endorsed Johnson.

A link to Senator Gravel’s endorsement video can be found at http://vimeo.com/16367048.

A third-party candidate is seeking to be elected to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat left vacant by Robert C. Byrd. Jeff Becker, the Constitution Party’s candidate for the election of West Virginia’s new U.S. Senator, said he wants to help government make a return to Constitutional values.

Becker said if he is elected, initiating an audit of the Federal Reserve will be a top priority. “It’s a shadowy organization,” Becker said. “There’s nothing federal about it. It’s a private bank. “We need to get back to sound constitutional money. Our money is supposed to be based on silver and gold, but the paper money that is being printed isn’t backed by anything.”

CO-Gov: Progressives Debate Import of Tancredo’s Third Party Candidacy

From Political Chili:

Over at The Huffington Post, liberal blogger Jessica Corry is making “The Liberal Case for Tom Tancredo.”  According to Corry, Tancredo’s victory “could mean a handful of policy goodies long championed by liberal progressives.”  She believes that Tancredo’s “strong libertarian foundation…when communicated the right way, is both moderate and pragmatic.” . . .

Let’s review the data we have on the Constitution Party and Tom Tancredo.  A “liberal progressive” vote for Tom Tancredo may not be such a wise move. Chip Berlet, a senior researcher at Political Research Associates (see its PublicEye.org magazine), wrote in September 2008 that “the U.S. Constitution Party would impose a form of theocratic neo-fascism in the United States.”

According to the Constitution Party’s political platform, “‘The mission of the Constitution Party…is to restore American jurisprudence to its original Biblical common-law foundations.’”  The party’s preamble states that America was founded by “Christians…[and] the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Constitution Party Builds Presence on Facebook

From the Constitution Party’s discussion forum:

Social networking sites are HUGE these days. I imagine some of you are on FB. (If not, more CP presence would be welcomed!) Here are some good groups I’ve found there: American Constitution; American Founders; Constitution Party; a different Constitution Party page; Declaration of Independence; The Federalist Papers; Founders, Religion, and Government; God And Country; United States Constitution.

WV: Constitution Party Senate Candidate Calls for New Investigation of 9/11 Attacks

From Info Wars:

Jeff Becker, running for Senate in West Virginia in the Constitution Party, raised questions about the “foreknowledge” of WTC Building 7′s collapse on September 11th during a live televised debate that was carried nationally on C-SPAN. Indeed, even Becker’s campaign website announces proudly at the very top of his homepage that he “calls for new Senate investigation of 9/11.”

During the October 18 debate for the special election to replace the deceased Sen. Robert Byrd, Jeff Becker responded to a question about the “continued build-up of troops in Afghanistan” by telling the audience that “We need to first take a look at what happened on 9/11. There were actually three buildings that collapsed on September 11th.”

CO: Republicans Party with Tancredo

From The Colorado Statesman:

Tom Tancredo faced a rocky ride in late July when he switched political saddle brands — from Republican Party to American Constitution Party — and tossed his hat into the governor’s race. Judging by recent polls and a record-breaking turnout at the “Tancredo Republican Round-up” on Saturday, Oct. 18, the former 6th District Congressman is leaving GOP contender Dan Maes in the dust.

During the ACP candidate’s rally at The Stampede Country Dance Hall, more than 1,300 Republican revelers celebrated a Rasmussen poll showing Tancredo within four points of Democratic candidate John Hickenlooper. According to the survey conducted Oct. 14 of most likely voters, Denver Mayor Hickenlooper has 42 percent and Tancredo, 38 percent. The crowd also cheered erosion of support for Maes — reportedly 12 percent of voters surveyed.

From the Louisville, Kentucky Courier Journal:

The Green Party’s U.S. Senate candidate in West Virginia, Jesse Johnson, sang Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Find the Cost of Freedom” and told the crowd that the coal industry wants “to erase our history” in Appalachia.

“When they tell you mountaintop removal means jobs — mountaintop removal kills jobs,” Johnson said.

You can listen to Johnson talking about the protest here – he is the only candidate in the race who is against mountaintop removal.

The event has drawn hundreds of anti-mountaintop removal activists and supports from all across the nation. The event was attended by noted climatologist Dr. James Hansen, authors Erik Reece and Silas House, Native American activist Matthew Sherman, country music star Big Kenny, and others. Johnson spoke to West Virginia Watchdog from in front of the White House, where activists had organized an act of civil disobedience.

Johnson is running against Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin, Republican John Raese, and Constitution Party candidate Jeff Becker. Both Manchin and Raese support mountaintop removal, while Johnson does not. Johnson was recently endorsed by former Congressman and Secretary of State Ken Hechler, who lost to Manchin in the August Democratic primary. Hechler was running on an anti-mountaintop removal platform.

Salon describes Hechler and his motivation for, at 95, running for Senate:

In his 95 years, Ken Hechler has recorded history from the front lines in World War II, debriefed Hitler’s top commanders before the Nuremberg Trials, advised Harry Truman, marched with Martin Luther King, published several books, been the subject of a documentary, and — somewhere between all of this — served nine terms in Congress and four as West Virginia’s secretary of state…

You say that you aren’t running anyone and that you want to use this race to raise awareness of mountaintop removal from strip mining. Why single out this issue?

I’m not really running for the Senate, I’m running to enable the people of West Virginia to register at the polls their opposition to this devastating practice, which hurts so many people in the valleys when they dump the rocks in the soil and all the things that they’re blasting out of the mountains into people’s front yards.

Hechler received about 17 percent of the vote in the primary. Now Johnson is the only candidate in the race who opposes mountaintop removal, a situation he was also in when he ran for governor in 2008.

The following video was posted on the front page of Johnson’s website:

From the Sunday Gazette-Mail:

“People were voting not against mountaintop removal, but were actually voting against my age of 95,” he said.

Johnson doesn’t have that “handicap,” Hechler said.

“He’s 51 years old,” Hechler said as he introduced Johnson, who also opposes mountaintop removal. “Compare that with a 95-year-old, and you’ll see why you’re going to have a huge outpouring of support for Jesse Johnson.”

Johnson has previously run for governor, U.S Senate and president. He said he would run a grass-roots campaign and stand up to rich and powerful interests.

“It’s time for business as usual to be over,” he said.