(The following was originally published on The Boston Globe.)
Most people running for governor just want to be governor. Evan Falchuk has a bigger dream: a brand-new political party that would bridge the left-right divide and restore cynical voters’ faith in government.
His effort might be unusual, but he actually considers himself a pretty typical Massachusetts voter. He casts ballots — and contributes money — on both sides of the political divide, depending on the candidate and the issue. One caveat: Falchuk had been registered as a Republican.
“I was never an activist in any way,” he said. “I was certainly very interested in it.”
But he became disheartened during the 2012 election cycle, a time when, he said, politicians and candidates spoke in substance-free sound bites.
“Everything had become so dumbed down. It was like watching a show,” Falchuk said. “In my mind, I’m like ‘Where is this heading? How is this possibly going to end well? How is this going to change?’ ”
The 44-year-old father of three turned his dissatisfaction with partisan politics into motivation, deciding not only to run for office but also to establish the United Independent Party.