On February 24, Working Families Party nominee Ed Gomes was elected to the Connecticut State Senate, district 23, centered on Bridgeport. Gomes defeated the nominees of the Democratic and Republican Party, as well as two independent candidates. See this story, which doesn’t contain any figures.
This is the first time a party other than the Democratic or Republican Parties has elected a state legislator in Connecticut since 1938, when the Socialist Party elected four of its nominees. Those wins were also in Bridgeport.
I thought Villaincourt was in VT and the NH LP legislators were all fusion?
The last time the Libertarian Party elected a legislator was 2000 in New Hampshire. Steve Vaillancourt was on the general election as a Libertarian, and was not a fusion nominee.
Hopefully, this person doesn’t go back to the D’s. Show some spine and stay 3rd party.
More info here:
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Former-state-Sen-Gomes-reclaims-Senate-seat-6099859.php
I agree that the LP should get back to electing legislators.
This story says Gomes is a former state senator and long time Democrat: http://www.courant.com/politics/capitol-watch/hc-former-sen-ed-gomes-declares-victory-in-bridgeport-20150224-story.html
“rob Banks
February 24, 2015 at 11:59 pm
I believe I have read another article that said he was a former legislator in that area as a Democrat.”
Even so, this is still no excuse for the Libertarian Party to not have elected anyone to a seat in a state legislature in this many years. The LP has had plenty of opportunities to do this, such as that guy in South Carolina a couple of years ago who came very close to getting elected to the legislature in that state, and who probably would have been elected if he had gotten more support from fellow Libertarians.
I believe I have read another article that said he was a former legislator in that area as a Democrat.
Oh, and the last time the Libertarian Party elected anyone to a seat in a state legislature, it was in Vermont, and the person elected ended up leaving the Libertarian Party a few months into their term and went to the Republican Party. Their stated reason for leaving was opposition to gay marriage.
Prior to this, the only other times that the Libertarian Party ever elected candidates to seats in state legislatures was in New Hampshire and Alaska, back in the 1990’s and 1980’s.
So, the Working Families Party can elect somebody to the State Senate in Connecticut, yet the Libertarian Party, the 3rd largest political party in the country, has not elected anyone to any seat in any state legislature anywhere in the country in around 14 or 15 years.
This illustrates what a sad state the Libertarian Party is in.
Good to see the WFP running their own candidate instead of cross-nominating the Democrat. It pays off.