The Independent Party of Massachusetts is largely seen as a favorable reaction to, and supportive move towards, the campaign of State Treasurer Tim Cahill, who is running as an independent for the state’s highest office. Cahill, a former Democrat, is emphasizing his non-partisan credentials–we previously reported that he chose an ex-GOP state representative as his running mate.
The narrative has been that The Independent Party of Massachusetts is hoping to make use of Cahill’s campaign, Scott Brown’s win, and Lieberman’s perceived independence from the Democrats. This story explores the truth of that theory.
John Valianti, an unsuccessful 2008 candidate for state representative and brother of former three-term Democratic Rep. Dan Valianti, hopes to be that movement’s leader.
The Marshfield resident, who garnered 36 percent of the vote in his 2008 race against Rep. James Cantwell (D-Marshfield), collected the 50 signatures necessary to officially establish an Independent designation in the 2010 election cycle. He has also organized a political action committee to boost candidates who choose to run as independents, called the Massachusetts Independent Party Political Action Committee.
“[Independents] feel people aren’t listening to them,” Valianti said in a phone interview. “They’re frustrated with what’s going on in politics.”
“I give Tim Cahill a lot of credit. He’s got a lot of guts just to do what he’s doing,” he continued. “For that alone he deserves some props.”
Considering 50.75% of registered voters in Massachusetts are unenrolled in a party, an Independent Party could experience quite a bit of success.
This proposal is going no place, slowly, because our state law MGL 50 does not appear to allow “Independent” to be used as a name for a political party. I quote:
“Political designation” shall apply to any designation required in section 8 of chapter 53, expressed in not more than three words, which a candidate for nomination under section 6 of chapter 53 represents, and to any designation expressed in not more than three words to qualify a political party under this section, filed by fifty registered voters with the secretary of state on a form provided by him or her, requesting that such voters, and any others wishing to do so, may change their registration to such designation, provided however, that the designation “Independent” shall not be used. Certificates showing that each of the signers of said request is a registered voter at the stated address, signed by the city or town clerk shall accompany the petition. Any such request filed before December first in the year of a biennial state election shall not be effective until said December first.
Joe ran under a minor party banner: “Liberty”.
“Mattc // Apr 14, 2010 at 12:32 pm
I’m confused, I thought it was easier to run candidates as actual independents, rather than under minor party banners. Isn’t that why Joe Kennedy ran as an independent rather than a Libertarian?”
The Libertarian Party has major party status in Massachusetts. They obtained major party status in the 2008 election when their candidate for US Seanate – Robert Underwood – got 3% of the vote.
All candidates, regardless of whether they are minor party candidates, independents, or major party candidates have to gather the same number of petition signatures to be on the ballot. Anyone who is a registered voter can sign a petition to put a minor party or independent candidate on the ballot, however, for major parties only a person who is registered to vote under the same major party banner as the major party candidate who is petitioning to get on the ballot or who is registered unenrolled (as in they are registered to vote but they are not under any party banner) can sign the petition to put a major party candidate on the ballot.
This makes the petitioning process more difficult for getting on the ballot as a major party candidate, and it is particularly more difficult is is a small major party (like the Libertarian Party is in Massachusetts). This is why Joe Kennedy ran for office as an independent rather than as a Libertarian, because due to the fact that the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts had obtained major party status, it would have meant that only registered Libertarians and registered unenrolleds could sign his petition and have their signatures count. By running as an independent, anyone who was registered to vote could sign Joe Kennedy’s petition and their signatures counted.
I’m confused, I thought it was easier to run candidates as actual independents, rather than under minor party banners. Isn’t that why Joe Kennedy ran as an independent rather than a Libertarian?