Third Parties
Will 3rd Party Candidates Tilt MN 2008 Senate Race?
As a recent SurveyUSA poll showed Norm Coleman’s lead over both Al Franken and Mike Cerisi down to low single digits, the question emerges as to whether or not the introduction of a viable third party candidate in the race…
Read MoreHow Will Upper Midwestern Independents Vote In 2008?
With the prospects of a potential high profile Independent presidential candidacy by New York Mayor (and billionaire) Michael Bloomberg on the horizon, gaining the votes of political independents becomes even a higher prize for the establishment parties in 2008. Independents…
Read MoreRight of Center Third Party Candidates Disappearing in Minnesota
In the last of Smart Politics’ series on the decline of third parties in Minnesota, today’s entry examines the health of right-of-center third parties in the Gopher State. Previous entries documented how left (Green) and center-left (Independence) parties are, in…
Read MoreThe Green Party: A Short Half-Life in Minnesota Politics
In our continuing study of the decline of third parties in the state of Minnesota, today Smart Politics examines the weakening of the state’s Green Party. Like the Independence Party, the Green Party experienced a significant downturn in public…
Read MoreThe Decline of the Independence Party
The Independence Party of Minnesota has experienced a noticeable decline in support across Minnesota – as evidenced in its performance last month. This decline is revealed across a number of dimensions and offices, including a decreased ability to field candidates…
Read MorePresence and Impact of Third Party Candidates in MN House Races Declining
For a number of years State House races in Minnesota were peppered with a significant number of third party or independent candidates. In 2006, however, the presence of these non-major party candidates was the lowest in a decade. In 1998…
Read MoreSupport for Third Parties Declining in U.S. House Races
A Smart Politics analysis of 2006 election results finds support for third parties continuing to drop—for the second straight election cycle since 2002. In 2006, 2.25 percent of votes for U.S. House candidates went to third parties, compared to 2.37…
Read MoreMN: The Decline of Independents?
As previously mentioned at Smart Politics (October 2, 2006), Minnesota has led the Upper Midwest in successful third party candidacies for more than a decade. Third parties spring up for a number of reasons, not the least of which is…
Read MoreThird Parties: Minnesota Leads the Pace in US House Races
Minnesota’s historical success of placing third party candidates on the ballot usually begins and ends with Jesse Ventura. In a report released earlier this summer, the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance also showed Ventura’s legacy in sustaining…
Read MoreWhere Have All the 3rd Party Minnesota Candidates Gone?
In recent years Minnesota has lead all Upper Midwestern states with the highest percentage of successful third party campaigns in state legislative races. While third party candidates still have a significant presence in the Gopher state (especially in state-wide elections),…
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