Third Party Candidates Will Make November Elections Interesting
Monday, June 9th, 2014 -- 8:15 AM
-Dozens of Libertarians and other third-party candidates are running for an array of offices in Wisconsin's November elections.Candidates filed nomination papers last week to get onto the ballot.
Third-party candidates have little chance of winning, but a review of Wisconsin election results since 2000 found they have attracted enough votes to sway six elections. In 2002, Libertarian Ed Thompson received 10 percent of the vote, hurting Republican Scott McCallum who lost to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle by less than 4 percent.
Political scientist Mordecai Lee says any vote for a third-party candidate could be enough to tip a close race, and that's important in a year when polls show Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Mary Burke in a dead heat.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.