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Libertarian, Green Party candidates file for senate, guv (Updated)
A pair of third-party candidates filed signatures to get on the ballot for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania Monday, adding a dose of underdog intrigue to the race between Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey.
Douglas Jamison, an engineer, filed enough signatures to run on the Libertarian Party ticket. On his campaign Web site, Jamison says that senators today are “an agent to their own party and the special interest groups that got them elected.”
And Mel Packer, a physician’s assistant from Pittsburgh, filed enough signatures to run on the Green Party ticket. Packer was initially rejected outright by the Department of State for not having enough signatures, but later returned with more nominating petitions in hand.
Both candidates will remain on the ballot unless a successful challenge is filed against them. To gain ballot access as an independent or third-party candidate, candidates need to file more than 19,000 signatures—about two percent of the total votes won by Judy Olson, the highest vote-getter in the 2009 general election.
Candidates still had until the close of business to file their nominating petitions. As of late Monday afternoon, Libertarian candidate Marakay Rogers had filed to run for governor, while Libertarian Kat Valleley had filed to run for lieutenant governor.
UPDATED: Final filing information from the Department of State indicates that John Krupa also filed to run for governor as a Tea Party candidate.
August 2, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Tags: Douglas Jamison, Kat Valleley, Lt. Gov., Marakay Rogers, Mel Packer
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David Diano
Aug 2nd, 2010
At last. A candidate for whom I can vote for senate.
charles
Aug 4th, 2010
It seems that there is only one Senate candidate that gets it. They all talk about the economy, but only Mel Packer is calling for an end to our wars abroad and for cutting our excessive military budget. We can not cut the deficit and fund essential services without that. The economy is failing under the weight of extreme military spending.
David Diano
Aug 4th, 2010
This is really interesting.
So there will be FIVE candidates on the ballot?
Wow. This race continues to set new standards for strangeness.
I expect that while a Green candidate would take liberal votes away from Sestak, but I think that a Tea Party candidate AND a Libertarian would pull more votes from Toomey. That still doesn’t spell defeat for Toomey, but it will make it closer.
Mik Robertson
Aug 4th, 2010
The Senator race would only have four candidates, the Tea Party candidate is for Governor, albeit without a Lt. Gov. running mate.
Mel Packer is certainly in the socialist wing of the Green Party, a watermelon Green (green on the outside, red on the inside) if you will. That does spell trouble for the very liberal Joe Sestak.
While Pat Toomey may have been more libertarian in the past, he is now firmly in the conservative camp. There are going to be some differences with the Libertarian Party candidate Doug Jamison on social issues and foreign policy, and on some economic issues as well.
I think Doug Jamison will pull as much from reasonable Democrats as he will from reasonable Republicans.
Dan Gallagher
Aug 5th, 2010
I’m quite excited that Mel will be on the ballot … and for that matter Jamison. It gives more choice, democracy, and ideas out there in contrast to the “duopoly” power. I just hope we don’t have to endure a petition challenge. Anyone know how likely, or unlikely, that would be? I think the deadline to challenge is only a few days from now.
Lee
Aug 7th, 2010
There’s a real smart idea. Let’s cut military funding so that we are unable to defend ourselves against terrorists that are looking for ways to kill us. We have made reductions in military spending. I hardly term our funding for our troops as “excessive” military spending.