GOP Wants Top Billing This Year
by Elizabeth Bowling | Jul 26, 2012 1:49pm
(3) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Election 2012, Election Policy
In Connecticut, Republicans have been on the top ballot line for decades, but in 2011 Democratic candidates got top billing. Republican leaders said Thursday that they shouldn’t have because the Republican gubernatorial candidate still got more votes than Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Party ballot placement is determined by which party receives the most votes in a gubernatorial election.
In this letter to Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola, Jr. , Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, and House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero contend Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley received the most votes in 2010.
Although Malloy won the election by a slim margin of 6,404 votes, his name was split between two party lines. His name appeared on the Democratic ballot line and the Working Families Party ballot line. Foley’s name only appeared on the Republican ballot line and in 2010 he received 560,874 votes, compared to the 540,970 votes Malloy received on the Democratic ballot line. Malloy also received 26,308 votes on the Working Families Party line.
“Though Candidate Dannel Malloy polled the most votes overall, he did so by combining the totals of two separate party lines,” the letter stated.
Republicans argued that means they should have been at the top of the ballot during the 2011 municipal elections.
“We believe we have a solid case to make that Republican candidates for office this fall should be placed first based on the results of the 2010 gubernatorial election. We have case law to support our position,” Cafero said.
“The Republican Party line for governor garnered more votes than any other party line in 2010. Under Connecticut law, our candidates for state and federal office deserve the top-line designation on this year’s ballot. The Republican Party has earned that,” McKinney added.
Both the Democratic Party and a spokeswoman for the Secretary of State’s office were reviewing the issue and were not immediately able to comment on the matter.
Tags: republican, Democrat, ballot, Tom Foley, Dannel P. Malloy, 2010, Denise Merrill, Elizabeth Bowling
(3) Comments
posted by: Markoni | July 29, 2012 8:40am
Don’t let the innocent-sounding name fool you. The Working Families Party is a minor political party begun in New York state in 1998 by Daniel Cantor, a former staffer of Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign. Cantor transferred his socialist-democratic-progressive ideas and vision from his now defunct New Party to WFP, with the enlistment of the “usual suspects” of mega-community organizers like ACORN, SEIU and other labor unions. In 2009 Connecticut Working Party Executive Director Jon Green was accused of lobbying without wearing the proper identification. He was put on notice as to the requirements of state ethics laws.
In 2011 Green received a $10,000 fine for illegally performing lobbying efforts.
In CT the Working Family Party, is supporting SEIU/CCAG leader and organizer Christopher Donovan for Connecticut’s 5th Congressional seat. Donovans staff engaged in a conspiracy to direct $27,500 in “conduit campaign contributions” — contributions that conceal the identity of the real donors —roll your own tax free cigarette shops—to influence legislation before the State House. WFP also are supporting Chris Murphy for the Connecticut Senate seat which is being vacated by Joe Lieberman. Chris Murphy is a protege of Chris Dodd.
Cross endorsement of major candidates by minor parties is a dirty trick!
This minor party re-branding of major party candidates is bogus because it does not give the voter an equal opportunity of seeing the candidates on the ballot. What if the Tea Party, Libertarian Party, Christian Conservative Party, Overtaxed and Over-regulated Party, Pro-Life Parties all cross endorsed the Republican candidates? We would have had a different result in the Governors job.
posted by: KentStorm | July 29, 2012 3:21pm
I understand that Republican Linda McMahon is also working two party lines in a Republican Party Primary against Chris Shays, something that Shays is in disfavor.
However, two party lines got Dannel Malloy elected as Governor—which is obviously the purpose of Linda McMahon’s madness.
posted by: SalRomano | August 1, 2012 11:23am
Don’t let the polls fool you—as Chris Shays will defeat an “ill-prepared” Linda McMahon at the Republican primary on August 14. There is “too MUCH AT STAKE in our current depressed economy to vote in an inexperienced rookie to the U.S. Senate firing line. Only Chris Shays has the prove record of experience and accomplishment “to untangle our current mess of national affairs.”