Liberty Union Party

Liberty Union Party
Founded June 1, 1970
Headquarters Vermont
Ideology Socialism[1]
Anti-war
Anti-capitalism[2]
Political position Left-wing to Far-left[2][3]
Colors Red, Black
Website
libertyunionparty.org

The Liberty Union Party of Vermont is a radical left political party founded in 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone, Dennis Morrisseau and others.[4][5] The LUP has had minor successes in local elections in Vermont.

History

The Liberty Union party (LUP) was formed to contest the Vermont elections of 1970.[6] In 1971, People's Party was formed as a national umbrella party for various Socialist-oriented state parties including the LUP.[7]

Senator Bernie Sanders, a self described democratic socialist and 2016 candidate for US President in the Democratic Primary, joined Liberty Union in 1971. Sanders was a candidate for several offices on their ticket before deciding to run as an independent. He was their US Senate candidate in a special US Senator race in 1971 nominated at the first meeting he attended. At the January 1972 election, Sanders took third with 2% of the vote.[8] Sanders was the party's candidate for Vermont governor in 1976 where he received 6.1% of the vote. At the time of his resignation from the party in October 1977, he was party chairman. Sanders quit due to the inactivity of the party between elections.[9]

In 1976, the party's Vermont lieutenant governor candidate John Franco took enough votes to force the election to the Vermont General Assembly's House. The party also lost the outspoken members, Nancy Kaufman and Marth Abbott before the 1978 election cycle.[6]

Some Liberty Union members in 2004 sought the statewide nomination of the Vermont Progressive Party, which had achieved major ballot status in 2000.[10]

In local Vermont town elections in 2009 a Liberty Union and Vermont Progressive Party endorsed candidate, David Van Deusen, won a contested race for a seat on the Moretown Select Board. Dave Van Deusen, at the time a District Vice President of the Vermont AFL-CIO, also received the backing of organized labor. In 2010 Van Deusen again ran and again won a contested seat on the Moretown Select Board. Again he was endorsed by the Liberty Union, the Progressives, the Socialist Party USA, and organized labor. In this election Van Deusen was the top vote-getter among four Select Board candidates (three candidates, including Van Deusen running for two one year seats, and one candidate running as a write-in for one open three-year seat). In 2011 Van Deusen did not seek re-election to the Select Board. In this election he ran for First Constable of Moretown (a position he held in 2007). While Van Deusen won the election, he did not seek the endorsement of the Liberty Union Party. This time he had the endorsement of the local Progressive Party alone. During Van Deusen's two terms on the Moretown Select Board, he was able to win "livable wages" for all non-elected town employees, doubled property tax relief for disabled military veterans (through a Town Meeting article), successfully advocated for the use of the Town Hall for a free weekly children's play group, made strides in opening up the local democratic process to all town residents, and publicly supported a Vermont run single payer healthcare system.

In 2012, the party once again re-qualified for major party status as a result of a 13.1% showing for Liberty Union candidate Mary Alice Herbert in the election for Vermont Secretary of State against Democrat Jim Condos.[11]

In 2014, the party re-qualified for major party status yet again as a result of a 10.32% showing for Liberty Union candidate Mary Alice Herbert in the election for Vermont Secretary of State. In the race for Treasurer Murray Ngoima received 8.3% of the vote. For Attorney General the LU candidate, Rosemary Jackowski, received 3.94% of the vote. In VT State Senate races, Ben Bosley won 13.91% of the vote for Grand Isle district. In the Windham County Senate contest, Jerry Levy & Aaron Diamondstone won on 5% & 4.63% of the ballots.

Presidential nominee

Over the years, it has selected various Presidential candidates from several national leftist political parties. For the 1971 and 1976 elections, the LUP was a member of the national People's Party, thus the People's presidential candidates were the LUP's.[7] In 1980, 1988, 1996 and 2000 it endorsed the Socialist Party USA's candidates. Mary Alice Herbert, the party's 2006 candidate for Lieutenant Governor, was the Vice Presidential candidate of the Socialist Party USA in 2004. However, due to conflicts with her running mate, Walt Brown, the LUP gave its ballot line to Workers World Party candidates John Parker and Teresa Gutierrez. In 2008, the Socialist Party's presidential candidate, Brian Moore, was the only candidate to collect the 1,000 signatures required to participate in the Liberty Union Party's presidential primary. The primary election is binding, so Moore and his running mate Stewart Alexander were the Liberty Union nominees in the November general election.[12][13]

Year Presidential nominee Party Votes
1972 Benjamin Spock People's Party[8][14] 1,010 (0.54%)
1976 Margaret Wright People's Party[7]
1980 David McReynolds Socialist Party USA 136 (0.06%)
1984 Dennis Serrette New Alliance Party 323 (0.14%)
1988 Willa Kenoyer Socialist Party USA 142 (0.06%)
1992 Lenora Fulani New Alliance Party 429 (0.15%)
1996 Mary Cal Hollis Socialist Party USA 292 (0.11%)
2000 David McReynolds Socialist Party USA 161 (0.05%)
2004 John Parker Workers World Party 265 (0.08%)
2008 Brian Moore Socialist Party USA 141 (0.05%)
2012 Stewart Alexander Socialist Party USA No ballot access

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Liberty Union Party - Platform". libertyunionparty.org. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Respectable Showing for Liberty Union Socialists in 2014 Vermont Election". libertyunionparty.org. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Liberty Union Party Sticks to Its Ideals — and Keeps Losing". Seven Days. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "L.U.P. History," The Official Website Of The Liberty Union Party - Vermont
  5. ↑ Herszenhorn, David M. "The Nation; To Vermont's Voters, What's Out Is In," New York Times, March 12, 1995
  6. 1 2 Siegel, Lou. "Vermont's Third Party: No Longer Just a Fan Club". Vanguard Press (via=Seven Days). Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "New Look at White House Vowed". Toledo Blade. AP. 1976-08-08. p. A-3. Retrieved 2010-10-17. The Socialist-oriented People's party was founded in 1971 and is an umbrella name for such groups as ... Vermont Liberty Union.
  8. 1 2 Bernie Sanders, Outsider in the House, Verso: 1998; pp. 12-21 et seq.
  9. ↑ "Liberty Union Party Chief in Vermon Quits Position". Nashua Telegraph. AP. October 12, 1977. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  10. ↑ Kinzel, Bob. "Liberty Union Candidates Register as Progressives for Statewide Races," Vermont Public Radio, Tuesday July 20, 2004
  11. ↑ "Liberty Union regains major party status". VTDigger. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Vermont Presidential Primaries", Ballot Access News, 21 January 2008 (accessed 22 January 2008).
  13. ↑ "Liberty Union Presidential Primary", Ballot Access News, 20 January 2008 (accessed 22 January 2008).
  14. ↑ Eric Pace. "Benjamin Spock, World's Pediatrician, Dies at 94", The New York Times, March 17, 1998

External links

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