Green Party 12th Congressional District candidate Paula Bradshaw
(Photo courtesy of Green Party of Illinois)

Having won places on the Illinois 2016 statewide general election ballot, members of the Libertarian Party and Green Party are attempting to develop support in Southwestern Illinois.

Both Libertarian and Green candidates secured statewide ballot access this year after party officials on June 27 submitted petitions with more than 50,000 signatures to the Illinois Secretary of State, and no challenges were filed within a five-business-day objection period that ended July 5.

Two others,  the Constitution Party and the Veterans Part, tried but failed to secure a place on the ballot in Illinois this year. A write-in campaign for Constitution Party presidential nominee Darrell Castle is planned.

Supporting presidential nominee Gary Johnson and vice-presidential candidate Bill Weld on the Illinois Libertarian ticket in November will be state comptroller candidate Claire Ball and senatorial candidate Kenton McMillen.  The party also has candidates in two southcentral Illinois State Assembly Districts — Jake Leonard in District 95 and Scott Schluter in District 117.

However, in Metro-East, “the only candidates on the ballot from the Libertarian Party of Illinois are the statewide candidates,” said Aaron Wright, treasurer of the Metro-East Libertarians. “We decided not to run any lower level races in the Metro-East due to the excessive manpower it would have taken, given the onerous ballot access requirements for non-established parties.”

Instead the Metro-East group assisted with the successful ballot access campaign for state assembly candidate Schluter in the 117th District.

The Metro-East Libertarians expect to field several candidates for local offices in next year’s municipal elections, Wright said.   No Libertarians currently serve in local offices in the Metro-East. Party member Steve Hellin last year lost a reelection bid for the O’Fallon District 90 School Board, on which he had served as president.

Wright believes Libertarian principles could be valuable in addressing problems facing Metro-East.

“There are several places in the Metro-East that are being hammered by the War on Drugs.  Ending the drug war would defund the criminals and help poorer communities move forward to being able to rebuild,” Wright said.  “Also, occupational licensing is hurting those same areas by not allowing people to get onto the economic ladder to begin with. Libertarians are opposed to oppressive licensing laws.”

“Property taxes in the area are out of control, and cities are using TIF districts to transfer that tax money to their friends. Libertarians oppose taking money from the poorest among us to be given to businesses for what should be capital project,” Wright continued. “Local school districts and municipalities have money, but they spend beyond their means and use bonds and other such methods to put future generations in debt.  Libertarians want to see these bodies cut costs like everyone else has to do in lean economic times.”

Rounding out the statewide Green Party ticket in Illinois — topped by presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein and vice-presidential candidate William P. Kreml — will be U.S. Senate candidate Scott Summers and Illinois Comptroller candidate Tim Curtin.

The party is fielding two congressional candidates in Illinois: Rob Sherman in Chicago’s 5th Congressional District and Paula Bradshaw 12th Congressional District, which extends from Jackson County to the Southern half of Metro-East. That means Bradshaw could become a factor in one Metro-East’s most contentious election battles; pitting Republican incumbent Mike Bost against Democratic challenger C.J. Baricevic.

Like Libertarians, the Greens have no other down ballot candidates in the Metro-East and no members serving in county or local offices within the region. However, the Greens have an elected committee person — David Andrew — in St. Clair County’s Lebanon Precinct 1.

The Libertarian Party of Illinois has 24 chapters, including the Metro-East Libertarian Party – covering Madison, Monroe, St. Clair and Washington counties – and the Clinton County Libertarian Party.  The party also has chapters on four Illinois university campuses, including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

The Green Party of Illinois has 13 chapters including the Metro East Green Party.

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THIRD PARTIES AT A GLANCE

Metro-East Libertarian Party meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Mariachi’s, 400 S Illinois St., in Belleville. Information on the group can be found at www.metro-eastlibertarians.com.

The Clinton County Libertarian Party meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Knotty Pine Inn located at 215 N 4th St., in Breese.  For information, contact chapter representative Roland Kreke at roland.kreke@zoho.com.

The Metro-East Greens hold membership meetings on the last Thursday of each month, with the next set for Wednesday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m. at the St. Louis Bread Company 5917 N. Illinois St., in Fairview Heights. For information seewww.meetup.com/Metro-East-Green-Party.

— Libertarians, Greens look for footholds in Metro-East —