| Libertarian Party of NY -- Press Release -- NY Libertarian Leader Greets Election Results: "Gridlock Is Good" |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NY LIBERTARIAN LEADER GREETS ELECTION RESULTS: “GRIDLOCK IS GOOD”
Westbury, NY 11/13/06 Libertarian Party of New York Chair Richard Cooper celebrates the recent New York and national election results. Neither the Republicans nor Democrats will now enjoy unchecked power as the congressional Democrats lack a veto-proof majority and the NY State Senate remains in Republican hands. Cooper proclaims “If we cannot have the Libertarian reforms we need, then gridlock is good. Gridlock minimizes the harm caused by the big government policies of the Republicans and Democrats.”
In April the Libertarians nominated former Massachusetts governor William Weld who later abandoned their line after losing the Republican contest. The Libertarians then nominated John Clifton. While disappointed that they did not get the 50,000 votes for governor needed to become an official party, the Libertarians can congratulate themselves on improved vote totals over recent elections, according to Cooper who sees his party as a needed third force in politics. Enrolled Libertarians increased from about 800 at the time of the April convention to almost 1100 now.
Cooper notes that based on the unofficial returns the Libertarians received more votes for governor this year than they received in any election since 1990. Clifton nearly tripled the 2002 vote. The Libertarian candidate for State Comptroller, John Cain, outperformed every Libertarian statewide candidate since the 1992 US Senate nominee. Cain nearly doubled the 2002 vote. Both US Senate candidate Jeffrey Russell and Attorney-General candidate Christopher Garvey received more votes than their 2002 and 2004 counterparts. In the hotly contested 24th Congressional District where the Republicans and Democrats spent millions, Mike Sylvia garnered 1% of the vote with less than $5000. –30-
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