Liberty Union Party

The Liberty Union Party of Vermont, founded in 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone and others,^[1][2] originated in the anti-war and People's Party movements of the late 1960s and defines itself as a nonviolent socialist party.

History

Bernie Sanders joined Liberty Union in 1971, and was a candidate for several offices on their ticket before deciding to run as an independent.^[3]

The Liberty Union Party sometimes endorses the candidates of other parties which it feels offer a vision and goals compatible with its own. Over the years, it has selected various Presidential candidates from several national leftist political parties. 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.^[4][5]

Some Liberty Union members in 2004 sought the state-wide nomination of the Vermont Progressive Party, which had achieved major ballot status in 2000.^[6]

The Liberty Union Party lost its major party status in 1994, but requalified in 2004 due to Auditor of Accounts candidate Jerry Levy's six percent showing. In 2006, the Liberty Union Party had nine candidates for offices including Governor, United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, and again received enough votes to retain its major party status.

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, 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. In 2011 Van Deusen did not seek reelection 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), and made strides in opening up the local democratic process to all town residents.

Presidential nominee

See also

• List of political parties in the United States
• List of democratic socialist parties and organizations
• Vermont gubernatorial election, 2006
• Vermont United States Senate election, 2006
• Vermont United States House of Representatives election, 2006

References

1. ^ "L.U.P. History," The Official Website Of The Liberty Union Party - Vermont
2. ^ Herszenhorn, David M. "The Nation; To Vermont's Voters, What's Out Is In," New York Times, March 12, 1995
3. ^ Sanders, Bernie. Outsider in the House, Verso: 1998; pp. 12-21 et seq.
4. ^ "Vermont Presidential Primaries", Ballot Access News, 21 January 2008 (accessed 22 January 2008).
5. ^ "Liberty Union Presidential Primary", Ballot Access News, 20 January 2008 (accessed 22 January 2008).
6. ^ Kinzel, Bob. "Liberty Union Candidates Register as Progressives for Statewide Races," Vermont Public Radio, Tuesday July 20, 2004

External links

• Liberty Union Party Website