Here’s the Ballot in Florida’s Fascinating Senate Race
By Randall Holcombe • Tuesday September 28, 2010 9:35 AM PDT • 6 Comments
Florida’s U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by Mel Martinez last year has generated an interesting race. Conventional wisdom was that if former Governor Jeb Bush wanted that seat it was his for the taking. After he said he wouldn’t run, current Governor Charlie Crist announced he would run for the Senate.
Crist was elected governor in 2006, running as a Republican, and had Bush decided to run for the US senate seat, undoubtedly Crist would have run for a second term as governor, and as incumbent would have been the strong favorite to win a second term. But the open senate seat was too tempting, so he announced for that race, with the strong support of the Republican Party of Florida. To give himself an extra edge, Crist appointed his long-time friend George LeMieux to fill out the remainder of Martinez’s term, with LeMieux making the promise that he would not run to keep that seat. Everything seemed to be going Crist’s way in that race, but...
As many readers will know, Republican Marco Rubio, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and a Tea Party favorite, also entered that race. Top party officials discouraged him, saying they didn’t want to have a bruising primary that might hinder the Republican Party in the general election, but Rubio’s candidacy gained strength and by early 2010 he appeared to be out-polling Crist. The Party’s wish to avoid a bruising primary came true when Crist left the Republican Party to run as an independent.
We know that election law is stacked to favor incumbents, and to favor the major party candidates over independents and minor party candidates. Florida’s ballot for the US Senate race is a good example. Here is the list of candidates voters will see on November 2.
- Marco Rubio (REP)
- Kendrick B. Meek (DEM)
- Alexander Andrew Snitker (LIB)
- Bernie DeCastro (CPF)
- Sue Askeland (NPA)
- Bruce Ray Riggs (NPA)
- Bobbie Bean (NPA)
- Rick Tyler (NPA)
- Charlie Crist (NPA)
- Lewis Jerome Armstrong (NPA)
By Florida law, the first candidate on the ballot is the one from the governor’s party. Governor Charlie Crist was elected as a Republican, so that puts his nemesis, Marco Rubio, at the top of the ballot. Florida law specifies that next on the ballot is the candidate from the other major party, which is Democrat Kendrick Meek. Then minor party candidates are listed, which puts Libertarian Party candidate Alexander Snitker third. Candidates with no party affiliation are listed below those affiliated with parties, in the order in which they qualified. Crist was second-to-last to qualify for the senate race, so will be second from the bottom on the ballot.
I am no fan of Charlie Crist, but you can see how Florida election law puts him at a distinct disadvantage. You have to look pretty hard to even find his name in that list of ten candidates; meanwhile, Marco Rubio has the advantage not only of a major party affiliation, but of having his name appear first on the ballot — thanks to Crist having been elected governor as a Republican!
At the moment polling shows Rubio to have the edge in this race, with Crist running second and Meek running third. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see Meek get more votes on election day than Crist, partly because of people who will always vote Democrat no matter what, and partly because of Crist’s hidden position on the ballot.
It is really hard for third party and independent candidates to win elections, partly because of partisan voters, but also because election laws work against candidates who aren’t affiliated with one of the two major parties. Florida’s list of candidates for US Senate is but one example of the way election law works against minor party and no-party candidates.
Awwww boohoo, so the statist fool his hoisted by his own petard. How ever shall I cope. Hmmm maybe some laughter.
Agreed, but I have little doubt that guys like Crist were quite happy to benefit from this arrangement, so again, pardon me while I laugh at the snivelling toady.
Of course, a truely fair method of doing this would be to ramdomize the list. Put all the names in an urn, stir it for awhile, then start pulling names. This way the two large parties do not have an institutional advantage.
Steve Verdon | Sep 28, 2010 | Reply
Arguing that the election process significantly discriminates in favor of establishment candidates by virtue of their ballot position is to imply that a significant number of voters go into the booth having no idea who they’ll vote for, and are casting their vote for the first name that catches their eye.
Which is an indictment of representative democracy if I’ve ever heard one.
Ghost of James Caan | Sep 28, 2010 | Reply
Yes it is, and you should read up on an interesting case that is part of the ID Creationism narrative the case of Nicholas Caputo. In that case Caputo was in charge of determining placement of candidates on the ballot. The law stated that Caputo was supposed to make the determination by flipping a coin. Problem is that out 41 times, Democrats were at the top of the ballot 40 times.
So the idea you are complaining about is actually known to the State and they have tried, in New Jersey, to make it at least look fair. But as you note, the idea that simply being listed first means people are more likely to vote for you is an indictment of democracy.
Steve Verdon | Sep 28, 2010 | Reply
American politics is an indictment of democracy.
daddysteve | Oct 1, 2010 | Reply
I believe we need more working-class Americans in office but it is so difficult to go through what Mr. Bean is going through. The budget is so high if only all the information could be available from all the candidate not just ones with money. This site is what is making me vote. Thank you.
Anthony V. L. | Oct 13, 2010 | Reply