"It's all about You - it's all about Me - it's about -- The all of Us." -- Jewett City Party

Third parties fill void
by Julie A. Varughese - published by Norwich Bulletin - February 11, 2007

When the traditional Democrat and Republican parties don't satisfy them, some people start independent parties.

The Jewett City Party, for instance, wants to tackle some issues in the borough its members believe have been ignored or need fixing, said party founder and borough warden candidate Ron Ward.

Experts say although independent parties are begun with the right intentions, once they accomplish their goals, they tend to fade away. They also are heavily personality-driven, as in the case of former Gov. Lowell Weicker Jr.'s A Connecticut Party, which dismantled after he left office in 1995.

Two basic types

Christopher Barnes, director of project development at the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy, said independent parties fall into two categories: Those that are on the ballot every year and sometimes have a national presence and an ideology, such as the Green Party, and others created because a group is frustrated at the local level.

The latter type, if successful, tends to win seats only a few times before the party fades out of existence.

Barnes said, within towns, independent parties spring up from a few residents who attend meetings regularly to complain or are created by a person who has been elected to a town office in the past.

"They can really change the dynamics," he said, explaining third parties can take votes from the traditional parties, making it harder for either party to win.

Laurie Soulor, owner of Second Chance Consignments in Jewett City, said she plans to support Ward in the May 7 election against incumbent Democrat Cynthia Kata and Republican Melinda Brooks. But she also believes the party would fall apart without Ward's leadership.

"If he stops doing what he's doing, everything's going to stop," she said.

No 'one-man show'

Ward, who moved to Jewett City last year, said he wasn't interested in being a "one-man show" and hoped the party, even if it eventually fades away, would invigorate residents to be more proactive.

Democrat Kata has run unopposed for warden in the past several borough elections. Voter turnout in recent elections has been low, possibly reflecting the lack of choice on the ballot. This year she has two opponents and the Jewett City Party has a slate of other candidates as well, including burgesses and baliff.

Canterbury First

The Canterbury First political party was started by Canterbury residents who said they wanted to hold officials' feet to the fire on a number of issues, including government openness and accountability.

Party Chairman Robert Noiseux said the party is made up of people who felt disenfranchised by the town's Democratic and Republican parties.

"We represent a centrist group where Republicans and Democrats come together and work together," he said.

Ray Sulich, chairman of the Canterbury Republican Town Committee, described Canterbury First as "nothing more than an arm of the Democratic Party," however.

"Canterbury First is a bad representative for third parties. I think that a third party has the potential for doing things, for bringing new issues to a town and getting additional residents for input," he said. "But they're all about being disruptive and negative."

Sulich said the state needs to address the "hole" in the state statutes that allows members of local third parties to register with national parties. He said that allows third-party members to sabotage local Republican and Democratic campaigns, by electing the "weakest" candidate at a town's party primary to run against the third party candidate.

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz could not be reached for comment.

Barnes said third parties also tend to fall apart because they lack an infrastructure, or a solid base of supporters.

"It's a reminder that all politics is a pyramid structure," Barnes said.