Week 29: And Then There Were Four

Dear Colorado Voter,

Political wisdom says that Labor Day is when most voters start paying attention. To kick off this new campaign period, please march with us in the Louisville Labor Day parade.

Last week, the Libertarian nominee for Secretary of State withdrew from the race, just after the minor-party deadline for replacing him. He didn't have much chance of winning, but "privileging the major parties" once again reared its ugly head.

There are 4 candidates in the SoS contest now.

Minor-party candidates have two strikes against them. The major parties put effort into keeping minor-party candidates off the ballot. Months ago, then-candidate and now-Republican-nominee signed the Liberty Pledge in an effort to keep Libertarians out of the SoS race. The Libertarian Party responded by denouncing and nullifying the Liberty Pledge. Interestingly, last year, the Republican nominee ran for CO Libertarian Party Chair; when he lost, he became a Republican.

Most minor-party candidates don't run serious campaigns, and the media feel justified in ignoring them. The Colorado Forward Party (CFP) is pushing against this paradigm. Bob Chew, the U.S. Senate CFP candidate, is self-funding TV ads; he gets some media attention, usually in an article about candidates outside the major parties. Unaffiliated candidates in prominent contests, like Greg Lopez for governor and Shimon Blau for U.S. House, are getting more attention than minor-party candidates.

Today, Sept 2 is the end of the current campaign finance reporting period. I was ahead of the Republican in fundraising until the last report ending July 27. Still, I had more funds on hand than him and Greg Lopez combined, and I had two thirds of the Democrat's funds on hand. Unfortunately, even a competitive campaign finance report doesn't seem to impress the media and political power players. I have talked with some professionals about getting my name out there, but my current fundraising isn't enough to afford their services.

It's a chicken-and-egg problem. How does my candidacy get exposure if I'm not even listed as a candidate? I appreciate the organizations that have included me in their candidate forums and their candidate questionnaires and am thankful for my supporters who ask organizations to include me. Please continue telling every Colorado voter about my candidacy and encouraging them to sign up for this weekly email or join me for a weekly online Ask Me Anything event. Thanks also to those of you displaying my yard sign!

With enthusiasm and purpose,

Celeste