In Governor's Race, Minor Candidates Face Major Hurdles

The governor's race continues to heat up as Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic hopeful for the state's top post, and Buffalo developer Carl Paladino, the GOP nominee, trade barbs over everything from Paladino's unwarranted tax breaks to Cuomo's alleged affinity for gay pride parades.

But when voters hit the polls Nov. 2, they'll have five other choices to replace Democratic incumbent David Paterson. For candidates not endorsed by major parties, however, just getting on the ballot is a feat in itself.

Parties get automatic ballot status only if their gubernatorial candidate received 50,000 votes in the last election. The only candidates who pulled that off in 2006 were Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat who won the election in a landslide, and former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso, the Republican nominee. Candidates from smaller parties must garner 15,000 signatures from registered voters in order to achieve ballot status.

Three parties—the Conservative, Independence and Working Families Parties—skirt the requirement by backing major-party candidates. Cuomo has been endorsed by the WFP and Independence Party and Paladino received the Conservative Party nod last month.

Election officials and major party candidates generally defend the signature requirements as a way to ensure that only serious candidates get on the ballot.

But some of this year's candidates said the onerous ballot requirements make competing with major party nominees even more difficult, as they also have to deal with less money and media coverage than Democrats and Republicans.

"The major parties and incumbents have found numerous ways to make life more difficult for people running against them," said Warren Redlich, the Libertarian Party's candidate for governor. "For six weeks [third-party candidates] have to commit all of our resources to getting signatures and not to campaigning."

Redlich added that he and other minor party nominees also suffer from a practical media blackout, despite the depth of their policy platforms. 

The Cuomo and Paladino campaigns "lack substance, but they get press," said Redlich, an Albany-area defense attorney. "Me and [Green Party candidate] Howie Hawkins actually have real proposals, but there's very little interest" from major newspapers and TV stations. 

Redlich's proposals include capping the salaries and pensions of state workers at $100,000 and $75,000, respectively, eliminating a number of state agencies in an effort to rein in spending, and legalizing drugs while stepping up anti-drug education and treatment programs. 

On the other end of the spectrum is Hawkins, a UPS worker from Syracuse who has proposed a single-payer universal health care system, a tax increase on wealthy New Yorkers that would fund public service programs, major investments in eco-friendly technologies and an increased minimum wage. 

Hawkins could not be reached for comment, but in a statement released earlier this year he said that the major parties no longer represent average people.

"We need more political parties in New York State. Wall Street and wealthy New Yorkers already have the Democrats, Republicans, and three satellite parties that cross-endorse their candidates," he said. "A vibrant democracy requires a symphony of voices rising up to show the way to a better world."

Hawkins is far from alone in his beliefs.

According to a Gallup poll released last month, 58 percent of Americans believe that Democrats and Republicans are doing an inadequate job, and a third major party is needed. That's up from 40 percent in 2003, when Gallup began asking the question. Only 35 percent of respondents said that the two major parties adequately represent the American people. 

"Given the lack of alternatives, it perhaps is no surprise that Americans' desires for a third party are as high as they've been in at least the last seven years," Gallup's Jeffrey Jones said. 

"And while the formation of an official third party is not imminent, that desire may be manifested in voters' strong anti-incumbent sentiments this year."

Jimmy McMillan, an independent candidate running on the ballot line "The Rent is Too Damn High," has run for governor and New York City mayor several times, giving him enough name recognition to collect 15,000 signatures with ease.

"This year we spent $75.92 getting on the ballot, because we went to areas where I've already campaigned and people already know about me," said the Brooklyn resident, who garnered about 14,000 votes in 2006.

McMillan, a karate teacher and retired postal worker, said he keeps costs low by campaigning exclusively in New York City and not hiring campaign staff; instead, he does most of the work himself, occassionally relying on volunteers. He said he's been frustrated by the number of people who support his message but can't bring themselves to vote for him.

"I've established somewhat of a name, but people say they are afraid to vote for me because they're throwing away their vote or because I'll 'spoil' the election," he said.

McMillan has been criticized for refusing to talk about any issues other than sky-high rents and mortgages, but he said he believes that the bulk of people's problems stem from their struggles to make housing payments. His proposals include caps on commercial and residential rent, a plan to allow people to deduct commuting expenses from their taxable income, and increasing benefits for military veterans.

Last week Eric Schneiderman, a state senator and the Democratic nominee to succeed Cuomo as attorney general, proposed reforming what he called the "needlessly complex rules" that minor-party candidates must follow in order to attain ballot status.

The regulations "serve no purpose other than to disregard voters' intent and allow party bosses to control who is on a ballot," Schneiderman said, adding that "one of the primary causes of our government's problems is that incumbents are all but guaranteed reelection," as they enjoy a reelection rate of about 98 percent.

Also running for governor this year are Kristin Davis on the Anti-Prohibition ticket and New York City Councilman Charles Barron, a Democrat running on the Freedom Party line. 

Davis, who spent four months in prison last year after being convicted of running an upscale escort service, is campaigning on a libertarian-style platform that revolves around marijuana legalization.

Her campaign has been derided by some as a pulpit for her to criticize former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who she says frequented her service before he was brought down in a federal investigation into a different prostitution ring. Davis was reportedly upset that she faced prison while Spitzer escaped criminal prosecution.

Barron's campaign is largely a protest against Cuomo. Barron, a former Black Panther, came out against the attorney general after he selected Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy as his running mate instead of a black politician. 

All seven candidates squared off Oct. 18 at a televised gubernatorial debate at Hofstra University. A Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this month shows Cuomo with an 18-point lead over Paladino. The poll does not include any other candidates, but two percent of respondents said they would vote for "someone else."