Anyone who reads this site regularly knows that I’m a big fan of independents and minor-party candidates and fairly down on the two-party duopoly that controls American politics.
That’s why I’m disappointed in myself for the big mistake I made last week. In reporting on campaign contributions to federal candidates during the last reporting period, I neglected to report on the two independent candidates seeking the 3rd Congressional District seat.
One of the candidates, Carol Miller, called me on it in an e-mail sent this weekend:
“It is hard to see your continued lack of inclusion as a mistake,” she wrote.
There’s a good reason for that: This is the second time I’ve made this mistake. In a posting the day after the June primary, I wrote that Democrat Ben R. Luján and Republican Dan East would square off in November. I neglected to mention in the original posting that Miller and independent Ron Simmons were saying at the time that they planned to file the signatures to run as independents.
Both did file and will appear on the November ballot.
My latest neglect of the independents was a mistake — albeit one for which there is no excuse. For the record, Simmons, according to his Federal Election Commission report, had loaned his campaign $12,520 and raised another $150 as of June 30. He had $1,002 on hand at the end of the reporting period.
The FEC Web site doesn’t include a second-quarter report for Miller, but, according to The Associated Press, she had receipts of $24,155, including a personal loan of $23,000. She had $2,364 on hand on June 30.
My apologies to both independent candidates for failing to report their numbers last week. As a true independent, I’m glad both are in the race.