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Moderate Party (New Jersey)

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Moderate Party
ChairwomanMichelle Garay
SpokesmanRick Wolfe
FoundersRick Wolfe, Michelle Garay
FoundedJune 2022; 2 years ago (June 2022)
HeadquartersAlexandria Township, New Jersey
IdeologyCentrism
Fiscal conservatism
Anti-establishment
Electoral fusion
Political positionCenter
Website
njmoderateparty.org

The Moderate Party is a minor third party in New Jersey founded by centrist former members of the Republican Party, on the grounds that the party has shifted too far right following the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the storming of the Capitol on January 6.[1][2][3][4] The party also seeks to attract moderate Democrats who are unsatisfied with the party's shift to the left.[5][6]

Foundation

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The party was founded in the summer of 2022 in preparation for the election of that year. The party was co-founded by Rick Wolfe, former Republican mayor of East Amwell Township and Michelle Garay, former Republican mayor of Alexandria Township with Wolfe going on to be the party's spokesman and Garay the chairwoman.[2][7][8][4][9] After the foundation of the party, Wolfe stated in interviews that the intention of the party was "to reach out to New Jersey's 'exhausted majority'," to offer a home to voters who dislike how far the Republicans have moved to the right and Democrats to the left and to "be the vehicle that brings these candidates to the center." Wolfe claims that New Jerseyites want candidates who will support their communities and values and not participate in a larger nationwide culture war.[1][9] New Jersey is historically inhospitable to third parties, and is the only state in the nation that has not had a qualified minor party in more than one hundred years.

Electoral fusion

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See also: Electoral fusion

The centerpiece of the party's strategy is to restore fusion voting in New Jersey,[1][3][10][11][12] and eventually implement the practice nationally.[13] Fusion would allow a candidate to appear on a ballot multiple times for multiple parties allowing voters to support a candidate even if they disagree with that candidate's major party affiliation. The practice had been legal in New Jersey for decades throughout the 19th century and early 20th century and was expressly authorized under the State's landmark Geran Law, passed under the direction of then Governor Woodrow Wilson. However, the practice was outlawed in New Jersey in a series of laws passed in 1921 and 1922.[1][14][7][4][9][12][13] The party hopes to revive fusion via litigation that seeks to have the state's 1922 ban declared an unconstitutional abridgement of the right to free association.

The party hopes that by bringing back fusion voting that it would incentivize voters to vote with their conscience more so than party affiliation, allowing Democrats to vote for centrist Republicans and Republicans to vote for centrist Democrats without having to vote for the opposing party directly.[14][9]

Electoral fusion is a widely discussed policy proposal. For example, Lee Drutman of New America has supported the initiative, saying that it "gives voters the ability to clearly signal: 'stop the hyper-partisan fighting and work together.'"[15] The party has been supported in its lawsuit by Protect Democracy. The party's lawsuit has also been supported by former Republican governor Christie Todd Whitman and former Democratic Senator Robert Torricelli who wrote, "the systemic benefits of fusion could be substantial, by tempering the destabilizing effects of hyper-polarization and by incentivizing parties and candidates to compete for voters in the middle."[16]

2022 election

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See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey § District 7

In 2022, the party made its first nomination, in the 7th congressional district race, of incumbent Representative Tom Malinowski. He welcomed its support, writing that it represented an “alliance between Democrats of all stripes, independents and moderate Republicans.” However, the party's nominating petition for Malinowski was ruled invalid by Tahesha Way, the Secretary of State of New Jersey.[7][3][4][9]

The New Jersey Republican State Committee and Malinowski's opponent, Thomas Kean Jr., criticized the Moderate Party, claiming that the party was created in an attempt to subvert voters. The party was criticized for benefiting from an expenditure made by the titular political action committee, the Moderate Party Independent Fund, which received funds from Nancy Pelosi's House Majority PAC.[11] The party has also been criticized by the National Republican Campaign Committee for its association with Sue Altman, former director of the New Jersey Working Families Party.[17][18] Kean defeated Malinowski, 51.5% to 48.5%.[19] In 2024 Kean would be re-elected, beating Altman, who was the Democratic candidate, 51.9% to 46.3%.[20]

Post 2022 election

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See also: 2023 New Jersey State Senate election and 2023 New Jersey General Assembly election

Following the defeat of Malinowski in the 2022 election, the party insisted that their mission had not ended and re-focused their efforts on a lawsuit to overturn the state's ban on fusion.[21] Their efforts to restore fusion voting have been bolstered by a poll for Fairleigh Dickinson University which stated that 56% of New Jerseyites supported restoring the practice in the state.[22][23][24] Additionally, another poll by Braun Research, this time on behalf of the New America Foundation, found that 68% of New Jerseyites support fusion voting, and 81% of New Jerseyites are discontent with the two party system.[25]

The party's lawsuit to implement fusion voting was filed in July 2022 and has yet to be considered by any New Jersey court. The New Jersey Republican party motioned to have the case dismissed altogether.[26] The New Jersey Attorney General, Matthew Platkin, has also called for the suit to be dismissed. However, on May 2, 2023, a three-judge panel rejected the calls for dismissal and announced the lawsuit can proceed to the State Supreme Court.[27] The lawsuit saw a surge of bipartisan support in June and July 2023 with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, Brennan Center for Justice, Cato Institute, the New Jersey Libertarian Party, and five former members of congress, including former House Minority leader and 2004 Presidential Candidate Dick Gephardt (D-MO), voicing their support for the lawsuit and the establishment of fusion voting in the state.[28]

The Party's suit for fusion voting filed a request for direct certification to the New Jersey Supreme Court on 20 July 2023.[29] The New Jersey Supreme Court rejected hearing the case on September 12, instead leaving the issue in the hands of the appellate division.[30] The Moderate Party presented its oral arguments before the Superior Court of the New Jersey Appellate Division on December 10, 2024.[31] Specifically, the party argued that banning fusion voting deprived New Jerseyites of their "right to vote, right to equal protection, right to free speech and political association, and right to assemble."[32]

Party platform

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Besides fusion voting, the parties beliefs as outlined on their website are as follows:

  • Eliminate political extremism
  • Support bipartisanship
  • Tackle local instead of national issues
  • Protect the foundations of American democracy
  • Fiscal conservatism
  • Immigration reform
  • "Facts-based" legislation
  • Government transparency

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Bullock, J.J. "Will 'Moderate Party' give Americans a 3rd choice at polls?". www.newsnationnow.com. Nexstar Media Inc. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b "New Jersey politicians form Moderate Party to get bipartisan support for candidates". newjersey.news12.com. News 12 Networks. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Wolfe, Rick. "Former N.J. Republican mayor: I'm picking a moderate over a Trump candidate". www.NJ.com. Advance Publications. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Symons, Michael. "Moderate Party asking courts to bring fusion voting to NJ". nj1015.com. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  5. ^ "New Jersey Moderate Party". Moderate Party (New Jersey). Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Meet the man trying to form Moderate party in NJ". www.wfmz.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Balcerzak, Ashley. "Moderate Party faces uphill battle in NJ, while a moderate PAC's donations raise eyebrows". www.northjersey.com. North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  8. ^ Wildstein, David. "N.J. Moderate Party funded by Pelosi super PAC". newjerseyglobe.com. New Jersey Globe. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e O'DEA, COLLEEN. "Dissatisfied with parties, they try to force a third way". www.njspotlightnews.org. Spotlight Newspapers. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Moderates on the march: Cheering the possible emergence of a new party in New Jersey". www.nydailynews.com. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  11. ^ a b Friedman, Matt. "The Democratic, I mean, 'Moderate Party'". www.politico.com. Axel Springer SE. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  12. ^ a b Friedman, Matt. "Progressive activist Altman helping to organize 'Moderate Party' efforts". www.politico.com. Axel Springer SE. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  13. ^ a b Hounshell, Blake. "New Jersey Centrists Seek to Legalize Their Dream: The Moderate Party". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  14. ^ a b Malinowski, Tom. "A Viable Third Party Is Coming, and It's Starting With a New Jersey Lawsuit". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
  15. ^ Drutman, Lee. "The Case for Fusion Voting and a Multiparty Democracy in America". www.newamerica.org. New America Foundation. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  16. ^ Whitman, Christine; Torricelli, Robert. "Why we need a 3rd political party in New Jersey". www.nj.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  17. ^ "The progressives are in on Malinowski's "Moderate Party" scheme". NRCC. 2022-06-14. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  18. ^ Friedman, Matt (2022-06-13). "Progressive activist Altman helping to organize 'Moderate Party' efforts". POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  19. ^ "2022 Official General Election Results: U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). New Jersey Department of State - Division of Elections. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  20. ^ Gans, Jared. "Kean keeps competitive New Jersey House seat in Republican hands". The Hill. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  21. ^ "New Jersey Moderate Party 2023 Plans". Moderate Party (New Jersey). Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  22. ^ McDonald, Terrence T. "Push for fusion voting in New Jersey didn't end with Rep. Tom Malinowski's loss". New Jersey Monitor. States Newsroom. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  23. ^ Wildstein, David. "N.J. supports return to fusion voting, FDU poll says". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  24. ^ Salant, Jonathan D. "N.J. voters say candidates should have this option to sway those who despise Republicans or Dems". NJ.com. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  25. ^ McDonald, Terrence T. "Push for fusion voting in New Jersey didn't end with Rep. Tom Malinowski's loss". newjerseymonitor.com. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  26. ^ Biryukov, Nikita. "Nine months later, fusion voting case trudges on". New Jersey Monitor. States Newsroom. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  27. ^ Biryukov, Nikita. "Appeals court denies bid by N.J., GOP to toss fusion voting lawsuit". New Jersey Monitor. States Newsroom. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  28. ^ Fox, Joey. "Moderate Party's fusion voting lawsuit gets more high-profile backers". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  29. ^ Biryukov, Nikita. "Moderate Party asks Supreme Court to hear fusion voting case". New Jersey Monitor. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  30. ^ Wildstein, David. "Top court say no to hearing fusion voting law challenge". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  31. ^ "NJ MODERATE PARTY ARGUES FOR REVIVAL OF FUSION VOTING AT APPELLATE DIVISION ORAL ARGUMENT". insidernj. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  32. ^ Karalunas, Lauren Miller. "New Jersey Considers Challenge to its Ban on Fusion Voting". State Court Report. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
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