THE OTTUMWA COURIER

Natural Law Party gets votes
Fairfield-based group received support from more than 95,000 people

By Jean Greco Courier Fairfield Bureau November 9, 1998

FAIRFIELD The 1998 election may be remembered as one that helped some third parties get a foothold in national and state-level politics.

The Fairfield-based Natural Law Party sponsored 12 candidates for state and federal offices in Tuesday's election. The party picked up 95,000 votes for all offices, votes that did not go to the two major parties.

More voters are registered as Independents than are registered to either of the two major political parties. The Natural Law Party and other third parties give voters a place to hang their vote and to cross party lines if they want.

"It's a protest vote," according to Robert Roth, press agent for the Natural Law Party. "There's not a dime's worth of difference in the two major parties. Democrats and Republicans have sterilized the two parties to the extent that people are looking for alternatives. People are saying the two-party system isn't working and they want to register that dissent. The job left for the Natural Law Party is to continue to get uniform ballot access laws passed."

In Iowa, Natural Law Party candidate Susan Marcus said she was elated to receive more than 6,700 votes in her bid for U.S. Senate. Those numbers indicate she had more support than she thought outside Jefferson County, where the Natural Law Party is based.

"I knew running for office could provide a chance for me to get coverage on some of the issues," she said.