Former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker is no stranger to electoral efforts. Though he is not a career politician and has never run for office himself, the self-described “independent-minded, inclusive Republican” has been involved with a number of successful campaigns; he was one of the national co-founders of No Labels, served on the advisory committee to Americans Elect, and was also the focus of a presidential draft effort in 2012. Now, after years of advocacy on behalf of voters of fi...

Last year, former Newark Mayor Cory Booker was elected to the United States Senate following a special election that pitted the Twitter superstar -- among the most recognizable politicians in the state -- against ultra-conservative Republican Steve Lonegan. It was a polarizing race, and though most considered the competition to be a near-guaranteed win for the Democrats, the Republican nominee came closer to victory than any other GOP candidate in recent memory. Now, with the remainder of late-S...

In today’s world of impersonal politics, where elected officials are largely out of reach and social media is viewed as an effective substitute for in-person contact, it is easy to reminisce about the bygone era of retail politics. The days when candidates would literally stand on tree stumps to address crowds of curious voters has become a nostalgic, if not obsolete, image in American culture. While most candidates wouldn’t even consider taking on the burdensome task of an old-fashioned “whistl...

Nineteen years have passed since Angus King was elected Governor of Maine as an independent, sixteen since wrestler Jesse Ventura “shocked the world” by beating two well-funded rivals in Minnesota, and four since Lincoln Chafee vied for Rhode Island’s highest office. While history is scattered with such examples of successful independent candidacies, it is no secret that the Republicans and Democrats have a strangle hold over the political process; those outside the duopoly rarely have their voi...

Two-term New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman has never been a typical Republican. As one of the most recognizable faces in the GOP during the 1990s, she was a speculated Vice Presidential candidate, who made a name for herself as an advocate of fiscal conservatism, minus the socially restrictive policies that often accompany monetary responsibility. Her environmentalist tendencies, typically associated with progressives, led to the former Governor becoming Administrator of the Environment...

New Jersey’s special Senate election, one of the most controversial and high profile races in the country, is now nearing its much-anticipated conclusion. In less than 24 hours, Garden State voters will be asked to choose between two very distinct, extremely polarizing candidates—Democratic Mayor Cory Booker and Republican Mayor Steve Lonegan—politicians who couldn’t be farther apart in regards to their views on social issues and fiscal policy. What was once dismissed as a throwaway campaign, a...

Had former Congressman Bob Barr decided to simply retire and return to private life upon leaving Congress in 2003, nobody would have blamed him. After an illustrious and influential career in the House of Representatives, prolific support for conservative causes, and a presidential candidacy, Barr had already accomplished a great deal. Rather than relaxing during his post-electoral career, however, the sixty-four year old attorney spent a decade writing, advocating, and speaking on behalf of lib...

Like many New Jersey residents, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan appreciates his right to privacy. Until recently, that he would be the only person allowed to access his own e-mails, phone calls, and personal information seemed like something the strict Constitutionalist could depend on. Recently, however, Mayor Lonegan joined scores of anxious Americans in the appalling realization that Big Brother’s all-seeing eye, intended only to detect those who could be a threat to national security, is n...

Since whistleblower Edward Snowden released shocking revelations about a far-reaching national surveillance program, the issue of “Big Brother,” and exactly whom he is watching, has become a topic of intense debate. It would make sense, given the high-profile nature of this controversy, that New Jersey’s varied Senate hopefuls would express their personal views regarding the NSA’s surveillance of American citizens. Thus far, it is Republican frontrunner Steve Lonegan, the hyper-conservative for...