New Jersey Conservative Party

The New Jersey Conservative Party, once known as the NJCP, now CP-NJ is a conservative political party in New Jersey, United States.

New Jersey Conservative Party
LeaderDr. Steven Maness, State Chairman
Founded1992[1]
IdeologyNationalism
States' rights
Conservatism
Political positionCentre-right to right-wing
Website
http://www.conservativepartynj.org/

Ideology

The NJCP believes in low taxes, a balanced budget and job growth, the right to own private property, limiting welfare to individuals, ending government-supported health care, and limiting foreign aid. It favor states' rights, a strong military, anti-immigration laws, and term limits for congressmen. It supports a national holiday for Election Day.

Membership

According to the New Jersey Division of Elections (part of the New Jersey Department of State):[2] On October 20, 2008 the state listed 154 registered Conservative Party members statewide.[3] Membership in the party grew five-fold in 2015-2016;[4] as of March 2016, there were 814 registered members,[5] and by November 2016 there were 3516.[6] As of Membership grew again in 2018; in February there were 7371 registered voters,[5] and as of July 2018, there were 8,447.[7][8][9]

As of February 2019 there 10,610 registered members.[10]

History

In the 1963 election for New Jersey Assembly a number of candidates ran as "Conservative".[11]

The New Jersey Conservative Party was created in 1992 by Tom Blomquist, who had run as candidate for Governor of New Jersey[12] in the 1989 and 1993 gubernatorial elections.[13][14]

The NJCP received the endorsement of United We Stand America, H. Ross Perot's citizen action organization in 1995.[15][16] In 1995, the party ran approximately 60 candidates for the New Jersey General Assembly, none of whom won.[17][18] the party broke the record for the most third party candidates during one election in the history of New Jersey. This helped lead the NJCP to receiving 117,219 votes. However, in order to earn official third-party status from the state, the party was required to bring in at least 10% of the total vote; a number it did not meet.[19] The party considered changing its name in support of Perot's presidential candidacy.[20]

In 1997, the Conservative Party and other members of the Council of Alternative Political Parties filed suit against the state regarding filing deadlines and the number of signatures needed to do so.[21][22]

The party ran candidates in every district in New Jersey in the midterm 1998 United States House of Representatives elections.[23]

In 1999, New Jersey Conservative Party and three of its individual members who were candidates for elective office filed a certified complaint to enjoin county clerks, from drawing separate political party columns for the Democratic and Republican parties on the official ballot.[24][25] The party also brought an appeal to the Supreme Court of New Jersey regarding preferential ballot positions for the Republican and Democratic parties compared to the NJCP. Historically, the Republican and Democratic candidates were given top spots on the ballot, and the NJCP argued that low voter turn-out led to these parties not even receiving the 10% vote minimum (out of all registered voters for that cycle) to proceed to the general vote.[26] However, the court ruled to reject the application.[27]

In 2000, the New Jersey Conservative Party was involved in a lawsuit that permitted New Jersey voters to join third parties. Until 2001 New Jersey did not allow registering to vote as anything other than Democrat, Republican, or Independent. This was ruled unconstitutional in 2001 after a lawsuit was brought by a coalition of political parties, including the NJCP.

In 2009 the State Chairman Stephen Spinosa asked registered members to change their party affiliation to Republican so they could vote for Steve Lonegan for Governor. (Spinosa had run for office as NJCP candidate, twice for State and once for Congress between 1997 and 1999[28]). By doing so he effectively called for the suspension, though not dissolution, of his third-party movement in order to boost Lonegan's chances.[29][30]

On February 19, 2010, the New Jersey Conservative Party signed an affiliation agreement with the national Conservative Party USA. By February 20, the New Jersey affiliate turned over their party membership to the national party for management in accordance with the affiliation agreement. Dr. Steven Maness (who had run as Conservative Party candidate for Middlesex County Freeholder in 1998[31]) assumed New Jersey party leadership on December 30.[32][33]

In January 2019, Martin Marks, former mayor of Scotch Plains, announced his independent candidacy for the New Jersey's 21st Legislative District, under the banner of "Conservative" in the 2019 New Jersey elections.[34][35]

See also

References
  1. Blevins, Dave (27 April 2006). American Political Parties in the 21st Century. McFarland. p. 133 – via Internet Archive. New Jersey Conservative Party.
  2. "Statewide Voter Registration Statistics Archive". New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20081126203911/http://www.njelections.org/2008results/08generalelection/voter-registration-summary102008.pdf.
  4. Symons, Michael. "Democratic registration surges in New Jersey, now 860,000 above GOP". New Jersey 101.5.
  5. https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/svrs-reports/2016/2016-03-voter-registration-by-county.pdf
  6. "Statewide Voter Registration Summary November 7, 2016" (PDF).
  7. "Minor political parties growing fastest in NJ as registrations increase". North Jersey.
  8. "Libertarians Standing Tall As Largest Third-Party In New Jersey". Belleville-Nutley, NJ Patch. 22 August 2018.
  9. "Independent parties double registration since Trump election". New Jersey Globe. 9 July 2018.
  10. https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/svrs-reports/2019/2019-03-voter-registration-by-county.pdf
  11. https://www.njelections.org/1920-1970-results/1963-general-election.pdf
  12. McLarin, Kimberly J. (2 November 1993). "The 1993 CAMPAIGN: The Long Shots; Candidates Who March To Different Drummers". Retrieved 11 April 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  13. Peterson, Iver (8 October 1992). "Big 'C' Conservative Makes Big Plans for New Jersey" – via NYTimes.com.
  14. Peterson, Iver (29 October 1995). "ON POLITICS;Third-Party Fervor? More Than Hard Work". Retrieved 11 April 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  15. Peterson, Iver (29 October 1995). "Perot Commands Enthusiasm For New Jersey Conservatives" – via NYTimes.com.
  16. "Political Diversity: Third party in N.J. would enlarge the ring". Asbury Park Press. 27 April 1995. p. 17. Retrieved 16 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Demasters, Karen (8 October 1995). "NEWS AND TOPICS: POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT;New Third Party, Flexing Muscles, Looks to '96 and Beyond" – via NYTimes.com.
  18. Keller, Susan Jo (9 November 1995). "NEW JERSEY DAILY BRIEFING;The Conservatives Strike Out" – via NYTimes.com.
  19. "Conservatives". The Herald-News. 16 Sep 1995. p. 5. Retrieved 16 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Pristin, Terry (28 September 1995). "NEW JERSEY DAILY BRIEFING; Conservatives May Join Perot" – via NYTimes.com.
  21. http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/975398.txt
  22. "The Council of Alternative Political Parties, Green Party Ofnj, Natural Law Party, Nj Conservative Party, Nj Libertarianparty, U.S. Taxpayers Party of New Jersey, Albert Larotonda,gary Novosielski, Madelyn Hoffman, Jim Mohn, Mary Jochristian, Jeffrey M. Levine, Tom Blomquist, Bernardsobolewski, Sal Duscio, Anne Stommel, Leonard Flynn, Johnpaff, Michael Buoncristiano, Emerson Ellett, Charles Novins,lowell T. Patterson, Eugene R. Christian, Scott Jones,richard S. Hester, Sr., Barbara Hester, Austin S. Lett,arnold Kokans, Leona Lavone, Shirley Boncheff, Christianzegler, Victoria Spruiell, Harley Tyler, v. Lonna R. Hooks, Secretary of State of the State of Newjersey, in Her Official Capacity and Hersuccessors, Appellant, 179 F.3d 64 (3d Cir. 1999)". Justia Law. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  23. https://www.njelections.org/election-results/1998-gen-elect-candidates-us-house.pdf
  24. "NEW JERSEY CONSERVATIVE PARTY INC v. Bergen County Democratic Organization and Essex County Democratic Committee, Inc., Defendants/Intervenors-Appellants". Findlaw.
  25. Court, New Jersey Superior (10 April 2019). "Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Superior Court, Appellate Division, Chancery Division, Law Division, and in the County Courts of the State of New Jersey". Soney & Sage – via Google Books.
  26. Conohan, Sherry (10 Aug 1999). "Judge allows challenge to ballot law". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 16 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. Conohan, Sherry (9 Sep 1999). "Top court says no to appeal on ballot". Asbury Park Press. p. 5. Retrieved 16 April 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. "Conservative Party - Stephen G.Spinosa". conservativepartyusa.org. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  29. "Conservative party chairman resigns, temporarily, to work for Lonegan". 21 April 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  30. "New Jersey conservative chairman says party won't dissolve". 10 April 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  31. "Conservative Party - Steve Maness". conservativepartyusa.org. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  32. USA, Conservative Party. "Conservative Party (CP-USA) Highlights Leadership Change in New Jersey". PRLog. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  33. release, press. "Conservative Party (CP-USA) Highlights Leadership Change in New Jersey". Atlantic Highlands Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  34. "Marks and Pappas Running as Conservatives in LD21 General Election". Insider NJ. 25 March 2019.
  35. "LD21: Fmr. GOP mayor weighing third party 'Conservative' challenge to GOP's Bramnick, Munoz »". 10 January 2019.
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