Independent candidates on the rise — even in Middletown
To the Times:
The evidence is in. Independent candidates in regional, and local political races are on the rise. The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported that Independents make up 12% of the voters in Philadelphia, and this year they’re signing up in droves. More than a quarter of new registrations since the start of this year have been neither Dem nor Republican, but independent. Ten third-party candidates filed petitions to run in the general election and seven of them were for City Council’s atlarge seats. And typically, that poses a problem for the traditional party candidates.
Independents are labeled as “spoilers” in political races. They enter a race with few backers since most politically active voters are aligned with either the Democratic or Republican party. They belong to a party that, like me, they inherited from their parents, or a party that they believe their policies will benefit the community or the country. In some instances they believe their party’s policies are better than “the other” guys’ policies. Then there are those people who are registered for a certain party for outward appearances, to keep or get a better job or contract, or to amass business contacts. Yet the reality is that most independents are not all that “independent.” Among the public overall, around 38% describe themselves as independents, 31% as Democrats and 26% call themselves Republicans (according to the Pew Research Center surveys conducted in 2018). If you’re looking at the numbers, Independents should win every time. But obviously that’s not the case.
If 38% of the public consider themselves Independents, what does that really mean in the political arena? Who are these “Independents?” Well most of them “lean” toward one of the two major parties. 7% don’t express a partisan leaning, while 13% lean toward the Republican Party and 17% lean toward the Democratic Party. Independents who lean to one of the two parties are often much closer to partisans in their views than they are to Independents who lean to the other party. And on some issues, there are significant differences between leaners and partisans.
One thing is clear. People who associate themselves as Independents want change. They’re not all-in with the views of the Left or Right. They want something that is different and not fully represented in either of the prevailing parties. Years ago, when Middletown residents were battling the CITY development, I ran for a Council-at-Large seat. I was looking to affect change by trying to get into office. There was no real Independent Party presence in Delco back then, so I ran as a registered Republican, and campaigned with a registered Democrat, friend and staunch NO CITY opponent named Mary Jo Grove. People found it laughable that we were running as a team, but we garnered the attention and exposure we wanted and needed. We were representing both parties for a common cause that a lot of people believed in. In the end, we both lost. But it brought attention to important matters in the township and we believe it helped drive change in the outcome of that development.
If you look at the official candidate list for the municipal elections to be held on Nov. 5, 2019, you will see only two candidates listed as Independent. They are A.G. Ciavarelli, who is running for a council-at-large seat in Middletown Township, and Crystal Bell, who is running for a school board seat in Darby Township. I had the opportunity to meet A.G. at a recent social function. He is an interesting guy to talk to and has a lot of thoughts about Middletown Township and local government’s role. A.G.’s tagline is “A.G.: Independent for Us! The two parties are tearing us apart. A.G. wants to put us back together.” He believes that Middletown is not getting a fair shake when it comes to smart development, community safety, or transparency and community engagement on the important issues. He is running as an Independent because he feels it’s the only way to truly represent the best interests of Middletown Township and take back control from the political party machines.
Also on the official candidate list is another Independent candidate named Bibianna Dussling. Bibianna is running for a seat on Middletown Township’s Council. Bibianna in the 3rd District. She is an Independent candidate that is endorsed by the Republican Party. Sounds confusing, right? It can be. Although Bibianna is a registered Independent, she appears as a Republican candidate because she is endorsed by the Republican Party. If you’re endorsed by a party, that is how you appear on the ballot.
One important distinction is that she is running an independent campaign and not relying on party funds or structure and remaining independent in her actions. I got to know Bibianna as she became involved in the controversial Mariner East Pipeline. After learning in August 2016 that Middletown Township was considering the sale of easements to Sunoco for the pipeline project, Bibianna worked with neighbors and founded what grew into the grassroots non-partisan group, Middletown Coalition for Community Safety. As the Mariner East pipeline construction began in surrounding areas, others reached out to her for more information which led to Bibianna becoming one of the co-founders of the regional group, Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety.
This was also the beginning of Bibianna’s desire to focus on serving Middletown as a whole, beyond party politics, and led her to register as an Independent after having been a Republican her whole life. Her priority is to focus on engaging with residents on their desires for the preservation and future of Middletown Township.
I expect that as the divide in the prevailing parties gets wider, the more debasing the rhetoric in local, regional, and national races becomes, the more we will see the rise of the Independent candidate.
But whether you are a staunch Republican, Democrat or supporter of Independent candidates, the most important thing you can do is vote. Have your voice heard on Nov. 5 and get out and vote!
Tony Ieradi, Chester Heights