Independence party US Senate race

I have focused here on Robert Fitzgerald as he has been the most active candidate in the race all along, but there are three other candidates who may be seeking the party nomination. Jim Haviland who in 2002 challenged Tim Penny at the convention and was given an opportunity to speak at last years convention sent delegates an E-mail this weekend, he delivers a good speech and should do well. Over the recent CD conventions 2 other candidates have delivered speeches to the delegates along with Robert Fitzgerald. Stephen Williams is a candidate of great passion, but does not appear to have the public speaking skills to rise to the level of United States Senate, Fred Zimmerman who is still evaluating running is a retired professor who is an expert on manufacturing. He delivers a very good speech and also would be a strong candidate for US Senate.

I still think Robert Fitzgerald is in the lead, but it will be a strong indication of the strength of his campaign if he can get 60% on the first ballot. The Wild Card here is that the vast majority of the delegates are new so it's tough to get a sense of where they stand, and key endorsements from Peter Hutchinson, Tim Penny, and/or Jack Uldrich might swing things. Talking to Jack on Sunday it appears he is firmly undecided at this point as none of the candidates have blown him away.