Wall Street Journal: Independents Are Gaining Traction in New England

Third-party candidates rarely win elections. So what does it say about the deep blue states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island that they now have credible independents running for governor next year?

While politics is often messy and even contradictory, third-party candidates tend to run strong when one party becomes so dominant that it becomes comfortable pushing unpopular policies. That seems to be happening now in the Democratic stronghold of New England.

In Massachusetts, state Treasurer Tim Cahill resigned from the Democratic Party recently to make a bid for the state's top job as an independent. As of Sept. 30, the end of the latest reporting period, he had more than $3 million in his campaign war chest.

For the full Wall Street Journal article, click here.