Published on November 16, 2018

Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Monte Frank visits Eastern

Three weeks before the election, Eastern welcomed the third party candidate for Lieutenant Governor: Monte Frank. Eastern students were excited to hear the platform of this third party candidate. While most of the Connecticut voters chose to cast their ballots for the either the Democratic or Republican Party, this was a historic moment for third party candidates. Monte Frank raised awareness of the benefits of having more options for party affiliation. Students at Eastern will continue to welcome candidates with different party alignments.

This election demonstrated a turning point in Connecticut politics. It showed that third party candidates have the ability to gather a strong base of voters. However, from the start it was clear that the Governor and Lieutenant Governor offices were going to be awarded to one of the two major political parties. Regardless, the emergence of Oz Griebel and Monte Frank suggests a shift away from the traditional two party system.

It is important to keep in mind that this one midterm election is not entirely indicative of future elections in Connecticut. But it certainly inspires hope of a new type of political system in which there are more party options. In my opinion, a more diverse group of parties would make the government function more efficiently. The extreme bipartisanship among elected officials discourages any compromise whatsoever. I believe that with more party options for people to align with, it ensures a more diverse representation of the American public.

Written by Alyssa Wessner