WEBB CITY, MO – In response to Missouri voters’ rejection of our broken two-party system, U.S. Senate Candidate Jared Young announced today the formation of the Better Party, a new political party providing ballot access for quality independent candidates in the state of Missouri beginning with this year’s elections in November. Young will be the U.S. Senate candidate for the Party.
“The two major parties have become dominated by extremes on both the right and the left,” said Young. “From the presidential ticket on down, they are consistently producing extreme candidates that most voters don’t want. And when they’re elected, no matter how lofty their goals, they are beholden to party leadership. The reasonable majority of voters are left totally unsatisfied, forced to vote based on which party they fear less, rather than which candidate they truly support. The Better Party will give them more candidates they can actually get excited about.”
The decision to form a new party grew out of Young’s interactions with frustrated Missouri voters during his Senate campaign. “The inability of many Republicans and Democrats to work together on key issues is bad for Missouri and bad for our country,” commented Adam Balinski, chairman of the Better Party. “
Jared is not only stepping up to lead change in Washington, he is blazing a path for other independent candidates that will benefit Missouri voters for years to come.” Forty-three percent of Missouri voters do not claim affiliation with either the Republican or Democratic parties (33% identify as Republican and 27% identify as Democrat). At the same time, 70% of Missouri voters say they are open to voting for an independent or third-party candidate in this year’s Senate election. The people of Missouri want alternatives, but the two major parties have worked hard to block the path for any candidates not affiliated with the two-party system. Independent candidates at every level face a tough path to get on the ballot. For statewide offices in Missouri, each independent candidate must collect 10,000 validated signatures from Missouri voters. These signatures must be on paper forms with a different form for every county. Each page of 15 signatures must be notarized with the person who collected those signatures.
The effort and cost required to gain ballot access prevent many outstanding independent candidates from running for office, leaving voters few, if any, quality choices. As an independent candidate, Young would have had to jump these burdensome and costly hurdles for himself, but he has opted instead to fund and stand-up this innovative new party as a means not just for his own run for office, but also for generations to come. The Better Party was formed with a singular goal – provide ballot access to high-quality independent candidates so that Missouri voters will have better choices in this election and elections to come – candidates that will prioritize the needs of Missouri over the needs of the two major parties. The party platform is simple—candidates must agree to 1) treat others with dignity and respect; 2) be open to policy ideas and input from all over the political spectrum; and 3) reject the idea that “the ends justify the means”.
About Better Party
The Better Party was created in Missouri to provide reasonable ballot access for independent political candidates at all levels of government. The Party will make it easier for independent candidates in the state to get on the ballot. As a result, Missouri voters will have more options when selecting who will represent them in government. The Better Party candidates are expected to be less extreme in their politics and policies, better representing the majority of Missouri voters.
