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Independent party seeks official designation

A Marshfield businessman and one-time state representative candidate thinks the time is right to revive the "independent" party label in Massachusetts.

John Valianti, who lost to state Rep. James Cantwell in 2008, has filed papers with the Secretary of State's office seeking to certify the Massachusetts Independent Party as an official designation.

"The majority of the folks right now are independent, so you could really say we're not being represented by either party now," Valianti said. "There needs to be a home for the independents to go to."

Registered voters unaffiliated with a political party - officially known as "unenrolled" voters - comprise 51 percent of the Bay State electorate. Democrats make up 37 percent and Republicans 12 percent of voters.

The seeds of the new party grew out of a series of meetings of 10 local political activists, some of whom worked on Valianti's campaign and that of independent candidate for governor Christy Mihos.

A statement of principles released by Valianti this week supports a generally conservative and libertarian agenda, opposing tax increases and limiting the influence of lobbyist and special interest groups.

Republican Scott Brown's upset win over Attorney General Martha Coakley in the U.S. Senate special election last month has given political outsiders new hope that voters are willing to tilt the balance of power.

Democrats still dominate the state Legislature, controlling 35 of the 40 seats in the state Senate and 144 of the 160 seats in the House of Representatives.

During his independent race for state representative, Valianti raised about a quarter of the money of his Democratic opponent as Cantwell garnered 62 percent of the vote.

There are three political parties recognized by the Secretary of State's office - Democrat, Republican and Libertarian - and 18 political "designations," many of them little-known groups with a spotty record of fielding candidates.

Although there is no "independent" party in Massachusetts, candidates such as state Treasurer Timothy Cahill who run for office outside a political party are categorized as "independents" on the ballot.

Cahill's candidacy will be a bellwether of voters' tolerance for independent candidates, Valianti said.

"If he wins, it's going to change everything," he said.

Cahill spokeswoman Amy Birmingham said the group has no formal ties to the campaign.

"We haven't connected on any specifics at this point. It's something we'll look into," Birmingham said.

Third parties have an unimpressive track record in modern-day Massachusetts, and voter unrest is no guarantee that one will thrive, said Paul Watanabe, a political analyst at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

"The assumption that unenrolled voters can be easily organized under a partisan party label called 'independent' is a huge leap of faith," he said.

Valianti said the group filed 70 voter signatures with the Secretary of State's office in late fall seeking certification but has not yet received a ruling from the office. The minimum signature requirement is 50.

Brian McNiff, spokesman for Secretary of State William Galvin, did not have details on the group's status Thursday.

Patriot Ledger writer Steve Adams may be reached at sadams@ledger.com .