The upstart third party Serve America Movement notched its first-ever electoral victory on Nov. 2 when Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, running unopposed, won his third term.
Rosenthal, previously a Democrat, switched to SAM in preparation for this year”™s election. “It”™s not born out of some massive disagreement with the party,” Rosenthal told the Business Journal in August. “I just feel this should be a nonpartisan role ”” not that I feel I was acting in a partisan fashion before this.”
The party, formed in part by former staffers of the George W. Bush administration, aims to be a catch-all organization encompassing a wide range of ideologies. The first election it officially participated in was the 2018 New York gubernatorial contest, with Stephanie Miner, a former chair of the state”™s Democratic Party, running with former Republican Mayor of Pelham Michael Volpe as her running mate. The SAM ticket finished last out of five, with 0.91% of the vote.
“It is a great win for SAM, Connecticut, and the multi-party system,” according to a statement on its website in the wake of Rosenthal”™s victory. “We expect to recruit and run additional candidates in Connecticut in 2022 ”“ including Governor and Lt. Governor candidates. All of this is possible by the 2018 independent run of Oz Griebel and Monte Frank ”“ securing the party ballot line for SAM in CT.”
The party has been officially recognized in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Iowa “and is building other committees throughout the USA,” according to its website.
“We at SAM are proud to have a third-party candidate elected ”“ especially one of the caliber of Daniel Rosenthal,” it concluded.
