Background
The Independence Party of New York State (IPNY) is a “centrist and pragmatic political party” that aims to support candidates who operate outside of the mandates and influence of traditional political party hierarchies and special interests.
The IPNY is the largest minor political party in the state.
The group gained ballot access in 1994 and became the New York affiliate of the national Reform Party in 1995.
The IPNY left the Reform Party in 2000 and launched the national Independence Party of America in 2007.
http://ballot-access.org/2007/10/16/new-york-state-independence-party-will-attempt-to-create-a-nation-wide-independence-party/
Though the status of the national party is unclear as of 2016, the IPNY remains active in New York.
Due to fusion voting laws in New York, the IPNY often endorses major party nominees rather than nominating its own candidates.
https://thevotingnews.com/fusion-voting-in-up-close-a-look-at-the-independence-party-of-new-york-state-of-elections/
According to a November 2015 report by the New York State Board of Elections, the IPNY had 476,873 registered voters in the state.
https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/enrollment/county/county_nov15.pdf
Opponents have noted that a large number of IPNY voters have mistakenly registered with the party in an attempt to register as independent, or unaffiliated, voters.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/09/04/new-yorks-crazily-complicated-ballots-explained/?utm_term=.8e76e2a80723
The group acknowledged the misunderstanding and called for a change to the state’s voter registration forms in its 2015 legislative agenda.
Platform
The party’s stated platform is composed of six main issues:
- Pragmatic leadership
“Our goals are to foster balanced, pragmatic leadership.” - New leadership
“[Our goal is to] drive innovation and change by encouraging a new political prototype of leadership. Ideal candidates are those who have led very successful non-political careers in the private and public sectors.” - Honest government
“[Our goal is to] drive transformation in government by applying sound management principles to root out waste, abuse and mismanagement at all levels and departments in the bureaucracy.” - Political independence
“[Our goal is to] be an organization where New York’s growing population of independent-minded and politically aware people may find a home with others of similar views.” - Social issues
“We believe that positions on social issues e.g. abortion, gay rights, etc. are best determined not by a political party but by individuals. We openly welcome party members who hold varying views on social issues.” - Economic prosperity
“[Our goal is to] be an organization that will vigorously pursue pro-business policies, fiscally sound government practices and a rational energy agenda that emphasizes independence and fosters economic prosperity for all.”
http://www.independencepartyny.org/about.html
Rules and bylaws
The state party is governed by a set of rules and bylaws.
Typically, these give structure to the different levels of organization—local, county, and state committees—and establish protocol for electing committee members.
The bylaws also typically give details on the party’s process for nominating and sending delegates to the national party convention during presidential elections.
The following is a summary of the Independence Party of New York State’s rules.
This summary focuses on the structure and governance of the party:
- Party officers include the chairman, five vice chairmen, secretary, treasurer and nineteen at-large members.
- Party officers serve two-year terms.
- The state committee has the authority to charter local county committees.
Convention
According to the organization’s bylaws, the Independence Party of New York State does not hold a state convention.
Leadership
Currently, the Independence Party of New York State did not have an executive director.
The following individuals hold leadership positions with the Independence Party of New York State:
- Frank M. Mackay, Chairman
- William Bogardt, Secretary
- Robert Pilnick, Treasurer
- Thomas S. Connolly, Vice chair
- Paul Caputo, Vice chair
- Richard G. Nebolini, Vice chair
- Giulio Cavallo, Vice chair
- Stephen P. Corryn, Vice chair
- Joseph L. Baruth Sr., Vice chair
- Lee A. Kolesnikoff, Vice chair
- Thomas Hatfield, At-large
- Teresa Bogardt, At-large
- Rick Bellando, At-large
- Dhyalma Vazquez, At-large
- Atef S. Zeina, At-large
- Michael Zumblescus, At-large
- Dennis Zack, At-large
- Len Bernardo, At-large
- Trisha Sterling, At-large
MORE INFORMATION:
Independence Party of New York State homepage
http://www.independencepartyny.org/