Get used to it. Truly, this is not the fault of the Democratic and Republican parties. The fact is that in a democracy as diverse and complex as ours, it has become increasingly difficult for two parties alone to represent a majority of public beliefs. There are many issues that third parties hold dear that the Democratic and Republican parties do not emphasize. And so groups like the Greens have chosen to help build third parties that represent divergent points of view.
Third parties represent healthy competition, something our democracy badly needs.
As a result, the Big Bend Green Party and the Green Party of Texas will begin fielding candidates for local and state offices as soon as possible. For Texas Democrats, however, having the Green Party on the ballot may give some cause for concern. As this election has demonstrated, third party candidates can make a significant difference in a close race between Democrats and Republicans. In close Texas races, where the vote is almost equally divided between the Democratic and Republican candidate, strong third party candidates could mean the difference between winning and losing. In this year s election, for example, the Democrats retained their 78-72 majority in the Texas House of Representatives.