The Lewis Caldwell Party

Carol Moseley Braun and Barbara Flynn Currie won the two seats in a Hyde Park-based legislative district in the 1978 Democratic Primary.

The loser, State Rep. Lewis Caldwell, then ran in the general election for the third seat under the banner of the “Lewis Caldwell Party.” He hoped to keep enough of his primary election supporters to outpoll the Republican candidate.

Independents, knowing Braun and Currie were certain winners in the heavily Democratic district, campaigned aggressively for State Rep. Bernard Epton, a progressive Republican whom it had also endorsed in previous elections.

Although there were few GOP voters in the district, Independents won enough support for Epton to snare the third legislative seat and prevent Caldwell from “sneaking” through after losing the primary election