“They’re not our representatives. They represent the people who buy their seats for them,” he said.

Two years ago, despite being vastly outspent by his Republican and Democratic opponents, Funiciello got about 11 percent of the vote in the 21st District. This time, although he still has little money to spend, Funiciello said he has more volunteers helping with his campaign.

He is also positioned to take advantage of the country’s impatient mood. He isn’t jumping on the outsider bandwagon; he was, at least in this area, driving the wagon. He has been working for many years to organize the Green Party and promote its candidates, and he put himself forward for Congress long before it became clear, through the candidacies of Trump and Bernie Sanders, that the country was ready to embrace outsiders.

In the current mood, it is conceivable Funiciello could win a higher percentage of the vote than Mike Derrick. In the current mood, it is conceivable he could win outright.

During his first run, Funiciello was asked by one member of our editorial board about the problem of birds getting killed by windmills, in light of Funiciello’s advocacy of alternative energy sources. He talked in detail about the tradeoffs of various energy sources, saying perfection is not possible and not what he strives for.