On September 26, the Rent is 2 Damn High Party petition for New York Governor was held invalid. See this story. The story does not mention another ticket, the candidacy of Michael J. Carey under the label “Life & Justice”; but according to the New York State Board of Elections web page, that petition was also invalidated.
As a result, there are five candidates on the New York November ballot for Governor: Democratic incumbent Andrew Cuomo (who is also the nominee of the Working Families, Independence, and Women’s Equality Parties); Republican Rob Astorino (who is also the nominee of the Conservative and Stop Common Core Parties); Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins; Libertarian nominee Michael McDermott; and the Sapient Party nominee, Steven Cohn. Cohn’s running mate is Bobby Kalotee, who held himself out as the national chair of the Reform Party for a brief period in 2008. At that time, he proclaimed that the Reform Party had endorsed Republican nominee John McCain for President.
Cuomo says he believes any gubernatorial debate should include all five candidates. Astorino says he believes Hawkins should be in the debates.
Interesting that the Green Party challenged it. Normally third parties don’t challenge each other’s petitions as a sort of gentleman’s agreement – if you don’t challenge ours, we won’t challenge yours. But now that the Green Party has major party status in New York, they don’t need to worry about that. Sad that it’s come to this.
I wouldn’t say that the Green Party brought the challenge. The challenge was brought by an individual who happens to be a Green Party member, but I don’t think he is a state party officer.
Looks like there’s going to be a debate with Howie Hawkins and Michael McDermott.
I wonder if Cuomo would still favor a debate between all 5 candidates if he were “neck and neck” in the polls with the GOP nominee?
Howie Hawkins and Green Party are running a spectacular race in New York. Howie and Green Party are in double digits in the polling, and as high as 27% in some congressional districts.
The Green Party candidate Hawkins continues to climb. Hawkins and Green Party should be in all debates.