West Virginia defines a qualified party to be a group that got at least 1% for Governor. Last month, the Independent Party of West Virginia, a new group, tried to get Marshall Wilson on the ballot as a candidate for Governor. Although his petition failed, due mostly to the health crisis, Wilson campaigned as a write-in candidate, and received a number of votes in excess of 1%. The party has asked the Secretary of State to recognize it. The state has not responded yet.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
Write-In Pritt Campaign v. Hechler (July 21, 1994, Docket No. 22394) supports the qualification of this party via the conclusion that “An independent affiliation of voters wishing to form a third party would be in a better position to utilize West Virginia Code §3-1-8 if they created some organizational framework, such as by-laws or specific statements of principles, in advance of an election; announced their existence and solicited others to affiliate; and placed their own candidate for governor (as opposed to a candidate who identifies herself as a member of the Democratic Party) on the ballot.” – Justice Workman
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914bddfadd7b049347a4f98
§3-1-8, Political party defined; parties or groups that may participate in municipal primary elections (“Any affiliation of voters representing any principle or organization which, at the last preceding general election, polled for its candidate for Governor at least one per cent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for that office in the state, shall be a political party,…”)
https://code.wvlegislature.gov/3-1-8/
This says absolutely nothing about whether that candidate is ballot qualified or runs as an official write-in.
INDIVIDUAL candidates via 14-1 EQUAL nom pets —
regardless of moron trolls.
Please just go away already, Dumbo. You contribute nothing.
He’s a close friend of Winger’s, so he’s allowed to post as much moronic nonsense on every single headline as he wants. It really brings this site down. I agree, he needs to go away and find another hobby. Therapy would help.
Last 2 thug intimidation posts = ZERO info about Winger story —
like hundreds of posts by troll morons – esp Trump stooges.
I’m a thug? Can you not read who wrote the first post? Man, you really are off your meds, Thomas Jones. Must be that Flint, Michigan water trickling down to Detroit.
After a cursory view of the WV code as cited by Mr. Becker, and assuming I take Mr. Becker’s point correctly, I agree.
I see no prohibition upon ballot qualification of a political “group” who ran an organized campaign under write-in status for WV Governor and who achieved the necessary percentage to qualify its ballot lines in subsequent elections…unless the WV legislature admits its own capricious in the application of law.
In fact, the accomplishment of achieving 1% of the total aggregate as a write-in is all the more remarkable. It indicates the “group’s” strength of organization. The election code in WV should recognize this, and make room on its printed ballots for this new political party. My two.
Demo Rep may be on some kind of drug, just not his prescribed psych medicine.
Even more deserving of recognition is the fact that Mr. Wilson garnered almost 4000 more votes as a write-in than the ballot-qualified Mountain Party candidate. He got 15,120 whereas Danny Lutz only got 11,309 (1.47% – qualified their party) but the WVSOS refuses to even acknowledge Marshall’s candidacy on their results page: https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/WV/106210/web.264614/#/summary
They should join GOP.
Jeremy – ?!? S. Marshall already WAS an elected Republican delegate (60th district) who switched his party affiliation to the Independent Party a year ago on December 17th, 2019 (term ended a few weeks ago) – and with some very good reasons for doing so. No, I think not. Although the Independent Party of West Virginia certainly supports and promotes our republican (small “r”) form of government, affiliation with the GOP, or ANY other party just ain’t gonna be in the cards.
There is no good reason or excuse for anyone to be anything other than GOP all the way.
@ [Fill in the Blank]
“A bet on Trump in the 2024 election would be an investment in failure.”
–Robert Duff, http://www.sportssbettingdime.com
@Jeremy – You are incorrect. There are plenty of good reasons. I suggest that you read some of them: https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2019/12/del-wilson-switches-from-republican-to-independent/
By 2024 Trump will be Emperor and won’t need to run again. I see him declaring martial law right around January 7 or so.
Lots of people have bet against Trump all his life and they have all been wrong. That’s not about to change.
@news sentinel Melody Potter’s statement us strong, excellent and right on the money. You go girl.
Not takin’ the bait, Jeremy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c5o7lUcun8&ab_channel=badge9781
No idea why y’all keep talking about bait. I’m not baiting anyone. I don’t know the lady but I read what she said and she was exactly right and said it beautifully. As for YouTube I’m boycotting them.
I’ll tell you what. I know a whole lot of folks who agree with me. A whole lot.
Will this new party merge with the Alliance Party? The independent party of New York has now merged with Alliance Party and the Reform party of Florida has as well. Same thing with the Independent party of Connecticut. All of these parties merged in 2020.
That’s the Independence, not Independent Party of New York. But to answer your question, I seriously doubt it. As far as I know, the party plans to model it’s organization on that of the Oregon Independent Party – but will take its own independent positions on issues. Y’all will know more after their state convention which is being planned for sometime in spring ’21.
I have a honest question. Is this really an Independent party or Marshall Wilson party? It seems to me that those in the Facebook group are Mr. Wilson followers and are forming a party to advance his political agenda not a party set to break the two party system.
All of that will be settled at the party’s convention in the spring. Marshall is definitely a leader since he got the votes to qualify it, but there are other leaders and level-headed people on the organizational team as well. The convention is where the party’s constitution, bylaws, and platform are adopted and where the formal election of leadership takes place. And as far as “to break the two party system,” I have not heard that to be a specific goal.
So the party is basically designed to drive the Republicans further to the right just like the mountain party is designed to drive the Democratic further to the left Jeff Becker. It would be better just to join the Libertarian Party of West Virginia.
R, you are assuming too much too soon. The party has not yet convened so how can it be designed for anything yet? After the convention you will know your answers. As far as how the Republican Party reacts, the Independent Party will do what it’s going to do and the natural consequences will follow accordingly.
R, in regards to your S. Marshall Wilson question, I as an Independent voter for the last six years feel like he has earned a seat in the party leadership by reading his actions. Unlike any other politician I’ve observed, his actions actually match his words. That alone is worthy of a new kind of party separate from the normal.
It is time to let go of the independent label and unite as GOP to fight the communist left. Many of us have supported both GOP and independent conservative candidates through the years. My dad was a staunch Strom Thurmond, Barry Goldwater and George Wallace voter in his day, as I would have been if I had been old enough, and a great fan of the heroic Joe McCarthy. We both campaigned for Ronald Reagan, Pat Robertson, David Duke and Pat Buchanan. I voted for Perot the first time out. But that’s how we got slick willie and it taught me a lesson. We need to all stick with the GOP. It’s ok to campaign for candidates like Ron Paul in the primary but in the end we have to go GOP even when it’s a stinker like a bush or Romney or McCain. Luckily TRUMP is the greatest leader the world has ever seen and the most important thing now is to rally around HIM and keep HIM in office as well as win Georgia for the GOP tonight by such a big margin even the demon rats can’t steal this one.
We are Q, you are wrong. We need ideals not ideology. David Duke was a racist. He was part of the clan and a grand wizard. Far right people like you are the reason why we need a new party. No way in hell I would join a party that supports David Duke.
If Trump has any influence on this state level party, I’m out. I’m always fine going it alone as an Independent. I will always defend the U.S. Constitution, just not the way Trump does.
http://www.courtswv.gov/supreme-court/docs/spring1994/22394.htm#:~:text=Specifically%2C%20they%20maintain%20that%20the%20Write-in%20Pritt%20Campaign%2C,in%20the%201992%20general%20election%2C%20they%20are%20statutorily