On August 21, U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus issued an order putting the Socialist Party on the Ohio ballot. Specifically, Brian Moore for president and Stewart Alexander for vice-president will be listed on the November ballot with “Socialist” next to their names. Moore v Brunner, 2:08cv-224.
The Ohio Green Party knows about this decision and hopes to gain the same sort of relief for itself.
Judge Sargus said about the Socialist Party, “The Court finds that the Socialist Party USA has the requisite community support to be placed on the ballot in Ohio based on the following undisputed facts in the parties’ memoranda. Socialist Party USA has a century-long history of involvement in presidential politics. The party held its last bienniel convention in St. Louis, Missouri, in October 2007, at which time it nominated Moore and Alexander as its candidates. Socialist Party candidates appeared on the ballot in 8 states in the 2004 presidential election, and garnered 10,822 votes nationwide. For the upcoming 2008 election, plaintiffs Moore and Alexander have currently qualified in Vermont, New Jersey and Colorado and are actively seeking ballot access in 18 other states, including Ohio. As for a showing of support in Ohio, the Socialist Party has ‘an active state affiliate in Ohio with a Charter and state officers” since at least 1999. The party has gathered several thousand signatures of Ohio residents.”
This is the first time the Socialist Party has ever won a ballot access lawsuit in federal court. The party won many ballot access lawsuits in state courts, in the period 1900-1948. The party also won a federal lawsuit in Iowa in the 1980’s, to win the right of its members to serve as deputy registrars of voters, but that was not a ballot access case.
Congratulations to the SPUSA. This is quite a decision. Will Ohio be appealing to SCOTUS or is this now a done deal?
Ohio is not appealing. Even if Ohio were to appeal, that would be to the US Court of Appeals, 6th circuit.
Man, the Socialist Party USA has really done well for itself so far this year.
Any chance the Greens will get the same result, since the Libertarians and Socialists basically have?
I’m very proud of the Socialist Party USA this year. I can’t wait to cast my Florida ballot for Brian Moore and Stewart Alexander!
They didn’t even get on in Arkansas.
Let see how many ststes they get on by 9-10.
They say they will get on in 20 states. We will
see how many they get on.
Hopefully they will. Don’t count your chickens until they are hatched.
Brian
They didn’t even get on in Arkansas.
Let see how many states they get on by 9-10.
They say they will get on in 20 states. We will
see how many they get on.
Hopefully they will. Don’t count your chickens until they are hatched.
Brian
They said they were TRYING to get on in 20 not that they would. Given that 7 states or so is their usual whack a firm prediction of 20 would have been a wee bit rash.
However, they have got on the ballot in Iowa and Ohio without signatures and if that isn’t ‘doing well for itself so far this year’ then I don’t know what is.
Done deal Brian – the chicks are already chirping!
If only we had known that no petitions in Illinois were going to be challenged this year, we might have been able to add that to the list. Still, Iowa and Ohio are welcome victories.
According to the SP-USA website, they seem to be attempting to get on about 15 ballot lines, which would be almost double their previous best of 8.
And where’s proof that they didn’t make the ballot in Arkansas?
or washington, for that manner?
In Washington state the Socialist Party only gathered 590 signatures, fewer than the 1,000 needed.
The deadline has passed in Arkansas according to Richard’s list. I would guess that means they didn’t qualify. Hopefully I am wrong.
I have seen several news releases and articles that say they will qualify in twenty. Once again hopefully they will.
Glad they got on the ballot, but I still fail to see the need for a third socialist party?
“Third?” Which are the first and second? The SPUSA predates all socialist political parties that are still running presidential candidates. I agree, though, that the endless hairsplitting of the far left into one separate party after another doesn’t help the socialist cause.
Hey Brian, this is dan from ohio we talked a few times on the phone. Im glad to see that everything ended up working out in ohio for you guys. I will be casting an absentee ballot from camp lejeune so i will be looking for the brian/moore name. Im glad i could help you guys out as much as i did and one day soon hopefully i can run under the socialist banner
BHO certainly qualifies as a Socialist – and seen by the infilitrating party as one of them, an adherent to Allah and his prophet Muhammad. Dave.