On February 2, a subcommittee of the Virginia House Committee on Privileges and Elections tabled HB 78. Current Virginia law lets an incumbent dictate to his or her political party how the party should nominate, in his or her upcoming race. Incumbents can determine whether their own party uses a convention or a primary, in that incumbent’s own upcoming election. The bill would have removed the power of incumbents to determine the nomination method.
Since when do EVIL party hack gerrymander monarchs EVER voluntarily give up their EVIL power ???
P.R. and A.V. — NO party hack primaries, etc. are needed.
DIRECT general election ballot access by EQUAL nominating petitions.
It’s somewhat amazing that no lawsuit has yet been filed against this incumbent protection law.
When a Virginia party holds a primary, state law says it must be open to any voter; however, in Miller v. Cunningham, the 4th circuit said that, when an incumbent forces a party to nominate by primary, the party– not the state– decides who is eligible to vote in that primary.