May 2 was the deadline for Florida candidates to file a declaration of candidacy and the filing fee, for Congress. Here is a link to the candidate list. There are six U.S. House districts without a Democratic-Republican contest: Democrats failed to file anyone in four districts, and Republicans in two districts. By comparison, in 2012, there were also six U.S. House districts without a Democratic-Republican contest.
In 2014, there are Libertarians in two districts; in 2012, there was a Libertarian in only one district. No other parties are running any candidates for Congress.
In 2014, seven districts have independent candidates; in 2012, there were twelve districts with independent candidates. In the 13th district, the Democratic Party is supporting an independent candidate, Ed Jany. The order of the candidates on the November ballot in the 13th district will be: Republican David W. Jolly, Libertarian Lucas Overby, independent Ed Jany.
For state office, the deadline is not until June. Nevertheless, many candidates for state office have already filed, and they are also on the state’s web page. For the statewide races, so far, the Libertarian, Socialist, and Independent Parties each have a candidate for Governor. Libertarians have a candidate for Attorney General, the first minor party candidate for that office in the ballot since 1912. There are two Libertarians running against each other for Governor, John Wayne Smith and Adrian Wyllie, so the state will hold a statewide minor party primary for the first time in Florida history.
I thought it was rather interesting in the socialist party’s candidate for governor is actually a member of the white supremacist American freedom party according to his website. That kinda seems like voter deception to me.
How easy is it to obtain a ballot position? Are filing fee’s high.
No Greens?!
The American Freedom Party could’ve very easily become ballot-qualified in Florida. Instead, they disingenuously run Yarrow as a Socialist Party candidate.
I ran as a write-in a few times between 1994 and 2004 in districts where there was no Democratic candidate. As I recall the filing fee was something like $9,000.
The write-in deadline for the general election was then (and may still be; I suppose Richard Winger knows) also in early May, so there was no way to get even a write-in candidacy for the November general election when only one candidate filed.
Candidates who are the only ones who file are deemed “elected” as of the filing date. There is no election in that district. I lived in a safe Democratic district for most of the two decades I lived in Florida, and you’d just find no Congressional race on the November ballot (or the primary ballot).
Not being opposed in successive general elections may sound like a good thing, but a state legislator who hasn’t had to be on the ballot for, say, three straight elections, has the problem of the voters not being familiar with him or her. This has caused problems when legislators who’ve been opposed for years try to move up to Congress.
The Socialist Party does not currently have a candidate for Florida Governor. Atlee Yarrow was expelled from the Socialist Party about 7 or 8 years ago, and has apparently since transitioned himself into an avowed white supremacist. Since Yarrow has since regularly acted to purchase domain names reflecting the names of SP branches, his listing of the Socialist Party in his candidacy filing was ostensibly a similar act of spite.
In any case, we will probably not re-establish a Florida ballot line for the Socialist Party until 2016, given that state’s prohibitive filing fees for non-presidential election races. And Yarrow will most certainly not be permitted any use of our ballot line when we do so.
Amazing how old this thread goes back. I recall The sPUSA expelling Yarrow; and his delusions are sad to read. As for Florida, the last I heard, The SP down there was practically all expelled over a month; so I find the ” SPUSA” a very amusing band. I heard it was over a member reading trotsky and being harnessed by other members. One of many reasons I vote for no one American