On May 6, a New York state trial court heard arguments in a challenge to Congressman Dan Maffei’s petition to be on the Working Families Party primary ballot. The challengers argue that the signatures were collected by an individual who is not really a New York state resident. See this story. Maffei is the Democratic incumbent in the 24th district, and he is running for re-election. Maffei hopes to be on the Working Families primary ballot so that in November, he will be listed as that party’s nominee, in addition to being listed as the Democratic Party’s nominee.
No one in the state court proceedings is raising the constitutional point that New York’s ban on out-of-state circulators may violate the First Amendment.
The 24th U.S. House district is centered on Syracuse, and is considered a swing district.
In this case the individual is also Maffei’s campaign manager. He registered in New York as a Working Family party member is order that he could circulate their petition for his employer, a Democratic candidate.
Doesn’t theWorking Family Party also have a 1st Amendment right to protect their political association from outsiders, whether they be Democrats, Republicans, or Georgians?