Philip Pidot is a Republican seeking his party’s nomination for U.S. House, New York 3rd district. New York held its congressional primary on June 28, but Pidot was not on the ballot. Because only one Republican was on the ballot, and no one had filed as a write-in, the primary in that district for the Republicans was not actually held.

But Pidot had petitioned to be on the primary ballot, and he finally won a court battle in state court, determining that he had enough valid signatures. The state courts had said he had enough valid signatures but that it was too late for him to get on the primary ballot, so he had then filed a lawsuit in federal court to get a new primary date, just for the Republican Party in the 3rd district. On June 29, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bianco refused to dismiss Pidot’s case, and set a new hearing for July 11, in the federal courthouse in Islip, at 1:30 p.m., courtroom 1020. See this story.