On September 18, U.S. District Court Judge George J. Hazel, an Obama appointee, refused to order the Maryland State Board of Elections to put the Bread and Roses Party on the ballot. It needed 10,000 valid signatures, and it was 270 signatures short.

The state argued that because the Bread and Roses Party only had one candidate for any public office in 2018, and because that candidate, Jerome Segal, had run in the Democratic primary earlier this year, there was no basis for putting the party on the ballot in time for the 2018 election. Maryland law won’t allow Segal to be the nominee of a new party, even if it were on the ballot, because he is a “sore loser.” The state said the party is free to go out and get at least 270 more valid signatures, and then it will be on the ballot for 2020. The judge agreed with the state and denied injunctive relief. The order merely says “For the reasons stated on the record during today’s motion hearing, Plaintiffs’ Emergency Motion for a Preliminary Inuunction is denied.” Segal v Maryland State Board of Elections, 1:18cv-2731. The plaintiffs have filed a notice of Appeal to the 4th circuit, case 18-3844. This is a pro se case.