On July 27, U.S. District Court Judge Philip M. Halpern, a Trump appointee, refused to give injunctive relief to an independent congressional candidate and an independent state senate candidate. Eisen v Cuomo, s.d., 7:20cv-5121. Here is the one-page order. It does not explain why the judge declined to lower the petition requirements. Governor Cuomo had already reduced the number for U.S. House from 3,500 to 2,450.