On June 26, the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission removed Michael Walsh, a candidate for Attorney General, from the Republican primary ballot, because it felt he didn’t have 10,000 valid signatures. The party already had not placed anyone for Secretary of State or Auditor on its primary ballot. Walsh says he will appeal the decision.

Massachusetts law on how candidates get on primary ballots is far too harsh. Massachusetts is the only state in which over half of the U.S. House races regularly have only one candidate on the November ballot. The law injures qualified minor parties and Republicans alike, but Republican legislators never introduce bills to ease the petition requirements.