It had been looking as though Alabama was going to be the only state with a statewide ballot access monopoly for Democrats and Republicans in November 2006. It had seemed as though every other state with a statewide partisan race on the ballot would have at least one minor party or independent candidate on the statewide ballot.

But now, there is even hope that Alabama will have a third choice in a statewide race this year. The Libertarian Party is energized and working very hard to obtain the 41,012 valid signatures needed to get on the ballot. This energy comes from the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Loretta Nall, who is a natural campaigner with great appeal. The deadline is June 6.

A lawsuit is pending against that deadline. U.S. District Court Judge Myron Thompson received all the briefs in late 2004, and we have been waiting for his opinion ever since.