Seymour, Indiana farmer John Rust has sued the State of Indiana over its law that bars him from a Republican Primary ballot because he did not vote in the last two GOP primaries and did not get the permission of his Jackson County GOP Chair to run.
Mr. Rust asserts that that law bars 81% of Indiana voters from competing in that state’s electoral politics.
Here is a story on this matter. The case is State and Rust v Morales, 49D13-2309-PL-036487. It is pending in Superior Court, Marion County, a state trial court.
They can compete in the state’s politics. The affairs of a political party shouldn’t be the state’s.
Competing in the state’s politics is not the same as running in the GOP primary.
This isn’t a party bylaw. This is a Indiana State law (House Bill 1365 of 2021).
The State of Indiana is telling the Republican Party that they can’t allow Rust on the primary ballot because he decided not to vote in the 2020 primary. Of course, Republican politicians in the state wanted it this way.
The State law is what’s wrong. That’s why Rust sued the State, not the GOP.
SEE 1908-1932 OLDE TX WHITE PRIMARY CASES
2023 GOP = ARM OF THE STATE
USA SENATOR = PUBLIC OFFICE – PUBLIC PRIMARY – PUBLIC VOTERS
NO ADDED QUALIFICATIONS / DISQUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE
SUE FOR $$$ DAMAGES === BANKRUPT THE GOP HACKS
TYPO-
1928-1932
The law’s a dumb law and effectively acts as incumbent protection. There was a guy named Bookwalter in 2022 that wanted to run against Representative Baird but hadn’t voted in last 2 primaries. He went to his county party chair with evidence and she said she didn’t dispute his party bona fides but didn’t understand why he wanted to run a primary campaign against Baird and wouldn’t sign for him.
The state law should be thrown out. If the state GOP wants to limit, or not limit, participants in its candidate selection process, it should go ahead and do that, and keep the state government out of that.
Exactly.
Why the heck should you need permission to run?
Freedom of association. The party and candidates should mutually decide whether they’re right for each other and the state should butt out.