On April 24, the Rhode Island Libertarian Party held its state convention and nominated Joel Hellmann for Governor. Although the Libertarian Party has been on the ballot in every state’s gubernatorial election at least once, the Rhode Island Libertarian Party had not run anyone for Governor since 1976.

The Libertarian Party has never been a qualified party in Rhode Island. It will need 1,000 signatures to place Hellman on the ballot. If he should receive 5%, the party would become qualified for the first time. Hellmann was the Moderate Party’s candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2018, and he polled 11,332 votes, 3.12%.

On April 25, the Alaska House State Affairs Committee passed SB 161, the bill to ease the definition of a qualified party. The bill had already passed the Senate. Now it goes to the House Judiciary Committee, which will hear it on April 27, Wednesday.

On April 23, Jay Jacobs, state chair of the New York Democratic Party, said he has changed his mind, and he no longer supports the creation of a “Fair Deal Party” that would cross-endorse Democratic Party nominees. He said this after receiving assurances from the Working Families Party that the WFP will support whomever the Democrats nominate for Governor.