On February 22, Thomas Schneider, the former Mayor of Florissant, Missouri, said he will run as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate this year. He will need 10,000 signatures, due in late July. See this story.
The last independent candidate for U.S. Senate from Missouri was Craig O’Dear, in 2018. He got 1.41%.
On February 22, the Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed SB 2046. The bill slightly eases petitioning. Current law expects the signers of the petition to include their entire birthday, but the bill deletes the need to show the year of birth.
On February 21, the Idaho House passed HB 439 by 36-32. Current law lets primary voters join the Republican Party on primary day, and then they can vote in the Republican primary. The bill says no one may vote in the Republican primary who has not been a registered member of that party for the last two months.
The bill has less impact on the Democratic primary because the Democratic Party has exercised its option to let independents vote in its primaries.
On February 11, the Texas Libertarian Party filed this brief in Bilyeu v Esparza, w.d., 1:21cv-1089. This is the lawsuit over the Texas law that does not allow a party that nominates by convention to consider nominating anyone who hadn’t already paid a filing fee to the state.
On February 21, Texas filed this brief. The hearing is Thursday, February 24.
The Libertarian Party convention is April 8-10.
On February 20, the Arkansas Libertarian Party state convention nominated 39 candidates for the state legislature. The party is ballot-qualified and nominates by convention. See this story. That is easily the highest number of nominees for the Arkansas legislature by any party, other than the Republican and Democratic Parties, since the 1890’s.
Even though Arkansas had no ballot access barriers for minor parties whatsoever before 1971, for some reason minor parties ran very few candidates for Arkansas state office during the 20th century. Thanks to Nick Sarwark for the link.
