On May 21, by 5-2, New York’s highest state court, the Court of Appeals, reversed the lower state courts and removed Rebecca Seawright from the Democratic primary ballot. She is an incumbent Assemblymember in Manhattan, and would have been an overwhelming favorite for re-election if she were on the ballot. Here is the opinion. Thanks to Joe Burns for the link.
At the Libertarian virtual presidential convention that starts on May 22, one delegate, John V. LaBeaume, plans to nominate Congressman Justin Amash for president, even though Amash has said he doesn’t seek the nomination.
There is precedent for parties to nominate presidential candidates who say they are not seeking the nomination. In 1952 the Democratic National Convention nominated Adlai Stevenson for president, even though he had said vehemently before the convention that he did not want the nomination. However, he was Governor of Illinois at the time, and the convention was in Chicago, so he addressed the convention on the first day in his role as host governor. His speech was so well-received, the convention nominated him despite his expressed wishes.
In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not attend the Democratic convention, which was also in Chicago. He had U.S. Senator Alben Barkley read this statement on the first day: “I have never had, and have not today, any desire or purpose to continue in the office of President, to be a candidate for that office, or to be nominated by the convention for that office. I wish in earnestness and sincerity to make it clear that all of the delegates in this convention are free to vote for any candidate.” The convention did nominate him for a third term.
The Libertarian Party holds a virtual presidential convention on May 22. There are 1,046 delegates. This appears to be the largest number of delegates at the presidential convention of any party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, since 1948. In 1948 the Progressive Party national convention in Philadelphia had approximately 3,200 delegates.
In 1968, George Wallace’s party did not hold a presidential convention.
In 2000, the Reform Party national convention had 683 delegates. In 1996, the Reform Party held a national convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, but the presidential nominee was chosen by postal ballot, not by that convention.
The Libertarian Party’s 2016 convention had 922 delegates, as determined by the largest vote cast for president at that convention, the second round.
The Green Party’s 2000 national convention had 317 delegates.
On May 18, the Seventh Circuit expedited the case over whether initiative petitions in Illinois should get petitioning relief. The case was originally called Morgan v White, but in the Seventh Circuit it is Committee for the Illinois Democracy Act v White, 20-1801. The briefs are mostly due in June, but the final one is due July 6.
The U.S. District Court had rejected the case. The plaintiffs had asked for reconsideration, but that was rejected May 18.
On May 20, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence G. Berg slightly expanded the type of Michigan primary candidates who can benefit from his April ruling easing ballot access. The April ruling cut the number of signatures needed to get on the primary ballot and eased the deadline, but it was limited to candidates who had established a candidate committee (if they were running for Michigan state or local office) by March 10. The new order eliminates that requirement.
The new order was issued because a new intervenor in the original case, Shakira Hawkins, a candidate for Wayne County Circuit Court Judge, explained that she had gathered the statutorily required number of signatures, but she needed deadline relief. She couldn’t qualify for the deadline relief issued in April because she hadn’t filed a candidate committee by March 10. The new order eliminates the March 10 qualification. The new order will probably affect only a handful of candidates. It extends the petition deadline to May 22. Esshaki v Whitmer, e.d., 2:20cv-10831. Thanks to Thomas Jones and Rick Hasen for this news.
