Liberal Party Appears to Poll Enough Votes for Certain Privileges in Pennsylvania

The Liberal Party, a split-off from the Libertarian Party, was the only minor party on the statewide Pennsylvania ballot. It ran Daniel Wassmer for Superior Court Judge. He polled over 50,000 votes, almost double what was needed to gain a few privileges in future Pennsylvania elections. It will be on the voter registration form, and in special elections it will be on the ballot with no petition needed. The Libertarian Party also has this status, and will retain it, even though it had no nominees on the 2025 statewide ballot.

California 2026 Gubernatorial Poll

An Emerson California Poll released October 28 for the gubernatorial race shows: Steve Hilton (R) 16%; Katie Porter (D) 15%; Chad Bianco (R) 11%; Antonio Villaraigosa (D) 5%; Xavier Becerra (D) 5%; Tony Thurmond (D) 3%; Betty Yee (D) 2%; Ian Calderon (D) 1%; Stephen Cloobeck (D) 1%.

With seven Democrats of note in the race, and two Republicans of note in the race, there is a possibility that the two leading Republicans might place first and second. Under California’s top-two system, that would mean that in November 2026, there would be two Republicans on the ballot, and no one else. No write-in space is on California general election ballots for congress and partisan state office.

Steve Hilton is a television commentator; Chad Bianco is Sheriff of Riverside County.

U.S. District Court in Texas Dismisses Second Attempt by Congressman Ronny Jackson to Stop California Redistricting Measure

On October 31, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, dismissed a second lawsuit filed by Congressmember Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) to invalidate the California redistricting ballot measure that is before California voters on November 4. Jackson’s first lawsuit had been dismissed by the same judge on October 23 on standing grounds.

The second lawsuit differed from the first by the addition of a California Republican congressmember, Darrell Issa, as a co-plaintiff. But that didn’t overcome the standing problem. Here is the decision in the new lawsuit, Jackson v Weber, n.d. Texas, 2:25-236