On March 18, the Minnesota Supreme Court explained why it denied injunctive relief to Rocky De La Fuente on January 9, 2020. De La Fuente had sued to overturn the new law that says political parties may decide which presidential candidates to list on that party’s presidential primary ballot. De La Fuente wanted to run in the Republican presidential primary, and the Minnesota Republican Party had chosen to list only President Donald Trump.

Here is the 32-page opinion in De La Fuente v Simon, A19-1994. The most important part of the decision occupies the last nine pages. It takes an expansive view of political party associational rights, and says freedom of association means that parties can refuse to associate with unwanted candidates. There is nothing in this decision that limits this idea to just a party’s presidential primary. The state would now be free to also say that the principle applies to all partisan primaries.

The Montana Libertarian Party has recruited a new U.S. Senate candidate to replace the candidate who withdrew just before the filing deadline. She is Susan Good Geise, a County Commissioner in Lewis & Clark County. This story about her indicates that she is motivated to run partly because the incumbent Republican U.S. Senator has been too slavish in his support for President Trump. Thanks to Political Wire for this news.

On March 18, the Democratic National Committee sued Wisconsin over restrictions that make it difficult for voters to register. Wisconsin has long had election-day registration, so many residents are accustomed to registering at the polls on election day. But that doesn’t work well for absentee voters. Here is the Complaint in Democratic National Committee v Bostelmann, w.d., 3:20cv-249. It is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge William Conley, an Obama appointee.