On the evening of May 8, the Texas House killed HB 4416, the bill that would have raised the vote test for a party to stay on the ballot from 5% for any statewide race, to 10%. Technically the bill was postponed until after the session is over. The vote was 78-69. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
The Constitution Party national committee has chosen Charlotte, North Carolina, as the location for its 2020 presidential convention. The dates are not set, but the convention will either be in late April or early May.
Charlotte had never had a presidential convention for any party, major or minor, until 2012, when Democrats met there. In 2020, the Republicans are meeting there.
On May 9, U.S. District Court Judge William O. Bertelsman, a Carter appointee, granted injunctive relief to the Kentucky Libertarian Party, and ordered the state to put the party’s nominees in the November 2019 election on the ballot. Sweeney v Crigler, e.d., 2:19cv-46. UPDATE: here is the Associated Press news story.
The judge ruled shortly after hearing the case, earlier in the same day. The Libertarian Party is ballot-qualified in Kentucky, and it nominates by convention. Thus no petition was involved. The problem for the party was that the legislature earlier this year had moved the declaration of candidacy deadline for the state and local nominees of convention parties from April to January. HB 114, had been signed into law on March 19, so by the time it was in effect, it was already too late for the declarations to be filed.
BeingLibertarian has this article about some of the Libertarians who have declared they are seeking the party’s presidential nomination in 2020.
Connecticut held a special election on May 7 to fill a vacancy in the State House, district 130, in Bridgeport. The results: Democrat Antonio Felipe 466; independent Kate Rivera 343; independent Christina Tita Ayala 72; independent Hector Diaz 67; Republican Josh Parrow 39. If you use the link above, after clicking, then click the House, 130th district.
Both Felipe and Rivera had qualified for public funding, but the other three candidates did not. Although Rivera was on the ballot as an independent candidate, she is a registered Democrat.
