Analyst Nate Silver doubts that any centrist independent presidential candidate hurts either major party more than the other. See the link to his tweet near the bottom of this Washington Post story.
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On Thursday, January 31, the New Jersey Senate Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Committee will hear SB 119. This is the bill to require general election presidential and vice-presidential candidates to reveal their tax returns for the last five years. The bill does not apply to the presidential primary. It also forbids presidential electors from voting for a candidate who has not released his or her tax returns.
It is foolish for any state legislature to include minor party and independent presidential candidates in legislation like this, because that provides a pool of potential candidate-plaintiffs who will be eager to challenge the law as an unconstitutional qualification. By contrast, the congressional bill on this topic only applies to the nominees of parties that polled at least 25% of the vote in the preceding election. Thanks to Derek Muller for the news about the bill.
On Tuesday, January 29, the New Mexico House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee will hear HB 93. This bill lets independents, and members of unqualified parties, vote in any party’s primary. It is thus similar to primaries in Colorado and Arizona, which are properly termed semi-closed primaries.
If the bill passes that committee, then it must also pass the State Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee, and then the Judiciary Committee.
On Tuesday, January 29, at 10 a.m., the House Judiciary will hear testimony on HR 1, the bill in the U.S. House that is generally supported by Democrats and which changes many federal election laws, especially campaign finance laws. The vast majority of bills never get a hearing in either house of Congress. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.
On Sixty Minutes, Howard Schultz said if he runs for president in 2020, it will be as a “centrist independent.” He criticized the Democratic Party for not caring enough about the 21 Trillion national debt, and said the Democratic Party plans for health care are too expensive.