On August 7, 2018, Michigan holds primaries for the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian Parties. The Libertarian primary ballot will list two candidates for Governor, Bill Gelineau and John Tatar. Any registered voter will be able to choose to vote in the Libertarian part of the primary ballot (the ballot has all three parties on it, but voters must confine their voting to just one party’s portion).

This is the first time that any party other than the Democratic or Republican Parties has had a contested gubernatorial primary in Michigan. Michigan has been holding primaries since 1910. Although all qualified parties nominated by primary before 1931, no previous third party happened to have a contested primary for Governor.

Since 1931, only minor parties that had polled an unusually high vote have been entitled to their own primary. They are American Independent Party in 1970, Anderson Coalition Party in 1982, the Tisch Independent Citizens Party in 1988 and 1992, the Reform Party in 1998, and the Libertarian Party in 2018.

On April 19, Illinois State Senator Sam McCann announced that he is no longer a Republican, that instead he is a member of the party he has just formed, the Conservative Party. Also he will petition to get on the ballot as the Conservative Party gubernatorial nominee. Hie Lieutenant Governor running mate will be Aaron Merreighn.

Thanks to the Libertarian Party’s win last year against the full-slate law, the new Conservative Party will not be forced to run anyone for the other statewide offices up this year, which are Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller, and Treasurer.

The Conservative Party will need 25,000 valid signatures by June 25. The only other party that is petitioning for statewide office is the Libertarian Party. See this story. Thanks to Sam Cahnman for this news.

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter of New York’s 25th district died on March 16, 2018. On April 17, some voters in her district filed a federal lawsuit against the Governor, so as to obtain a special election to fill the vacant seat. Seubert v Cuomo, w.d., 6:18cv-6303.

Although a similar lawsuit in Michigan recently failed to get injunctive relief, it is easier for a New York case to win. New York does not require primaries in special U.S. House elections; party committees may choose nominees. By contrast, Michigan law requires primaries in special congressional elections, and obviously it takes much longer when a state must hold a special primary followed by a special general election. Thanks to Joe Burns for this news.