| Page 2281

Alaska State Officials Ask State Supreme Court to Reverse Last Year’s Democratic Party Win on Inviting Independent Candidates into Primary

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Richard WingerMarch 29, 2018

The Alaska Supreme Court heard State v Alaska Democratic Party on March 29. The issue is whether freedom of association protects the Democratic Party’s ability to invite independent candidates to seek the Democratic nomination. A state trial court last year had ruled in favor of the party. When independents win the Democratic primary, they are then listed on the November ballot as the Democratic nominee, with no mention that they are independents.

The state is trying to persuade the State Supreme Court to reverse last year’s decision. See this story.

U.S. District Court Says Michigan Doesn’t Need to Hold a Special Election to Fill U.S. House Seat, 13th District

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Richard WingerMarch 29, 2018

On March 28, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith, an Obama appointee, issued an opinion in Rhodes v Snyder, e.d., 2:17cv-14186. It says that there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution to require the Governor to call a special election to fill the 13th district U.S. House seat (in advance of the November 2018 election), even though it has been vacant since December 2017. Here is the 17-page opinion. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the news.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Another Partisan Gerrymandering Case

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Richard WingerMarch 28, 2018

On March 28, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Benisek v Lamone, 17-333. Here is the 81-page transcript. The issue is the Maryland U.S. House redistricting plan adopted in 2011, which is perceived by virtually everyone as a gerrymander to help Democrats.

Here is the AP article describing the hearing.

Republicans Have No Candidates for Districtwide Office, so May Lose Status as a Qualified Party

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Richard WingerMarch 28, 2018

The District of Columbia defines a qualified party as a group that polled at least 7,500 votes for one of the partisan districtwide offices, which are Mayor, Attorney General, Delegate to the U.S. House, Chair of the City Council, and Council-at-Large.

No Republican Party member filed to be on the June 19 Republican primary ballot. There were originally two Republicans who filed for Council-at-Large, but one withdrew and the other didn’t complete the filing process. However, write-ins are permitted in D.C. primaries, so it is possible a Republican candidate will win one of the nominations by write-in votes. But if no one does that, the Republican Party will lose its status as a qualified party in the District. There is no procedure for an unqualified party to regain its status, except by placing a nominee on the general election by petition and hoping that nominee polls 7,500 votes, so if the party does lose its status in November 2018, it won’t have its own primary in 2020, nor its own presidential primary.

Arthur Jones, Neo-Nazi Winner of Republican Congressional Primary in Illinois, Received 16,458 Votes

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Richard WingerMarch 28, 2018

Illinois held its primaries on March 20. As has been well-reported, Arthur Jones, a Neo-Nazi, won the Republican nomination for U.S. House, 3rd district. Unofficial tallies show he received 16,458 votes. No one was on the ballot against him, and no one filed as a write-in.

By contrast, the last time any Republican ran for U.S. House in the 3rd district, in 2014, there were 28,883 votes cast in the Republican primary for that seat. No Republican ran in 2016.

Republican Party leaders had asked voters to leave their primary ballot blank in that race.