Darcy Richardson of Jacksonville, Florida, will be an independent candidate for the legislature this year. See this Florida Politics story. Darcy is the nation’s foremost historian of minor parties and independent presidential candidates, with approximately a dozen books published on that subject. He has also been an activist for better election laws for forty years.
He is running against an incumbent Democrat and he is likely to be her only opponent.
On February 15, the New Hampshire Senate defeated SB 362 by 10-14. It would have required presidential candidates in the presidential primary, and in the general election, to release their income tax returns for the last three years. It also said no presidential elector is permitted to vote for a candidate who had not released his or her returns. The bill had eleven sponsors, all Democrats (seven Senators and four Representatives).
On February 19, the Arizona House Appropriations Committee passed HCR 2036 by 7-6. It amends the state constitution to delete age requirements to run and hold state office. Currently members of the legislature and Governors must be at least age 25, and state judges must be age 30. The sponsor promised to amend his bill to insert age 21 as the limit, but the bill as passed sets an age 18 limit. The sponsor is Representative Anthony Kern (R-Glendale).
If this bill passes, then the voters would vote on the idea in November 2018.
Lyle Denniston writes that as early as Wednesday, February 21, Pennsylvania Republican legislative leaders will file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, arguing that under Article One, Section Four, state courts cannot be involved in drawing U.S. House districts. See this story.
On February 19, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin allowed HB 157 to become law, although he wouldn’t sign it. It increases the amount of money an individual may donate to a minor or unqualified party, so that now the limits are as high as the amount that may be donated to a major party. This is the first bill helping minor parties that was introduced in 2018 that has passed.
