Mike Feinstein has this column in Fox & Hounds (a California politics blog) making the case that California should not charge so much money for candidates for state office to place candidate statements in the Voters Guide, which is a government publication mailed to all registered voters.
In 2016, independent U.S. Senate candidate Paul Merritt sued the California Secretary of State for censoring his paid statement in the California Voters’ Handbook. The case, Merritt v Padilla, c.d., 8:16cv-606, is still in U.S. District Court. On January 10, the U.S. District Court called for a status conference on April 9, which seems to indicate that the Judge is not now ready to rule, and want further proceedings.
Merritt was an independent candidate and he said so in his statement, but the Secretary of State deleted his reference to being an independent candidate from the heading of his statement, and did not even tell him. The candidate only learned what had happened when his county election officials notified him. Still pending is the issue of whether his due process rights were violated.
On January 12, the U.S. Supreme Court said it will hear Abbott v Perez, 17-626. This is another redistricting case, but it does not involve partisan gerrymandering. It concerns U.S. House and state legislative districts in Texas, and considers whether the current plans violate the Voting Rights Act by making it more difficult for Hispanic voters to elect Hispanic legislators.
Willie Lee Wilson of Illinois was one of the candidates who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. He lives in Chicago and is African-American. He gained a spot on the Democratic presidential primary ballots in nine states, and tried in other states. He was handicapped in that process, and in his campaign, because the national Democratic Party told him he was not a “sanctioned” candidate. However, the party never explained its basis for that decision.
On April 19, 2017, he sued the Democratic national committee in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The case has moved slowly. On January 2, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, granted him permission to amend his Complaint. The original Complaint is here.
This San Francisco Chronicle article quotes several leaders of the California Republican Party on the problem that the top-two system will likely result in no Republican appearing on the November 2018 ballot.
Jim Brulte, chair of the state party, is quoted as saying the November election is a “run-off.” He is incorrect. A run-off is something held after an election, in cases when the election failed to produce a winner. But in California, the June primary is not an election, because no one can be elected in June (for congress and partisan state office). Federal law forbids states from holding elections for congress at any time other than November of even-numbered years (except for special elections). States that want run-offs must hold them after November. The only two states with congressional general election run-offs are Georgia and Louisiana. Georgia holds them in January of odd years, and Louisiana in December of even years.
