Likely New Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, Expected to be More Confrontational and Partisan than John Boehner

Posted on by September 28, 2015
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According to this CNN story, the likely new Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, is expected to be more confrontational and partisan than outgoing speaker John Boehner.

McCarthy is from California, which has been using a top-two system starting in 2011. The big business interests who most strongly support California’s top-two system always seem to have sincerely believed that a top-two system produces more moderate politicians. If McCarthy behaves as CNN predicts, that will be one more data point that primary systems do not affect the kind of politicians who get elected, or their behavior. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.

More than a Dozen Lawsuits are Pending in New York Over Ballot Access for Women’s Equality Party Candidates

Posted on by September 27, 2015
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This newspaper story says there are more than a dozen state court lawsuits around New York over whether particular Women’s Equality Party candidates should be removed from the November 3, 2015 ballot. In the meantime, election officials are worried about the schedule for printing ballots.

As of April 1, 2015 (the last tally available), the Women’s Equality Party only had 12 registered members. The other party that was created in the November 2014 election, the Reform Party (which is completely controlled by Republicans) only has 10 registered members. See the state tally here. Thanks to Reginald Neale for that link.