On June 16, the Texas Libertarian Party filed this reply brief in Bilyeu v Esparza, w.d., 1:21cv-1089. This is the lawsuit over Texas filing fees for candidates. The law says fees paid by parties that nominate by primary (i.e., Republican and Democratic) are given to those parties. But fees paid by parties that nominate by convention go into the state treasury.
The brief accuses the state of hypocrisy, and has some fiery language.
The No Labels national leadership is considering whether to endorse and provide campaign support for Mike Duggan, an independent candidate for Michigan Governor who is also Mayor of Detroit. It is also considering similar help to Jason Pizzo, an independent candidate for Governor of Florida.
There have been No Labels nominees for public office in a few states, but the national leadership of No Labels has never supported those candidates.
The Ninth Circuit still hasn’t issued its opinion in No Labels v Fontes, 24-563. The issue in that case is whether No Labels, which is a qualified party in Arizona, has a constitutional right to block unwanted candidates in its primary.
On June 6, the Virginia Elections office filed this brief in Lynchburg v Republican City Committee v Virginia Department of Elections, w.d., 6:25cv-29. The party claims that a new law in practice makes it impossible for it to nominate by convention. The state’s brief says the party can use a convention but it must have procedures for various kinds of voters who can’t participate in person.
Nate Cohn, the New York Times’ chief political analyst, writes in “The Tilt” (part of the Times) that conditions possibly are right for the emergence of a new, popular political party.
Jon Kiper will run for New Hampshire Governor as an independent in 2026. See this story. He is a former Democrat who had run for Governor in the 2024 Democratic primary and placed third.
