The New York Times of September 8 has this front-page story about the Mississippi Democratic Party’s nominee for Governor, Robert Gray. Gray won this year’s primary even though he did not campaign and his two primary opponents did campaign. The story suggests that the Democratic primary outcome was caused by Republicans voting in the Democratic primary. Mississippi has an open primary.
On Saturday, September 5, Deez Nuts (alias Brady Olson) appeared at the Minnesota Independence Party’s booth at the Minnesota state fair. That was good for some publicity for the party. Even the Washington Post took note, as this column attests.
Free & Equal is hosting a rally in Los Angeles on Saturday evening, September 19, in Los Angeles. The rally will include a keynote address by Ramsey Clark, former Attorney General of the United States. See the Free & Equal website announcement here. Free & Equal promotes election changes that are fair to all candidates, not just the Democratic and Republican nominees. In 2012 Free & Equal hosted the only televised general election debate that included any candidates other than President Obama and Mitt Romney. Free & Equal is already planning similar debates in 2016.
Rob Horowitz, adjunct professor of political science at the University of Rhode Island, writes here that if Donald Trump is the Republican nominee and Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, it is plausible that a strong candidate will run outside the two major parties.
This article summarizes the lack of activity so far in the North Carolina legislature, over when the presidential primary should be and when the primary for other office should be. The legislature still hasn’t passed a budget, which distracts it from issues like the primary date. If nothing is done, the presidential primary will be in February but if the national party rules are followed, North Carolina will lost most of its delegates to both major party conventions.
The only ballot-qualified party in North Carolina other than the two major parties is the Libertarian Party. It nominates by primary.
Adding to the complexity is that fact that the North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the state’s U.S. House and legislative district boundaries on August 31, and the Court may invalidate some of the districts. If that happens, it will take time to redraw new lines. See this story, toward the bottom.
