The Dallas Morning News has this story about Rocky De La Fuente’s lawsuit against the Texas ballot access law for independent presidential candidates.
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On September 13, both sides in the lawsuit Soltysik v Padilla, 16-55758, now pending in the Ninth Circuit, agreed to mediate the case. The mediation conference is set for September 27. The issue is whether members of unqualified parties may have their party printed on the ballot when they run for Congress or partisan state office. The plaintiffs are registered “Socialist” but under current law, their ballot label is “party preference: none.”
By contrast, Washington, the only other state that uses a top-two system, lets any candidate choose any partisan label if it is 15 characters or less and is not obscene. This year, in the California primary, two candidates were on the ballot for U.S. Senate who were registered members of unqualified parties. Eleanor Garcia is registered “Socialist Workers” and Don Grundmann is registered “Constitution.”
On September 14, U.S. District Court John Jones issued a ruling in De La Fuente v Cortes, m.d., 1:16cv-1696. The issue is whether Rocky De La Fuente can be on the Pennsylvania ballot as an independent candidate for President. The order says the issue belongs in state court.
So, on September 16, De La Fuente filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court, a state court. That case is also called De La Fuente v Cortes. Here is the complaint in state court.
On the evening of September 18, Sixty Minutes interviewed Gary Johnson and Bill Weld. Here is the transcript. Thanks to Ken Bush for the link.
On September 13, one faction of the Independent Party of Connecticut sued the Connecticut Secretary of State over the party’s ballot position for U.S. Senate. One faction of the party, the one that filed the lawsuit, nominated John R. Price. The other faction nominated the Republican nominee, Dan Carter. The Secretary of State said she will not print either one on the ballot. The lawsuit had a hearing on Friday, September 16, in Hartford Superior Court. So far there is no opinion. See this story.