Filing Closes for Special U.S. House Race in Mississippi; All 13 Candidates are Republicans

Posted on by March 29, 2015
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On March 27, filing closed for candidates in the May 12 special election to fill the vacant U.S. House seat in Mississippi’s First district. The district includes the northeast corner of the state.

No party labels are on the ballot in Mississippi special elections. Here is the Secretary of State’s candidate list, which does not show party. According to Politics1, though, all 13 candidates who filed are Republicans. A Libertarian, Danny Bedwell, had said he would run, but his name does not appear on the Secretary of State’s list.

When this district held an election in November 2014, there were nominees from the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Reform Party.

The link to the Secretary of State’s web page also lists the candidates for the regularly-scheduled election for state office in November 2015. The list of candidates in that election includes eleven Reform Party candidates, and four Libertarians. There are no independent candidates for any statewide offices, but there are six independents running for the legislature.

Montana Senate Committee Hears Bill to Eliminate Elections for Party Office on Wednesday, April 8

Posted on by March 29, 2015
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The Montana Senate State Administration Committee will hear HB 454 on Wednesday, April 8. This bill would permit parties to stop holding public elections for party committeemember. Instead the bill would let parties choose these officers in caucuses, or any other method provided by party rules. The bill has already passed the House by a vote of 53-46. Republicans, who hold a majority in each house of the legislature, are split on this bill. Democrats support the bill.

The Republican Party is currently suing the state to put a stop to using open primaries to elect party officers. The case is pending in the Ninth Circuit. If the bill passes, the lawsuit will be moot. The lawsuit says the party doesn’t want outsiders helping choose its party officers. Obviously if the bill passes, then the party’s complaint will have been satisfied, since these public elections will be voluntary, not mandatory.

March 2015 Ballot Access News Print Edition

Posted on by March 29, 2015
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Ballot Access News
March 1, 2015 – Volume 30, Number 10

This issue was printed on cream paper.

Table of Contents

  1. CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEALS UPHOLDS TOP-TWO IN A DEEPLY FLAWED DECISION
  2. TURNOUT CHANGE
  3. OKLAHOMA BALLOT ACCESS BILL PASSES COMMITTEE
  4. SOUTH DAKOTA SENATE OK’s BILL TO MAKE ACCESS HARDER
  5. BILLS TO EASE BALLOT ACCESS INTRODUCED IN FOUR MORE STATES
  6. NEW HAMPSHIRE BALLOT ACCESS BILL LOSES IN COMMITTEE
  7. CONSTITUTION PARTY WINS MISSOURI CASE
  8. OTHER LAWSUIT NEWS
  9. STRAIGHT-TICKET DEVICE BILLS
  10. PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY TIMING BILLS
  11. RIGHT TO VOTE AMENDMENT
  12. 2014 VOTE FOR STATE SENATE
  13. MISSOURI INDEPENDENT LEGISLATOR
  14. MERLIN MILLER HELPS FORM A NEW POLITICAL PARTY
  15. INDEPENDENT PARTY QUALIFIES FOR ITS OWN PRIMARY IN OREGON
  16. AMERICANS ELECT DISQUALIFIED IN CALIFORNIA
  17. DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND PROHIBITION PARTY CHOOSE CONVENTION SITES
  18. ERRATA
  19. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL

New York Times Publishes Analysis of Whether Divisive Presidential Primaries Injure Presidential Nominees

Posted on by March 29, 2015
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The New York Times has published Professor Brendan Nyhan’s analysis of whether divisive presidential primary contests injure the eventual presidential nominee who survives the process.  Nyhan finds that a competitive presidential primary campaign does not injure that party or its nominee.  Read it here.  Nyhan also rebuts the idea that contested primaries force Republican nominees “to the right” of where they would be otherwise.  And his analysis links to research that shows open primaries do not necessarily produce more moderate nominees.

Also, on March 14, the San Diego Union-Tribune published an op-ed by political scientists Ethan Rarick and Thad Kousser, “Top-two primary shows little political impact.”  Thanks to Gene Armistead for that link.

Libertarian and Green Parties Each Entitled to Presidential Primaries in 2016 in At Least Six States

Posted on by March 28, 2015
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The Libertarian Party and the Green Party, at this point, are each entitled to presidential primaries in six jurisdictions for 2016.  That number could conceivably increase if the parties complete various ballot access petitions between now and 2016 deadlines.

Libertarians have the right to their own presidential primaries in Arizona, California, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and North Carolina.  Greens have them in Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.

The Constitution Party has a presidential primary in Missouri.

Technically, the Libertarian and Green Parties could also have a presidential primary in Delaware, except that the law requires so many signatures for a presidential candidate to get on the presidential primary ballot in those states (and only party members can sign) that in fact the primary can’t be used.