On May 23, the New York Independence Party state leaders endorsed Democrats for all four statewide positions. See this story. Technically the party nominates by primary, but when the leadership supports certain statewide candidates, they automatically qualify for the party’s primary ballot and anyone else who wants to be on that primary ballot for statewide office faces an extraordinarily difficult petition hurdle.
The California Secretary of State has posted the list of declared write-in candidates for the June 3, 2014 primary, for Congress and partisan state office.
There are 21 such races in which only one person filed to be on the June ballot. Among those 21 races, a write-in candidate, or several, filed in all but four of those races. Obviously, in these races, if just one write-in candidate filed, that person will place second and will appear on the November ballot, assuming that write-in candidate gets at least one write-in. It is now possible to know that in three races, there will be a minor party member on the November ballot.
The only write-in candidate in U.S. House district 44 is Peace & Freedom Party member Adam Shbeita, who has an Orange County postal mailing address. He will oppose Democratic incumbent Janice Hahn in November. The district is in southwestern Los Angeles County.
The only write-in candidate for Assembly, district 5, is Libertarian Patrick D. Hogan of Madera County. He will run against Republican incumbent Frank Bigelow.
The only write-in candidate for Assembly, district 79, is American Independent Party member George R. Williams of San Diego County. He will run against Democratic incumbent Shirley Weber.
The races that will have only one name on the November ballot, with no write-in space, are Assembly districts 23, 58, 59, and 80. No write-ins filed in those districts, even though if anyone had filed, that person would have been guaranteed a spot on the November ballot.
FresnoForward.com is a politics blog in Fresno, California. It also has a television arm. Here are its recommendations for the June 3 California primary. The group supports the Green Party members running for Treasurer and Controller, and says it endorses them because of their support for a state bank. The group also supports Orly Taitz, independent for Attorney General. Most of its recommendations are for Republicans. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
On May 23, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew F. Leitman, an Obama appointee, issued a 22-page order, putting Congressman John Conyers on the August 5 primary ballot. The decision rests almost entirely on Nader v Blackwell, a 2008 decision of the Sixth Circuit that struck down Ohio’s requirement that circulators for candidates must be registered voters. Michigan is also in the Sixth Circuit.
Michigan election officials had already determined that Conyers did have enough valid signatures, if it weren’t for the law barring circulators who aren’t registered voters. The opinion is somewhat critical of the state for initially saying it would not determine how many valid signatures Conyers had until early June. The decision says the court had to pressure the state to make its decision on that by today. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
Benwood, West Virginia, held an election for town council on May 13. The town elects members by district. Curtis Mele was running unopposed, but his name was accidentally omitted from the ballot, and another incumbent who does not live in that district was listed instead. See this story. Thanks to Doug McNeil for the link.
