The Daily Herald, the largest daily newspaper that covers just the Chicago suburbs, has this story about the Village of Island Lake paying $44,125 in legal fees because of a challenge to Mayoral candidate Charles Amrich’s ballot position. Amrich was ruled off the ballot by the Village Electoral Board, but he prevailed in court, appeared on the ballot, and won the election.
Island Lake has a population of 8,080 and is in northeast Illinois.
The Washington Post poll concerning the Virginia gubernatorial race can be seen here. The poll does not mention the Libertarian Party nominee, Rob Sarvis, who is expected to qualify for the ballot soon. However, the poll does ask the hypothetical question of who respondents would vote for if Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling were running as an independent (he considered doing that, but is not doing that). Those results show Bolling at 15% if he were running.
The poll also asks respondents if they are satisfied with a field that only includes Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican nominee, and Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee. 45% said they were satisfied with that field, but 40% said they wish someone else were running. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link to the poll.
On May 3, Ralph Nader and Bruce Fein co-signed a letter to President Obama, pointing out that no U.S. law prohibits Obama from releasing those Guantanamo prisoners who are legally innocent. The letter says that 86 of the 166 prisoners fit this description. Here is the letter.
Bruce Fein is a former Associate Deputy Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan. Thanks to HowAppealing for the link.
Texas SB 817 passed the Senate unanimously on April 17. It has a hearing in the House Elections Committee on May 6. It is sponsored by Senator Glenn Hegar (R-Katy). It says that parties that nominate by convention would have their state nominating convention in April instead of June. It has no effect on the petitioning process itself or the petition deadline. The party desires this change because party nominees would have an easier time campaigning for the general election if they were “officially” nominees earlier in the year.
The bill also permits a party that nominates by convention to allow its nominees to hold the office of chair of the county party. Current law forbids individuals from simultaneously being candidates and party county chairmen, but the bill relaxes that, for parties that nominate by convention. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
The Militant, weekly newspaper of the Socialist Workers Party, has this front-page story in its May 13 issue, explaining and celebrating the recent decision of the Federal Elections Commission to continue the party’s exemption from reporting its campaign contributors and how it spends its money.
