Texas Representative Mark Strama (D-Austin) has introduced HB 1842, which would implement a top-two primary for state office, but not county or federal office. The bill has no co-sponsors. Thanks to Patrick Dixon for this news.
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On February 28, the Illinois voter who had challenged three minor party or independent candidates’ petitions (in the special election to fill the U.S. House vacancy in the 2nd district), withdrew her challenges. Therefore the April ballot will include the nominees of the Democratic, Republican, and Green Parties, along with three independent candidates. The Green nominee is LeAlan Jones. The three independents are Marcus Lewis (who never was challenged and who has been on the ballot all along), Elizabeth Pahlke, and Curtiss Bey.
Now that the major party primaries for this election are over with, the Illinois media is reporting that the Republican nominee, Paul McKinley, was convicted of burglary long ago and served time in prison. See this story. The Democratic nominee is Robin Kelly.
Rocky Anderson filed this brief in the Vermont Supreme Court on February 19. The case is Anderson v State of Vermont, 2012-272. The issue is partly the state’s cumbersome signature-checking procedures, and partly the June deadline for petitions for independent presidential candidates to get on the November ballot.
The Vermont Supreme Court is also considering a challenge to the June petition deadline in connection with office other than President. That case is Trudell v Markowitz, 2011-311. That case is ripe for a decision, but it is possible the Court will issue its opinions on both cases simultaneously, since they are somewhat similar.
Anderson did appear on the Vermont ballot in 2012, because a lower court put him on. The Secretary of State had rejected his petition because some of the town clerks didn’t check the petition in a timely fashion.
The Justice Party has been involved in constitutional ballot access litigation in three states, around the 2012 election. Besides this Vermont case, there is the California case that the party won last year (against the January deadline for qualifying a new party), and the Hawaii case that is pending in federal court (also on the issue of the early deadline).
News reports indicate that five individuals probably submitted enough signatures to be on the Democratic and Republican primary ballots on April 30, for the special Massachusetts U.S. Senate election. The primaries are on April 30 and the election will be on June 25. The deadline for primary petitions was February 27.
Three Republicans submitted signatures: Dan Winslow submitted approximately 25,000; Gabriel Gomez submitted the same number; Michael Sullivan submitted approximately 20,000. The requirement is 10,000. Two Democrats, both members of the U.S. House, also submitted substantial petitions; they are Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch.
Independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, also need 10,000 signatures, but they aren’t due until early April.
On February 21, the Missouri Constitution Party held a nominating convention to choose a candidate for the upcoming special election, U.S. House, 8th district. The party nominated Doug Enyart, owner of Clearwater Forest Consultants and an expert in forestry management. There will be four candidates on the June ballot for this seat; the others will be the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian nominees. No petition is needed for any of them because all four parties are ballot-qualified.