This article about Allen Levene, a resident of Georgia, says that he plans to qualify for the Republican primary ballot in four different districts this year: Georgia 11, Hawaii 1, Michigan 14, and Minnesota 6. Thanks to the Center for Competitive Politics for the link.
On February 6, 2014, three independent candidates filed a federal lawsuit against the Arkansas petition deadline for non-presidential independents. This year the deadline is March 3. The 2013 session of the legislature moved that deadline from May to March, even though Arkansas petition deadlines as early as March or April have been struck down three times in the past (in 1975, 1976, and 1988). One of those prior deadline decisions, Lendall v Jernigan, was summarily affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1977.
The case is Moore v Martin, eastern district, 4:14cv-65. It was assigned to U.S. District Court Judge James M. Moody, a Clinton appointee. As far as is known, this is the first constitutional ballot access cases filed in calendar year 2014. Plaintiff Mark Moore wants to be an independent candidate for Lieutenant Governor; plaintiff Michael Harrod for State House, district 84; plaintiff William Chris Johnson for White County Judge.
For 2014, the only state with an earlier petition deadline for independent candidates is Nevada, which has a February 6 deadline.
According to this story, the Florida Libertarian Party is about to launch a registration drive. There is no particular election-law related reason to do that, but the party assumes higher registration will strengthen the state organization and be a means to attract more activists.
February 5 was the Ohio deadline for candidates seeking a place on a primary ballot this year. This story mentions the statewide candidates who filed. It appears the Libertarian Party is running a full slate for the statewide partisan races (there is no U.S. Senate race this year in Ohio). The Green Party has only one statewide entry, a joint ticket for Governor/Lieutenant Governor.
Although no Socialist Party filed for statewide office, a Socialist filed to run for U.S. House in the Ninth District. It is not known whether anyone filed to run in the Constitution Party primary.
Ohio permits write-ins in primaries, so parties could potentially run more candidates if they obtain enough write-ins in the primary. Statewide write-in candidates need 500 votes, and district candidates need 25. The primary is May 6.
This Tacoma News Tribune story about the Washington state legislature and a proposed education bill seems to show that the Washington state legislature is characterized by excess partisanship and gridlock. Washington state has had the top-two system in effect for almost six years, and proponents of top-two systems assumed, wrongly, that it is a cure for such ills.
