California’s Top-Two System May Again Cause a Democratic-Leaning U.S. House District to be Forced to Elect a Republican

Posted on by March 13, 2014
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Filing for California’s June 2014 primary has closed. In the 31st U.S. House district, there are again two Republicans running, and four Democrats running. The district is strongly Democratic. In November 2012, Mitt Romney only received 41% of the vote for President inside this district, and the Republican running for U.S. Senate, Elizabeth Emken, also only received 41% inside the district. But the November 2012 ballot gave voters only two Republicans to vote for, with no write-in space. This is because in June 2012, four Democrats running for this seat had split up the Democratic vote, so that the two Republicans placed first and second.

This year, the four Democrats running are Pete Aguilar, Eloise Gomez Reyes, Danny Tillman, and former Congressman Joe Baca. The two Republicans are Paul Chabot and Lesli Gooch. Both are considered strong contenders. Chabot is a former White House official and a retired Navy officer who is endorsed by former Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis. Gooch is the outgoing Congressman’s Senior Policy Director, and is endorsed by that outgoing member, Congressman Gary Miller. A third Republican, San Bernardino City Councilmember John Valdivia, had taken out papers to run, but then decided not to run.

Oklahoma House Passes Bill Easing Ballot Status for Newly-Qualifying Parties

Posted on by March 13, 2014
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On March 13, the Oklahoma House passed HB 2134 by a vote of 74-11. It reduces the number of signatures for a newly-qualifying party from 5% of the last vote cast, to 2.5% of the last vote cast. All eleven “no” votes were cast by Republicans.

Now the bill goes to the Senate, where the sponsor is Senator Bryce Marlatt (R-Woodward), the Majority Caucus Leader. If this bill is signed into law, Oklahoma will still have the nation’s most restrictive ballot access procedure for presidential candidates in the general election, when each state’s easier method for getting on the ballot is compared as a percentage of the electorate. Every other state has some procedure that is 2% of the last vote cast, or something easier. Thanks to E. Zachary Knight for this news.

New Hampshire House Passes Bill Easing Definition of “Political Party”

Posted on by March 13, 2014
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On March 13, the New Hampshire House passed HB 1322, which lowers the vote test for qualified party status from 4% to 3%. The only offices that count for the vote test are U.S. Senate and Governor.

New Hampshire is one of only three states which has not had any ballot-qualified parties at any time in the last 18 years. The other two are Pennsylvania and New Jersey. If the bill becomes law, it will still be true that New Hampshire is one of only three such states. The only minor party on the ballot in New Hampshire for Governor in 2012 was the Libertarian Party, which got 2.78% for Governor. There was no US Senate race in New Hampshire in 2012.

The New Hampshire vote test for party status between 1891 and 1996 was 3%, and HB 1322 restores that percentage. Thanks to Darryl Perry for this news.