New Mexico Representative Dianne Hamilton, a Republican member of the legislature since 1998 who wishes to run for re-election this year, is in danger of being omitted from the June 2012 primary ballot. Her petition to get on the primary ballot omitted the district number. See this story. A hearing in lower state court was held on April 6, and the Judge promised a decision by Monday morning, April 9. Similar challenges will be heard in the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 10.
The Working Families Party may run New York Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries for U.S. House in the 10th district in Brooklyn, even if Jeffries doesn’t win the Democratic Party primary for that seat. The incumbent, Congressman Edolphus Towns, has been in Congress since 1983, and is running for re-election. The Working Families Party refused to cross-endorse Towns in 2006, 2008, and 2010, although it didn’t run its own nominee against him either those years. See this story.
For over 80 years, Tucson has used partisan city elections. In 2009 the Arizona legislature passed a law, telling all cities that they must use non-partisan elections. On April 6, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled unanimously that if charter cities wish to hold partisan elections, they may do that, notwithstanding any law that the legislature may have passed. Here is the 24-page opinion. The case is City of Tucson v State of Arizona, cv11-0150.
Tucson is the only city in Arizona with partisan city elections. Generally, Democrats do better than Republicans in city elections in Tucson.
On April 6, Maine People’s Resource Center released the results of a poll for various Maine election races. In the U.S. Senate race, the poll assumed that the Republicans will nominate Charlie Summers, and that Democrats will nominate Matt Dunlap (the primary is in June). The results: Angus King, independent, 56.0%; Republican Charlie Summers 21.8%; Democrat Matt Dunlap 12.2%; other and undecided 9.9%. See the entire poll here. The U.S. Senate results are on page eleven.
No one other than the Republican and Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate in Maine has ever polled as much as 10% of the popular vote in the past. The United States has been electing U.S. Senators by popular vote starting in 1914.
The District of Columbia held its primary this year on April 3. It was a combined presidential primary, and a primary for all other partisan office. According to this story, only 15% of the registered voters cast a ballot. City councilmembers are already talking about moving it to June in future years. See this story.
