On March 20, the U.S. Supreme Court again granted Illinois more time to respond in Illinois League of Women Voters v Quinn, 11-943. Originally the state’s response had been due March 1, and then the Court had given the state until April 2. Now the state has until April 16. This is the case in which the League argues that gerrymandering (to help incumbents of both major parties) violates the First Amendment.
Michael Eisner, chief executive of the Walt Disney Corporation between 1984 and 2005, has this op-ed in the Los Angeles Times of March 21. Eisner argues that Americans Elect is worthy of support. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
On March 21, Bob Kerrey won his ballot access lawsuit. He will be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Nebraska this year. The Nebraska Republican Party had challenged his spot on the Democratic primary ballot on the grounds that he doesn’t actually live where he is registered to vote. See this story. Apparently the judge depended on the U.S. Constitution’s list of qualifications for anyone to run for Congress, and ruled that states cannot require candidates to be registered voters.
The 9th and 10th circuits had also previously ruled that states cannot require candidates for Congress to be registered voters, but Nebraska is in the 8th Circuit.
Jack Cunningham, a Republican, has been County Clerk of Kane County, Illinois, since 2002. Kane County is one of the larger Illinois counties, and includes Aurora, Elgin, and Geneva. He tried to win the Republican nomination for U.S. House in this month’s primary, but a State Appeals Court ruled on March 15 (only five days before the primary) that his petition was invalid. Although his name was still on the ballot, votes for him were not counted.
Now he says he may run as an independent candidate. The Republican who challenged him, incumbent Judy Biggert, is also a Republican. The Democratic nominee, Bill Foster, is a former member of Congress who was defeated for re-election in 2010. See this story.
On March 21, a Nebraska state court heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by the Republican Party, arguing that Bob Kerrey should not have his name on the Democratic primary ballot for U.S. Senate this year. See this story. The Republican Party says Kerrey is not validly registered to vote in Nebraska.
