The Americans Elect web page says 2,057,241 signatures have collected on ballot access petitions around the nation. Last week’s total had been 2,008,069. Therefore, 49,172 signatures have been collected in the past week. By contrast, 69,604 signatures had been collected in the preceding week.
The Progressive Party, which is ballot-qualified in Oregon, has nominated Steven Reynolds to run for U.S. House, First District, in the special election being held early next year. See this story. The Libertarian Party had already nominated someone for this seat as well. The Independent Party is in the process of holding a mail ballot primary to decide whether to cross-endorse another candidate or run its own nominee.
The Oregon Progressive Party has never before nominated its own member for a U.S. House race, although in 2010 it cross-endorsed three Green Party U.S. House nominees. The party was formed in 2008 to serve as a ballot access vehicle for Ralph Nader’s independent run. When it was first formed, it was called the Peace Party, but then it changed its name to the Progressive Party.
On November 17, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that proponents of a state initiative have standing to defend their initiative in court, if their initiative passes, but a trial court invalidates their measure and the then state government refuses to appeal. Perry v Brown, S189476.
As a result, it is likely that the Ninth Circuit will now begin the process of deciding whether California’s state constitutional provision barring same-sex marriages violates the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. District Court had said the ban does violate the U.S. Constitution, and the 9th circuit had delayed taking up the appeal until the State Supreme Court answered the question about standing for initiative proponents.
Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party’s 2008 presidential nominee, explains here why he is running for Montana Lieutenant Governor as a Republican. Although he mentions that the Constitution Party is not now ballot-qualified in Montana, he does not mention that the Constitution Party is currently petitioning to regain its place on the ballot.
On November 16, a Louisiana state court ordered that the Republican Party’s election of state party committeemembers use legislative districts, instead of the party’s old districts drawn specifically for the purpose of electing party officers. The party drew those districts in 2003, and has not redrawn them to take account of 2010 census data. See this story. The party may appeal. Using legislative districts has the advantage that the legislative districts have been updated to use 2010 census data. But because there are substantially fewer legislative districts than Republican Party committee districts, the order means that the Republican state committee will only have two-thirds as many members, compared to the recent past.
The election of party committee members is set for March 24, and is simultaneous with the presidential primaries.
