Illinois U.S. Senate Poll Includes Four Parties

Posted on by September 3, 2010
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A Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll released September 2 shows these results for the U.S. Senate race in Illinois:  Democrat Alexi Giannoullas 34%, Republican Mark Kirk 34%, Green Party nominee LeAlan Jones 6%, Libertarian Party nominee Mike Labno 3%, undecided 23%.

The previous best showing for U.S. Senate for the Illinois Green Party was in 2008, when Kathleen Cummings polled 2.24%.  The previous best showing for that office for the Illinois Libertarian Party was in 2004, when Jerry Kohn received 1.35%.  No U.S. Senate candidate, other than a Democrat or a Republican, has polled as much as 5% for U.S. Senate in Illinois since 1914.  Thanks to Political Wire for the news about the Illinois poll.

Independent Candidate for U.S. House in Pennsylvania Survives Challenge

Posted on by September 3, 2010
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James Schneller, an independent candidate for U.S. House in Pennsylvania’s 7th district, will appear on the November ballot.  His ballot label is “American Congress Party.”  The 7th district is centered on Delaware County, next to Philadelphia.

Schneller’s petition had been challenged on the basis that many, if not most, of his circulators were Democrats, and that they were motivated to help Schneller because they believe that Schneller will receive votes from people who would otherwise vote for the Republican nominee, Pat Meehan.  The challengers said the petitioners had a duty to inform potential signers of their motivation.  The Commonwealth Court did not agree, and ruled against the challenge.  The challengers have decided not to appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  See this story.

The incumbent in the 7th district is Joe Sestak, but he is not running for re-election because he is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.  In 2008, Sestak defeated his Republican opponent by 209,955 to 142,362.

Other candidates who will appear on the Pennsylvania ballot for U.S. House, and who are not Democratic or Republican nominees, are:  Vernon Etzel, a Libertarian in the 5th district; Ed Bortz, a Green in the 14th district; and independent Jake Towne in the 15th district.

Michigan State Court of Appeals Upholds Michigan Ballot Access Law

Posted on by September 3, 2010
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On September 3, the Michigan State Court of Appeals rejected the Socialist Party’s ballot access appeal, which is called Socialist Party of Michigan v Secretary of State, 10-867-CZ.  The opinion is only two pages.

Michigan requires 38,024 signatures to put a previously unqualified party on the ballot, but only approximately 20,000 votes for an already-established party to remain on the ballot.  The lawsuit argued that the disparity is discriminatory, but the Court really didn’t even discuss that issue.

The Socialist Party had also argued that one of its members was on the November 2008 ballot, and he had polled the needed number of votes for a party to remain on.  However, the Socialist Party member, Dwain Reynolds, running for State Board of Education, was nominated by the ballot-qualified Green Party, and only appeared on the ballot as a Green Party nominee.  Therefore, the Court ruled his showing cannot be used to bolster the Socialist Party.

Wyoming Independent Gubernatorial Candidate, Denied Ballot Access, Runs as a Write-In Candidate

Posted on by September 3, 2010
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Taylor Haynes will run as a write-in candidate for Governor of Wyoming.  See this story.  Earlier he tried to become the first independent candidate for that office listed on the ballot since 1958, but his petition drive fell short.  He needed signatures of 2% of the vote cast in 2008, which is 4,988 signatures.

Now he has announced that he will be a write-in candidate.  He is well-known in Wyoming.  He is a rancher and a retired surgeon, and he is almost certainly the first black candidate for Governor of Wyoming.  He enjoys the support of the Constitution Party, which is well-organized in Wyoming even though it failed to get on the ballot this year as well.

The largest write-in vote ever in a Wyoming statewide general election was 4,625, received by Ralph Nader in November 2000.

Ohio Secretary of State Construes Election Law Favorably, Lets Libertarians Enter Legislative Race at Last Minute

Posted on by September 2, 2010
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On September 2, the Ohio Secretary of State ruled that the Libertarian Party may make a nomination for the State House race, 87th district, even though the party did not run anyone for that office in the May 2010 primary.

The Democratic primary winner in that race, Clay Baker, withdrew from the general election ballot a few weeks after the primary.  When that happens, Ohio lets the party of the withdrawn candidate substitute a new nominee.  Ohio law also lets other major parties make a new nomination, or if the other major party hadn’t run anyone in its primary, that other major party can make an original, late nomination.  Ohio defines “major party” as a qualified party that polled 20% of the vote in the last election.

Ohio law even lets an independent candidate committee make a new nomination, if any independent had entered the race originally and that candidate and his or her substitution committee want to withdraw the original nominee and replace him or her with a new nominee.  But read literally, Ohio’s law didn’t seem to let qualified minor parties enter such a race late.  However, the Secretary of State construed the law to mean that all qualified parties should be treated equally in matters relating to substituting new nominees.  As a result, the Libertarian Party’s choice for the seat, Tim Sanders, will be on the November ballot.