Nebraska Libertarians File Petition for Party Status

Posted on by August 2, 2010
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On August 2, the Nebraska Libertarian Party filed approximately 8,000 signatures to become ballot-qualified.  The state requires 5,921 valid signatures.  The Libertarians already checked their own petition for validity and have a good margin of valid signatures.

The party now has several weeks before finalizing its list of nominees, who will be chosen by convention.  No other minor parties will be on the Nebraska ballot this year.  There are no Democratic Party nominees for two of the statewide partisan offfices, Auditor and Attorney General.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg Says He Won’t Run for President in 2012

Posted on by August 2, 2010
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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was on “Meet the Press” on August 1.  Someone asked him about running for President in 2012.  He said, “I will rule out a run.  I’ve got the best job that I could possibly have.  I’ve got 1,251 days more to do it.  I’m looking forward to every single one of them.”  Thanks to Political Wire for this.

Of course, he changed his mind about New York city term limits.  Also, there would only be one year left in his third term as Mayor, as of presidential inauguration day in 2012.

Kathleen Curry Will Sue Against Discriminatory Campaign Contribution Limits

Posted on by August 1, 2010
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Colorado’s only independent legislator, Representative Kathleen Curry, says she will file a lawsuit on August 2, to overturn Colorado’s discriminatory campaign contribution limits.  Candidates for the State House may receive contributions of $400 if they are running as members of a party.  But if they are independent candidates, no one may contribute more than $200.

The state will probably defend its law by saying that members of parties face a primary campaign as well as a general election campaign.  But the more generous limit for party members applies whether a candidate in a primary has a primary opponent or not.

In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court in Davis v Federal Election Commission struck down a federal law that gave higher contribution limits to some kinds of congressional and presidential candidates than  to other kinds of congressional and presidential candidates.  Specifically, candidates for federal office had the benefit of higher contribution limits, if they had an opponent who was spending more than $650,000 of his or her own money.

West Virginia Constitution Party Submits Petition for U.S. House; First Petition for that Office in that State Since 1982

Posted on by August 1, 2010
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On July 30, the Constitution Party submitted 3,452 signatures to place its nominee, Phil Hudok, on the ballot in West Virginia’s U.S. House race, district two.  The 2nd district is the district that includes Charleston, and which has a Republican incumbent, Shelly Capito.

The Constitution Party’s petition is the first petition in West Virginia submitted by any minor party or independent candidate for U.S. House since 1982, when the Socialist Workers Party successfully petitioned for one U.S. House seat in that state.

Although the Libertarian Party had nominees on the West Virginia ballot for U.S. House in 1998 and 2000, and although the Mountain Party had a nominee for U.S. House in 2004, those candidates did not need to petition, because their parties were already ballot-qualified at the time.

Hudok needs 2,582 valid signatures.  The state says it will have his petitions checked by August 13.  Thanks to Jeff Becker for this news.  The Hudok petition drive would never have been attempted if the 2009 legislature had not cut the requirement from 2% of the last vote cast, to 1%.