One of Florida Tea Party Congressional Nominees is an Elected County Commissioner

One of the three U.S. House candidates in Florida for the ballot-qualified Tea Party is a Polk County Commissioner. He is Randy Wilkinson, running in the 12th district. See this story about him. As the story points out, because Wilkinson changed his registration from “Republican” to “Tea Party”, he is probably the first elected official anywhere to be a member of the political party named “Tea Party.” Thanks to Austin Cassidy for the link.

Hearing Set for May 5 on Whether to Remove Proposition 16 from the California June Ballot

A Superior Court in Sacramento, California, will hear oral argument on Wednesday, May 5, in the case on whether Proposition 16 should be removed from the California June 8, 2010 primary ballot. Proposition 16 would require a two-thirds vote of the public before any area sets up its own public electricity district. The case is before Judge Allen H. Sumner.

Chicago Reader Story on How Chicago Democrats Hope to Keep Independent Off Ballot for County Assessor

Chicago Reader has this fascinating story about how the chair of the Cook County Democratic Party hopes to keep the independent candidate, Forrest Claypool, off the November 2010 ballot, in the race for Cook County Assessor.

Claypool, a reformer with excellent credentials, needs 25,000 valid signatures by June 21. The Democratic nominee, Joe Berrios, is also the chair of the Cook County Democratic Party. Berrios plans to argue that voters who signed a petition to place anyone on the primary ballot for that office may not sign for an independent candidate. He also plans to argue that voters who voted in the February 2010 primary may not sign for an independent candidate. Thanks to Jeff Trigg for the link.