First Independent Candidate for U.S. House in North Carolina May Have Qualified for Ballot

Posted on by June 10, 2010
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On June 10, Wendell Fant submitted approximately 30,000 signatures to be on the North Carolina ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. House, 8th district. Approximately 17,000 signatures are required in that district. The formula requires 4% of the registered voters of the district to sign. See this story.

If the petition is verified, Fant will be the first independent candidate for U.S. House in the history of North Carolina government-printed ballots, which have existed since 1901. He is backed by the Service Employees International Union and the State Employees Association of North Carolina. Those unions back Fant because the Democratic incumbent, Larry Kissell, voted against the health insurance bill a few months ago. The 8th district is one of the more competitive districts in the nation. In 2006 it elected a Republican, but in 2008 it elected a Democrat. It comprises the counties that are east of Charlotte.

South Carolina Restriction on Fusion Backfires on Democratic Party

Posted on by June 9, 2010
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South Carolina held its major party primaries on June 8. Two candidates appeared on the Democratic ballot for U.S. Senate. They were Vic Rawl, a four-term state legislator, and Alvin Greene, a 32-year-old soldier. Virtually every political observer in the state expected Rawls to win. He had a vigorous campaign and was raising money for the general election. Greene had no web page and no visible campaign.

But, Greene won. The Working Families Party, a ballot-qualified party in South Carolina, nominates by convention, as all of South Carolina’s minor parties do. The Working Families Party had held its state convention on May 15, and was so certain that Rawl would be the winner of the Democratic primary, that it had went ahead and nominated Rawl as well. The Working Families Party generally gets itself on the ballot only in states which allow fusion, which is the ability of two parties to jointly nominate the same candidate. The Working Families Party generally nominates people who are also Democratic Party nominees.

South Carolina, although it permits fusion, has a law that says if a party nominates a candidate, and that candidate then tries and fails to get the nomination of another party, the first nomination for that candidate is canceled. So, Rawl not only lost the Democratic nomination; he can’t appear on the November ballot as the Working Families nominee either.

The South Carolina Democratic Party is trying to persuade Greene to withdraw. See this story. However, Greene says he won’t withdraw.

The only other candidates likely to be on the November ballot are the Republican incumbent, Jim DeMint, and the Green Party nominee, Tom Clements.

Texas Secretary of State Says Green Party Petition is Valid

Posted on by June 9, 2010
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On June 9, the Texas Secretary of State determined that the Green Party petition this year had enough valid signatures, and the party will be on the 2010 ballot. The party is very likely to poll 5% of the vote for State Comptroller this year, because there is no Democratic nominee for that office this year. That will mean the Texas Greens will also be on in 2012.

Libertarian Statewide Nominees in North Dakota Poll Enough Primary Votes to Qualify for General Election

Posted on by June 9, 2010
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North Dakota held a primary on June 8. The three qualified parties were Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian. Two Libertarians ran for statewide office. They each got enough votes in the open primary to qualify for the November ballot.

North Dakota is the only state in which a ballot-qualified party cannot nominate candidates in its own primary unless its candidates (whose names are printed on the primary ballot) poll a minimum number of votes. Statewide nominees must poll 300 votes.

North Dakota is the only state that does not have voter registration. North Dakota party primaries are open. Anyone who shows up to vote on primary day decides which party’s primary to vote in.