See this very interesting story about Bob Kelleher, who won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on June 3, but who had been the Green Party nominee for U.S. Senator in 2002, and the Green for Governor in 2004. Thanks to ThirdPartyWatch for the link.
According to the Washington Secretary of State’s webpage, the only candidate who filed for State Rep., 37th district, place 2, is Ruth Bennett of the Libertarian Party. The Secretary of State’s office is now closed, so it is impossible to verify for sure that the webpage is completely up-to-date. However, all day long, the office seems to have done a good job of posting candidates as they file. UPDATE: incumbent Eric Pettigrew’s name is now (as of 6 pm) listed on the webpage.
On Friday afternoon, June 6, a few more minor party candidates filed for Washington state office (see the post below about those who had filed earlier in the week). Will Baker of the Reform Party, and Duff Badgley of the Green Party, both filed for Governor. For state legislature, Ruth Bennett of the Libertarian Party filed.
A few candidates filed for state legislature with whimsical party preferences, including “Prefers Salmon Yoga Party” and also “Prefers Cut Taxes GOP Party” and “Prefers True Democrat Party.” Surprisingly, no candidates from any socialist party filed.
Pennsylvania State Representative Kerry Benninghoff kindly telephoned today to say he will introduce his ballot access reform bill this year. He expects to be re-elected and he will also introduce it next year, since it seems unlikely to pass this year. The bill will eliminate mandatory ballot access petitions for all candidates, those seeking access in a primary as well as those petitioning for a spot on the November ballot.
On June 6, the Ohio Libertarian Party filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Ohio Secretary of State, alleging that the party is a qualified party and should have its nominees for president, vice-president, Congress and state legislature placed on the November ballot. Libertarian Party of Ohio v Brunner, 08-391. The old law on how a new party gets on the ballot was struck down in 2006 and the legislature still hasn’t written a new law. The party took matters into its own hands and filed a petition of 6,500 signatures in early March 2008, and a list of its nominees (who had been nominated by convention).
The Secretary of State had created a new ballot access procedure, which was 20,114 signatures by November 2007. The Libertarian Party makes three arguments: (1) it has shown a modicum of support; (2) in the absense of a valid statutory procedure for new party recognition, the state cannot keep a party with a modicum of support off the ballot; (3) even if the Secretary of State did have authority to create a new ballot access hurdle, the hurdle she chose is also unconstitutional. No reported court decision has ever upheld a petition deadline for a new party that is earlier than April of an election year. The party was careful to submit its signatures before the Ohio March primary in any event.
