On June 25, a federal court jury in Tallahassee, Florida, unanimously ruled that the action of the national party convention in June 2005, changing national party officers, was invalid. Therefore, the officers who were in office prior to that convention (and the faction that supports them) are the valid national party officers. Shawn O’Hara, who had been national chair during 2004 and 2005, had since resigned and Rodney Martin of Yuma, Arizona, had taken his place.

The Tampa convention had been called over the objection of Shawn O’Hara. The Tampa convention had chosen Charles Foster of Texas as national chair. Foster and his faction had then sued the O’Hara/Martion faction, alleging that the law on trademarks was being violated by their use of the name “Reform Party.” However, the jury ruled in favor of the defendants. The specific question answered by the jury was, “Do you find by the greater weight of the evidence that the vote changing officers at the June 2005 Tampa convention was valid?” The jury answer was “No.”

HB 3040 in the Oregon legislature has not advanced far enough to have any chance of passage, since the legislative session is almost over in that state. HB 3040 is the bill to legalize fusion.

On June 24, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback was asked whether he would agree to inclusive general election debates, if he becomes the Republican nominee. He expressed fear that there would be too many candidates, and said he would need to think about it. This occurred in Roland, Iowa. Thanks to Larry Reinsch for having raised this issue with Senator Brownback. Reinsch is also the person who asked Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama the same question earlier this month.

It should be noted that in all U.S. history, there has never been a presidential general election with more than 7 presidential candidates who were theoretically able to be elected. Specifically, there has never been an election with more than 7 presidential candidates who were on the ballot in states containing a majority of the electoral college.

There were no government-printed ballots before 1889, so for the elections before then, this statement refers to the ability of various presidential candidates to circulate private ballots. There were never more than 7 such candidates in that period either. In the period 1856 to the present, the average number of presidential candidates who could theoretically have been elected has only been 4.3 candidates.