A SurveyUSA poll released on October 24 shows these results for US House in Kentucky’s 4th district: Republican incumbent 46%, Democrat 44%, Libertarian 7%, undecided 3%. A similar poll two weeks ago had showed the Libertarian, Brian Houillion, at 6%. Kentucky’s 4th district is along the Ohio River east of Louisville; its largest population centers are the Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati.
On October 24, a US District Court invalidated Florida’s law, requiring exit pollsters to remain outside the 100 foot limit at polling places. CBS v Cobb, 06-22463, southern dist.
On October 20, the Detroit News endorsed Libertarian Robert Hutchinson for US House, 7th district. On October 24, the Fort Morgan Times endorsed Reform Party nominee Eric Eidsness for US House, 4th district.
Massachusetts is the only state that automatically prints incumbents first on the ballot. A lawsuit challenging that law, filed in 2004, but dormant since then, is finally coming to life. The case is White v Galvin, Plymouth Co., ca04-427, and it has a status conference in a few weeks.
Also pending is a federal case in Maryland against the Maryland law, putting candidates on the ballot in alphabetical order. It is Schaefer v Lamone, L-06-896.
Both sets of plaintiffs argue that states should use some random procedure to decide order of candidates on the ballot.
The recent Wyoming debate for Congress-at-large had an interesting aftermath. See here for the story.
