On January 4, one of the Maine independent legislators, Joanne Twomey, changed back to the Democratic Party. She gave an emotional speech on the house floor saying she is reluctant to return, but since the Democrats needed her to keep their majority in the House, she did so.
On January 3, Maine state representative Barbara Merrill switched her registration from “Democratic” to “independent”. Maine now has 4 independents in the state house, and one Green, for a total of 5 non-major party legislators.
The Texas Libertarian Party has 187 candidates for federal and state office this year, and that doesn’t include candidates for county office. The party has 108 candidates for the 166 state legislative seats up this year.
A federal court will hear Love v Foster on January 23. This is the 11-year old case on whether Louisiana must hold its first round of congressional elections in November (since, because Louisiana uses the “top two” system, if anyone gets 50% in the first round, there is no further election).
The 9th circuit will hear Washington State Republican Party v Logan on February 6 in Seattle. Case no. 05-35774. This is the case over whether the “top two” system passed by the Washington voters in November 2004 is constitutional. The lower court had invalidated it last July, and the state is appealing.
