On August 23, a Washington state court in Olympia heard Libertarian Party of Washington v Reed, in which the Libertarian Party argued that the Republican Party is no longer ballot-qualified. According to this news story, the Judge determined that the Republican Party did have a nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010. Apparently, months after the Republican State Convention was over, state party officers took steps that the judge construed to be a party nomination. This was apparently a small meeting. UPDATE: here is a more detailed story; note especially the second-to-last paragraph. FURTHER UPDATE: here is the 2-page opinion, but it is devoid of much interest because it doesn’t give reasons for the legal conclusion. The judge’s oral remarks were far more interesting.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
LOL Gotta love the Republican party. Of course they had a private meeting wink wink. you can’t beat the mafia .
The 9th Circuit ordered that the equal protection claims be dismissed by the district court because there was no longer a distinction between major and minor parties as far as making “nominations” for partisan office.
The Republican Party had argued it was unfair to them because they couldn’t “nominate” a candidate like the minor parties supposedly could. But under the old system, minor parties had to nominate a candidate simply to have him placed on the primary ballot, where he could then qualify for the general election ballot. That procedure was eliminated as well.
Under the Top 2 primary system candidates, qualify for the primary ballot irrespective of their party affiliation, and it is no different from nonpartisan races in that respect.
I doubt that even Mills would argue that parties can make “nominations” for nonpartisan offices as the basis as recognition as “major” parties.
Since it was the State of Washington that was being sued, the judge should have stuck with the case presented by the AG which is that the only remaining office for qualification as a “major” party is the presidential election, and that the judge found persuasive (see 3rd from last paragraph).
It is time for the party to rename itself as the Official Washington Libertarian party.
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