Missouri Republican Party Files Lawsuit to Keep Darrell McClanahan Off its Primary Ballot

On March 21, the Missouri Republican Party filed a lawsuit in state court to force the Secretary of State to remove Darrell McClanahan from its primary ballot. He is running for Governor and is an honorary member of the Ku Klux Klan. The party says it has a freedom of association right to keep candidates off its primary ballot if the candidate’s values conflict with the party’s values. Missouri Republican State Committee v Secretary of State, Cole Co. Circuit Court, 24AC-cc02151.

South Carolina Workers Party Nominates Claudia De la Cruz for President

On March 16, the South Carolina Workers Party, which is ballot-qualified, nominated Claudia De la Cruz for president. She is also the presidential nominee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and also very likely to be the nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party of California.

This is the first time the South Carolina Workers Party has ever nominated anyone for president. In the past it was the Labor Party, and even when it was under its old name, it never before entered a presidential race.

De la Cruz is the first Marxist presidential candidate ever to be on a government-printed ballot in South Carolina. The Communist Party never received any votes in South Carolina, even though back then South Carolina had private ballots, not government-printed ballots. The Communist Party never had the organizational strength in South Carolina to print up private ballots and distribute them to any voters, so no Communist presidential candidate ever received even one vote in the state. The Communist Party ran in the presidential elections of 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, and 1984.

The Socialist Workers Party was never on the ballot in South Carolina either.

Kansas Bill that Increases Number of Signatures for Statewide Independent Candidates Appears Unlikely to Pass

Kansas House Bill 2516 appears unlikely to pass this year. It raises the number of signatures for a statewide independent candidate from 5,000 to 2% of the last gubernatorial vote, which is over 20,000 signatures. Although it passed the House last month, it has been sitting in a Senate Committee for over three weeks, with no hearing. This suggests that it will not advance further.

Idaho Legislature Passes Bill Increasing the “No Politics” Zone Around Polling Places from 100 Feet to 250 Feet

On March 20, the Idaho legislature passed SB 1244. It expands the zone around polling places in which petitioning and other types of speech about the election is prohibited.

Meanwhile, the case against Wyoming’s 250 feet zone is pending in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court has not yet set a date to consider whether to hear the case. Lee v Frank, 23-901.

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey Might Run for Re-Election as an Independent

On March 21, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said he will not seek re-election as a Democrat this year. But if he is exonerated of criminal charges during the next few months, he may run for re-election as an independent The petition deadline for that is in early June, and 800 signatures are needed. See this story.

Libertarian Party is Certified for the Ballot in North Dakota for 2024

The North Dakota Secretary of State today announced that the Libertarian Party’s party petition in North Dakota, requiring 7,000 signatures of eligible North Dakota voters has been found to have a sufficient number of valid signatures. Therefore, the Libertarian Party presidential ticket, and possible other Libertarian candidates, will be on the November 2024 General Election ballot in that state. Thanks to LPND Chair Taylor Bakken for the news, and thanks to Andy Jacobs for his petitioning on that drive.