HUGE h/t to Ron at Politics1.com. Crossposted to OhioDailyBlog -EB
In Ohio, we don’t have “registered” Democrats or Republicans (or socialists or communists or anything else.) Rather, when voters go to the polls for a partisan primary, they request a ballot from the GOP or the Democrats or any other party that is on the ballot and having a primary. Other states do things differently but that’s the way we roll in the Buckeye state.
In 2006, George Mays of Norwalk, OH tried to run for the U.S. Senate. He did not run as a Democrat. Rather he tried to qualify for the ballot as an independent and claimed to be “Endorsed by the Reform Party of Ohio, The New Frontier Coalition, and the Libertarians of the Northeast Region.”
According to his website at that time, he stated:
“I will unveil a simple plan to ensure the financial security of America and eliminate all Federal taxes…”
His effort to qualify for the ballot failed. Again, from his website:
“We simply did not get enough petition signatures. … Most of my disappointment is in the lack of help from Reform Party and Libertarian members. I truely wish that you had given me a chance. … So, I will run for my Congressional Seat in 2008. …”
(emphasis added.)
Here is a picture from the current Reform Ohio party website:
If you look in the upper left hand corner, you can see a poster for Mr. Mays.
It would appear that Mr. Mays has never requested a Democratic ballot in a partisan primary, until he decided to run against Robin Weirauch in the primary for the special election here in OH-05 following the death of Rep. Gillmor.
But in order to get on the primary ballot last fall for the special election, as a “Democrat” all that he had to do was to pay $85 and submit nominating petitions with the signatures of fifty registered voters, who don’t have to be Democrats. Of course, he got stomped in the primary election.
But he’s back again this year and has successfully entered the primary as a Democrat. The problem is that no one else has filed to be on the ballot! Which means that he will win the primary election and this fall, his name will be on the ballot as the candidate of the Democratic Party.
This has happened to both parties in Ohio. With our gerrymandered districts, sometimes it is impossible to get candidates to take on kamikaze missions. Instead, wackos game the system and wind up on the ballot.
In the end, it doesn’t make much difference, because they always lose. The problem arises when the media offers candidates opportunities such as televised debates or candidate forums. There was such a forum once where the unendorsed GOP standard bearer called a US Representative a “lesbian socialist.” The look on the faces of the GOP politcos in attendance was priceless.
Another issue is whether to grant these ersatz candidates access to Party resources such as calling lists. Do you want this guy to have your address and phone number?
