Posted on 07/23/2015 6:31:16 AM PDT by ziravan
Texas has a "Sore Loser" primary law. Here's how it works:
In order to be on the Ballot for the March 1st primary, you must file by Dec 14, 2015.
If you are an independent candidate for the Nov, 2016 General, you must also file by Dec 14, 2015.
If you are a political party that doesn't choose your candidate by Primary ballot, you must file your party's intent to field a candidate by Dec 14, 2015.
If you file for a place on the ballot for Mar 1, 2016, and you do not win the Primary in which you run, you cannot be on the Nov, 2016 ballot. Period.
The only candidates that can be on the Nov, 2016 ballot that haven't specifically announced their intent to do so by Dec 14, 2015 are candidates chosen by parties that don't use a Primary for nomination that have filed as a party to field a candidate by Dec 14, 2015 and then, only if the candidate didn't previously lose a primary during the same election cycle.
Texas Sore Loser Law means that Donald Trump will have to make up his mind by Dec 14, 2015 to run as an independent (well before the first primary race). If he files as a GOP candidate, he must win the primary or he cannot be on the Nov, 2016 ballot.
This law is designed to prevent just what is being speculated: a candidate holding a political party hostage with the threat of a third party run.
If a third party candidate can't win Texas, can't even be on that ballot, then they are just a spoiler.
Good. Texas has a right to pass its election laws the way it sees fit, for all races.
Don't ask me why or I might explain. (Heads exploding...)
Yep. “Minorities and children hardest hit!”
For all POLITICAL races. LOL! What was I thinking?
More states should have the same law. If you can’t win your party primary you shouldn’t be able to switch parties in the same election.
It ain’t just in Texas.
More states DO have similar laws. It’s very difficult to run as a 3rd party candidate, particularly if you start off as a major party candidate.
It would also keep ultra-liberal Democrats who lose their primary from running as a lefty independent. Come to think of it, this would have kept Joe Lieberman from running again for his Senate seat after losing his primary.
All you need to do is to start a new party called the “Sore Loser” party and file a notice that you intend to field Donald Trump as your candidate. Or Ted Cruz or.....
It’s pretty much impossible to put somebody on the ballot who hasn’t agreed to be there. The candidates have to file signed, notarized forms in addition to whatever petition requirements there might be.
Yes, there should be a provision for making the candidate participate in the formation of the bogus party, with open authorization from him/her.
Good... apparently only Connecticut, Iowa, New York and Vermont (and fortunately among them only one state that matters) don’t have “sore loser” or similar laws preventing those who run in a primary from then running as indies.
How do they get around the Vice President problem. The Vice President will be on the ballot in Texas. But if the Vice President hasn’t filed as a candidate for the office by December, then how can they allow him on the ballot in November?
Special provisions are made for the Uniparty.
They are filed as the nominee of the party.
For LBJ, Texas created a special law stating that Federal candidates for office can occupy more than one spot on a primary ballot. It only applies if both spots are for Federal office.
You cannot say, be a sitting Gov and also run for Pres.
That’s a special exception made and still on the books for a particular candidate.
Just to Add, you cannot be a sitting Gov running for re-election. But. Since Texas Govs are elected in off Presidential years, that’s not a good example.
Better example, you can’t be a County Commissioner running for State Senate and re-election in the same election. You’d have to resign the commissioner seat to run for Senate.
This has bearing for GOP candidates. Democrat candidates aren’t winning in Texas anyway.
LLord Bentsen used the same loophole in 1988 when he was running with Do-caca. Do-caca lost and Bentsen still won his Senate seat for re-election.
I would expect party rules to prohibit that, but you never know with the GOP.
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