Posted on 02/16/2010 9:34:53 AM PST by tcrlaf
Updated at 12:23 p.m.
Restaurant owner Tamyra d'Ippolito (D) has enough signatures to make the ballot in the race to replace Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), she told Hotline OnCall in a brief interview, but an official in a key district says she has failed to reach the threshold.
An official in Marion Co. (IN) tells Hotline OnCall d'Ippolito turned in just 3 signatures in the 7th CD, the district with the highest percentage of Dem voters. The noon deadline has passed, meaning d'Ippolito failed to meet the requirements to get on the ballot. She would have been required to submit 4,500 signatures, including at least 500 from each of the state's 9 districts.
Reached at her home, d'Ippolito said she was on her way out the door to drop off more signatures at the county clerk's office. "To my knowledge, yes we do. There's people putting in signatures as we speak," d'Ippolito said when asked if she has the signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot. "The answer is yes."
D'Ippolito's candidacy would have thrown a serious wrench in Dem hopes of keeping the seat. She would have prevented the state party from filling the vacancy with a candidate of their own, likely an experienced contender.
"We're going to have 4,500 signatures today, and we're going to keep getting signatures today and tomorrow and all the way up until the election," d'Ippolito said. But because the counting process takes a long time, d'Ippolito said she would not know for sure if she has made the ballot for a while. "It's not an instantaneous process even though we're very used to that in American life. It takes days to weeks to count all these signatures, so we're not going to really have any idea for a while."
GOPers, sensing an opportunity, mobilized in some places to help d'Ippolito make the ballot. In a posting on her campaign website, d'Ippolito says she needs more signatures in the 8th CD, specifically in Terre Haute and Evansville. Instead, it was the 7th CD -- based around Indianapolis -- where she fell short.
Meanwhile, Dems are increasingly looking to Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) as the candidate they want on the ballot to replace Bayh. House strategists are quietly beginning to prepare for his Senate bid, which means they will have to find another candidate to run in the competitive 8th district.
I thought the White House pick was Baron Hill?
Sounds like a potential twofer: Ellsworth goes down in flames and so does his congressional seat. The Party Poobah’s may be sorry for keeping Ms. d’Ippolito off the ballot. But I though she had until Friday.
I thought the White House pick was Baron Hill?
Did you really expect them to pass up the chance to draft their own candidate?
The Democrat Bench in Indiana is so weak, they might just have to run PAT BAUER, or Andre’ Carson...
So if they pick Ellsworth, a relatively pro-life, pro-gun Democrat, the NRSC will put up Brady-bill supporting Coats to further blurr the distinction between the parties.
We need to get Stutzman elected in the Primary.
Even so, I just don't see the democrats, the party of 'control', allowing a seat to go to anyone except their anointed pick. But, that's just me.
Since when does not being able to meet legal requirements mean anything to Democrats? If they want her, she will be their candidate.
Rules? We don’t need no stinkin’ rules!
she don’t need the required number of signatures - as long as she has ACORN.
I agree with you. The RATS will challenge every signature D’Ippolito turns in until they disqualify her.
Ellsworth voted for health care deform and porkulus. Not exactly someone who is in tune with the electorate.
Wow! Who would have thought that Democrats would be sticklers for following the election rules? < /sarc>
-PJ
They didn't want her. If no one is on the primary ballot then the party has to choose by another method. If she is the only one on the primary ballot she would win absent a big write in campaign or (the usual) Democratic hijinks.
If D’Ippolito had to have her petitions in by today why wouldn’t Ellsworth? How can he get on the ballot past that deadline?
If no one qualifies, I believe the RAT party handpicks its nominee.
Should that fail, there is always the Lautenberg Protocol.
I know nothing about the woman. But political parties are nothing if not invested in their ‘turf’. And by that I mean their candidate pool, especially when it comes to retaining a seat as prominent as Evan Bayh’s seat.
The same is true for Republicans, of course. Look at what happened in NY #23, with Scozafavva. The Repubs backed her even though there was a far more viable conservative in the race. That’s protecting one’s turf. I can see the same happening in Indiana. They have to follow their investments.
LOL, Andre won’t get many votes outside of Crown Hill Cemetery.
I think don bates jr could emerge here in the primary
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