OntheWilderSide

From Ballot Access News
Socialist Party Put on Ohio Ballot by Federal Court
August 21st, 2008

On August 21, U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus issued an order putting the Socialist Party on the Ohio ballot. Specifically, Brian Moore for president and Stewart Alexander for vice-president will be listed on the November ballot with “Socialist” next to their names. Moore v Brunner, 2:08cv-224.

The Ohio Green Party knows about this decision and hopes to gain the same sort of relief for itself.

Special appreciation to the United District Court judge, Magistrate Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr., for doing the right thing and supporting access to the ballot.

The cheery press release from the socialists (passed on to me by David McReynolds):

BRIAN MOORE FOR PRESIDENT, SOCIALIST PARTY USA
MOORE / ALEXANDER ’08

NEWS RELEASE
Thursday, August 21, 2008

For more information, please contact:
Brian Moore
Darcy Richardson
www.votebrianmoore.com

US DISTRICT COURT ORDERS SOCIALIST PARTY ON OHIO BALLOT; FIRST TIME IN 76 YEARS

Brian Moore and Stewart Alexander, Socialist Presidential ticket, gain ballot access in swing state of Ohio with second federal court victory of 2008

Socialists also gain ballot access in Iowa; expect Tennessee & Florida to Follow

Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, August 21, 2008: Not since Norman Thomas ran for president on the Socialist Party ticket in 1932 has there ever been another socialist party candidate on the state of Ohio’s presidential ballots in the ensuing 76 years, covering 18 presidential elections.

That consecutive string was broken today by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Eastern Division. Magistrate Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. ordered the state of Ohio “to place the Socialist Party and its candidates on the 2008 general election ballot for the state of Ohio.”

Furthermore, Ballot Access News reported today that this is the first time the Socialist Party has ever won a ballot access lawsuit in federal court, making this decision “of historical consequences for minor political parties in the United States’ political system,” said presidential candidate Brian Moore.

News of the court victory came to Moore from his attorney, Mark Brown, Esq., a law professor at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Attorney Mark Brown has represented plaintiffs Brian Moore and Stewart Alexander, candidates for the office of President and Vice President in the November, 2008 general election, and the Socialist Party USA, in its litigation against the state of Ohio. In June, the three plaintiffs won an earlier ruling from the federal courts to allow out-of-state petitioners, and unregistered residents to petition for presidential candidates. This is the Socialist Party’s second federal court victory in the state of Ohio within three months.

Presidential candidate Brian Moore complimented Mark Brown for his “outstanding success in federal court litigation on behalf of the Socialist Party USA.” Moore added that Mark has been “diligent, creative and persistent” in his pleadings before the courts and we are “deeply indebted for his pro-bono work on behalf of defending our sacred democratic rights.” Moore further thanked the Socialist Party’s attorney, Walt Brown, Esq., who participated in last weeks’ meetings with the state of Ohio and in the federal court teleconference calls in the city of Columbus as well as for his ongoing legal advise on most other state ballot efforts. “Walt’s legal counsel, along with Socialist Party member Matt Erard’s hard work and diligence, have gained an important historical victory not only for the Socialist Party, but for all minor political parties nationwide,” Moore stated.

Concurrent with this court victory today, the Moore / Alexander ticket qualified for ballot access last week in the state of Iowa, utilizing an obscure procedure of 40 years ago, which was last used by third party Independent candidate George Wallace in 1968. The Socialist Party implemented a little-known procedure in the state code that enabled them to hold a convention on the campus of the University of Iowa and signed up 283 delegates to nominate the Moore / Alexander ticket.

Moore further reported that their campaign in the state of Tennessee submitted the necessary signatures and nine electors from seven congressional districts and two at-large posts prior to the 12 noon deadline today in Nashville and, he said, “we are confident to gain ballot access in the state of Tennessee when it makes its announcements next week.”

The Socialist Party of Florida also reported today that it has signed up 30 party presidential electors, thereby surpassing the Florida’s required number of 27, thus assuring ballot access for its presidential ticket in the general elections of 2008. The state party “expects to submit its complete set of papers next week in the capital of Tallahassee,” commented Mark Luzietti, the Florida Socialist Party Secretary-Treasurer.

The Moore / Alexander ticket will now be on the two major swing states of Ohio and Florida, thereby in a position to affect the outcome of a close contest between the Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate, John McCain.

The Socialist Party candidates are already qualified on the states of Vermont, Colorado, and New Jersey. With the addition of Ohio, Florida Iowa and Tennessee, they will be on seven states. The campaign is continuing its petitioning efforts in Mississippi, Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Rhode Island, whose deadlines come up in early September. Moore said his presidential campaign is also making additional efforts in Arkansas, Washington and South Carolina.

“If we succeed in gaining ballot access in all of our targeted states, our insurgent campaign would be on 15 states nationwide,” antiwar socialist candidate Brian Moore concluded. “And that would be a real revolution,” he proudly stated. The candidate further added, the American people are “fed up with the tottering economy and broken political system and our political party provides the ideal vehicle for their giving expression for a radical systemic change.”

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Filed under: Ballot issues, election, elections, Green Party Websites, Green Presidential Campaign 2008, presidential race, progressive politics, social & economic justice, third party, US Politics Tagged: | Brian Moore, court, Edmund Sargus, Mark Brown, Norman Thomas, ohio, socialism, socialist, third parties