A No Labels candidate will appear on a general election ballot for the first time after Richard Grayson, a write-in candidate, received the single vote necessary to clear the primary.
Grayson does not seek office in earnest. His hobby for more than four decades has been running for kicks, and, in the process, he exposes loopholes in state election laws.
As for No Labels, Grayson paints the move as more of a “revenge” on the party that battled in court to prevent any candidate, aside from a hand-picked presidential contender, from running under the party’s banner.
The district court originally agreed, finding that a forced association between the party and its candidates burdened its rights. However, in a ruling earlier this month, the 9th Circuit overturned the decision, finding that participation by party members in the democratic process outweighed any alleged injury to No Labels.
The ruling clears the way for more No Labels candidates beyond Grayson in the 2024 primary and general. Though so far, they are few and far between.
A former Republican candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Stephen Neal, switched his party affiliation on his statement of interest to No Labels days ago in an effort to appeal to voters of all affiliations.
“I felt that it shared the value of bringing people together,” Neal said.
Gaining ballot access is another beast, though. Unlike a write-in candidate, to seek a spot in the primary as a No Labels candidate, an individual would have to gather a fourth of 1% of total qualified signers in the state as of Jan. 2, 2026.
In 2024, the minimum number of signatures for a statewide race of a No Labels candidate was 1,288. There are currently 31,905 people registered with the party.
As for Grayson, the official canvass for CD7 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, but Grayson has already received emails from Pinal and Pima counties confirming his spot on the general election ballot.
“As for my candidacy, I don’t intend to do anything,” Grayson said. “I think Adelita Grijalva will make a fine Congresswoman. I’ve been doing more work for her campaign than my own.”
Have questions or comments? Contact Kiera Riley on X @kiera_riley or at kriley@stateaffairs.com
No comments:
Post a Comment