Monday, July 16, 2018

NM Libertarian candidate for governor off ballot

Libertarian recount fails to qualify governor hopeful | Elections | santafenewmexican.com - Tripp Stelnicki, Santa Fe New Mexican:

July 13, 2018 - "A recount of Libertarian primary results from eight counties did not produce enough additional write-in votes for Bob Walsh, the Libertarians’ would-be governor candidate, according to unofficial results.... Walsh, a retired mathematician, and the would-be lieutenant governor candidate, Robin Dunn, each needed 230 Libertarians to write in their names in the June primary to win the Libertarian nomination and ensure a place on the ballot.

"Both fell short, and the party requested a recount earlier this month, arguing that some of its voters’ choices might not have been counted because they had not filled in a scannable bubble next to the line for write-in candidates....

"Both needed roughly 50 additional votes; unofficial results show Walsh picked up 11 votes, Dunn 13.

"Walsh said Friday he was evaluating a possible challenge to the 230-vote write-in rule. He explained various arguments he said he could explore.... 'Obviously we are disappointed this didn’t prevail,” said Chris Luchini, chair of the state Libertarian Party and himself a Libertarian candidate for sheriff of Los Alamos County....

"The June contest was the Libertarian Party’s first primary as a major party in New Mexico, a result of former Gov. Gary Johnson earning 9 percent of the state’s vote in the 2016 presidential contest.... Whether the Libertarians will retain that status ... without a candidate for governor remains to be seen.

"According to state law, a party must earn more than 5 percent of the total number of votes cast in a race for either governor or president to keep its major-party status. But some Libertarians contend the party could also retain the status with 5 percent of the vote in any statewide race. 'That will be litigated,' Luchini said.

"There are Libertarians who qualified in several statewide races this year. State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn, who switched from the Republican Party, is challenging U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat.... Sandra Jeff, a former state House representative, is the party’s nominee for secretary of state. A. Blair Dunn, an attorney and the son of Aubrey and Robin Dunn, is running for attorney general. There is a Libertarian candidate, Michael Lucero, seeking the open state land commissioner’s post."

Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/elections/libertarian-recount-fails-to-qualify-governor-hopeful/article_c0c52e03-9b5e-5297-bbc5-6b3daf8b9a80.html
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