from Ballot Access News
Mayor Bloomberg Seeking Third Ballot Label
July 13th, 2009
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is petitioning for himself as the “Jobs and Education Party” candidate. As [this article by John Mariani] and this column by Elizabeth Benjamin in the Daily News explains, once a candidate is the nominee of two qualified parties, any independent petition for that same candidate does not create a separate line on the ballot. Instead, the slogan of that independent petition is attached to one of the major parties that has nominated that person.
So, assuming the “Jobs and Education Party” qualifies for the November ballot, it won’t have a separate line. Instead Bloomberg will decide whether to attach that label to the Republican Party label, or the Independence Party label, as the Benjamin column explains.
Background story at IPR on candidates petitioning for pre-existing third party/independent ballot lines in NYC races: here.
All this electoral fusion stuff seems very confusing. If I lived in NY, I would understand better.
It’s all about branding. The Republican brand isn’t hot in New York, so he buys up the Independence line as well. But the Independence party is known as a cult that auctions off its ballot line to politicians who want to sound independent… so why not add “Jobs and Education” to polish up that turd a little? People like jobs, right? Very slick, Bloomie.
TPR: It’s insurance. Technically he’s not on the ballot on any line yet. Petitions for the Republican and Independence lines are not due until this week. If he doesn’t get enough good signatures or there are technical flaws, they can be challenged in court until early August. Just in case he gets knocked off one or both lines, he’d have this second line. Unlikely but he can afford the insurance. Also, anyone who signs his independent petition cannot sign an opponent’s petition, making it harder for anyone else to get an independent line.
TPR,
Being on the ballot more is good. He’ll be on for the Republicans, Independence, and now this one, too.
So why did Bloomberg create this new ballot label? He already has the Independence Party’s nomination, so he is already on the ballot.
In New York many Republicans are “liberal” in the sense of supporting the welfare state while being pro-choice on abortion.
Other New York Republicans are conservative only in opposing abortion and backing police power, while still supporting the Welfare State.
Rudy Giuliani ran for Mayor three times with the Liberal Party nomination along with his Republican line.
Aren’t Republicans supposed to be “conservative” ? With a label like Liberal Republican, it shows that the two major parties are the same thing.
In 2005 The Liberal Party backed Bloomberg. They had lost their ballot line, so he paid for a petition. The result was that he could add the label “Liberal” next to the label “Republican” on the Republican ballot line.
This year the Liberal Party opposed Bloomberg because of his record on education, and his powerplay overturn of term limits.