The Arizona Green Party suspects two candidates appearing on its primary ballot for the U.S. Senate election later this year have been deliberately planted by the Democratic and Republican parties to influence the outcome of the general election.
A Washington Post article published Friday reports that the party suspects Arturo Hernandez and Mark Norton, the only candidates to appear on the party’s primary ballot, of being supported by the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. The organization claims that neither candidate has been previously involved with the party, whether as an officer, volunteer, or dues-paying member.
“We have been suspicious of both of these people since the day they filed because we know our Greens,” Arizona Green Party co-chair Cody Hannah, co-chair of the Arizona Green Party, said in the Post report, “We’re a small group. When somebody random jumps onto the primary ballot and starts collecting signatures, it sets off alarm bells.”
The party initially rose suspicions about both candidates back in March, cautioning members about signing nomination papers. It comes at a particularly significant time, as the party recently regained its party-recognition status for the 2024 and 2026 election cycles.
Due to its concerns, the Arizona Green Party is urging members to reject both candidates. It instead wants them to write-in Eduardo Quintana, the chair of its Pima County affiliate. The primary races for all of Arizona’s ballot-qualified parties will take place July 30.
This is why some Greens (and members of other third parties) have talked about dues-paying membership in the past.
At the same time, a bit of a reflection on the party. (Here in Tex-a**, there’s also no Green running for the Senate, but with its convention system, harder for an interloper to crash.)