A network of Republicans is reportedly backing the ballot access efforts of several third party and independent presidential candidates, aiming to either place or keep them on state ballots to siphon support from the Democratic Party ticket in the upcoming election.
According to the Associated Press, a loose network of Republican operatives, lawyers, and allies have assisted at least three third party or independent presidential campaigns in securing state ballot access. The sources of funding for these efforts remain unclear, and the individuals and organizations involved vary depending on the state. However, Republicans or individuals with Republican ties have reportedly supported the presidential campaigns of independent candidate Dr. Cornel West, Green Party nominee Dr. Jill Stein, and Party for Socialism and Liberation nominee Claudia De la Cruz to varying degrees.
The article specifically mentions petitioning efforts and defending against challenges to West’s campaign in states like Arizona, Maine, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. It also highlights efforts to assist Stein’s campaign with petitions in New Hampshire and touches on the decision by Georgia’s Secretary of State to place the West, Stein, and De la Cruz campaigns on the Georgia ballot, among other examples.
The AP also notes that there are similar efforts from Democrats to support conservative candidates, such as Constitution Party presidential nominee Randall Terry. However, it describes Republican efforts as “more far-reaching” and provides little other information.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that, unlike the West, Stein, and De la Cruz campaigns, the Terry campaign is explicitly targeting the Democratic Party, running a series of television advertisements designed to court Black and Catholic voters away from the party’s ticket in specific locations with the intent of making the party lose.
Thanks to IPR editorial team member Prof. George Phillies for the AP article.
This article is badly titled. If one reads it, it is almost entirely about Republicans helping one particular candidate, Cornel West.
It is ludicrous for the article to claim that Georgia Secretary of State went out of his way to help third party and independent candidates, when he overruled that idiotic decision of the Administrative Law Judge, who claimed the law requires a separate petition for each candidate for presidential elector. The Administrative Law Judge also claimed the new law that allows Jill Stein to be on the ballot because her party is on for president in at least 20 other states can’t be implemented. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was merely doing his job when he overruled the ALJ.