As we reported earlier this month, Bob Kelleher won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Montana. That’s unusual because Kelleher has been a long-time Green Party activist and frequent candidate for office.
But, according to the Missoulian, it’s not over just yet. Patty Lovaas, one of the Republicans that Kelleher defeated, has decided to try and collect the signatures she would need to get on the ballot as an independent. However, the deadline for signatures has passed and state law doesn’t allow a candidate to run in both a party primary and as an independent the same year. So if she is able to collect enough signatures, this would surely require a legal challenge for her to push her way onto the ballot.
Lovaas finished fourth of the five candidates in the primary and the Republican Party has said they do not support or oppose her activites and that they recognize Kelleher as the nominee, even though they don’t expect to spend any resources on the race.
Mike Lange, the candidate who finished second to Kelleher, is still weighing his options… including a possible write-in campaign.
By coincidence, the Montana law (passed in 2007) that forces independent candidates to file their petitions by March, is under attack in court. The case was filed by independent candidate Steve Kelly, with the help of the ACLU.