WA Judge Rules Against State Parties

[freeplessinseattle]

A candidate who wants to run for elective office as a Republican may do so without the blessing of the Washington State Republican Party.

That was the upshot of an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly. After throwing out the state's Top Two primary election law two weeks ago, he declined yesterday to expand his ruling to let the political parties control which candidates get to use a party's label.

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A Republican Party rule says a candidate must obtain at least 25 percent of the votes at a GOP caucus or convention to run under the Republican label. But in issuing a permanent injunction yesterday in the parties' successful challenge of I-872, Zilly chose not to give them the power they sought -- to decide which candidates get to use a party's name.

It didn't matter to the Democrats, who allow anyone to run as a Democrat. But state Republican Chairman Chris Vance, with the caveat that he hadn't yet checked with his lawyers, said, "This means the political parties therefore are going to have to make a decision whether or not to file another piece of litigation."



http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/234617_primary30.html