Has any other candidate lost a Democratic primary....

[Eric J in MN]

...and stayed in the race for the same office, the same year?

[jus_the_facts]

1. Rodney Alexander of Louisiana....it was illegal but allowed anyway....

LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN MAKES LAST MINUTE PARTY SWITCH. On Wednesday, conservative freshman Congressman Rodney Alexander of Louisiana filed for re-election as a Democrat. "I'm not ashamed to be a Democrat, but I vote what I think the people of the 5th District want me to represent," said Alexander at the time.

What a difference two days can make. On Friday, with just minutes remaining before the close of filing, Alexander returned to re-file for re-election as a Republican. "I just decided it would be best for me to switch parties, that I would be more effective in the Fifth District in the state of Louisiana as a Republican," he now says. Alexander flirted with changing parties back in March, but announced then that he would not do so. "I'd be letting some people down who worked very hard for me and I would hate to let anybody down ... Although I am flattered by the offers of the Republicans to join their ranks, I am deciding to stay where I am," said Alexander in March.

US Senator John Breaux (D) -- who was key in helping Alexander win his first election to Congress two years ago -- quickly denounced Alexander as "a confused politician who has placed loyalty at the very bottom of his priorities." Reaction on the GOP side was much warmer. "I welcome him to the GOP, and I look forward to working with Rodney," said NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds. "Rodney Alexander has betrayed voters in Louisiana ... We have no use for turncoats like Rodney Alexander in the new Democratic majority," said a DCCC spokesperson. Because of the last minute timing of the switch -- a move Breaux called a deceptive move that "effectively prevented the people of his district from a having a choice" -- Democrats, who had been raising money for Alexander, had no viable candidate to place into the race. Alexander is now a safe bet to win re-election this year -- but watch for national Dems to target him for defeat in two years.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.07.04 | COMMENTS (303)

http://www.politics1.com/blog-0804.htm

[Eric J in MN]

2. As far as I can tell, he made the switch before the Democratic primary

http://www.mydd.com/story/2004/8/11/165612/630

"...In his first full-length press conference since his switch, Alexander explained he was motivated in part by his belief that the candidacy filing by a fellow Democrat, African-American homemaker Zelma “Tisa” Blakes, threatened his chances of winning re-election if he stuck with that party’s line."

[jus_the_facts]

5. here's some more facts........Louisiana election code cited it illegal....

...but it was allowed to take place anyway....he'd already qualified as a Democrat...but it was before the primary...my memory didn't serve.

On August 6, 2004, Alexander decided to switch parties and ran for reelection as a Republican. He had been elected in 2002 as a Democrat. Two days after having filed for reelection as a Democrat, Alexander filed as a Republican on the very last day of filing, fifteen minutes before the deadline.


On August 13, 2004, a Louisiana voter filed suit to disqualify Alexander, citing a section of Louisiana election code (http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=81594) that appeared to prohibit a candidate from changing his or her party affiliation after initially qualifying.

No candidate shall change or add his political party designation, for purposes of printing on the election ballot as required by R.S. 18:551(D), after he has qualified for the election.


On August 23, 2004, a state judge ordered filing reopened in Alexander's district, and required Alexander to refile if he wanted to run again. However, a week later, a state appeals court threw out that ruling, saying the lower court went too far. This decision all but assured Alexander's reelection, as the Democrats had no time to find a credible replacement candidate.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rodney_Alexander

[ISUGRADIA]

3. 1970 .... another Connecticut US Senator

Chris Dodd's Dad did not run in the Dem primary but instead ran as an Independent splitting the vote and allowing Lowell Weicker to win.

[Eric J in MN]

4. OK, but that's not the same as running in the Democratic primary and...

...then running as an Independent for the same office, same year.

[ISUGRADIA]

7. True, trying to think of a similar situation

[dolstein]

6. The better question to ask is this:

How many Democratic incumbents would run as independents after narrowly losing a bitterly contested primary against a largely self-funded candidate if (a) the election law of their state allowed it and (b) polls showed not only that they had a good chance of winning, but that their third party candidacy wouldn't create any risk of the seat falling into Republicans hands.

[CTLawGuy]

8. none

unless they were selfish, petulant, attention seeking turncoats.

I'm a real Democrat, I back the nominee. I did it with Kerry in 2004, even though I was a big Dean guy.