North Carolina Democrats are suing the state’s top election officials in an effort to overturn their recent decision to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for president in this year’s election.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 4-1 last week to allow Kennedy to run. Notably, the board’s chairman, Alan Hirsch, a Democrat appointed by Governor Roy Cooper, has publicly called on people who disagree with the decision to sue the board. He said that while he personally believes Kennedy’s “People’s Party” “maneuvered” to get the nomination, the board is still legally bound to certify the party and allow him to run.
“I will reluctantly vote to recognize We the People, even if I believe there was a scheme,” Hirsch said at the time, adding, “If anyone wants to challenge this in court, they are welcome to do so. I believe they have a point.”
That’s exactly what Democrats are doing now, with the party arguing it’s a flimsy cover for Kennedy to get himself personally on the ballot.
The lawsuit argues that allowing We the People to operate in North Carolina would set a bad precedent because state law places a higher bar on individual candidates to appear on the ballot than political parties. And while political parties are allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money from donors, individual candidates are strictly limited in how much they can accept. The lawsuit warns that other politicians could exploit these loopholes in the future.
“If the Commission’s decision is not overturned, the Commission’s practices will allow candidates for North Carolina office to circumvent most of North Carolina’s ballot access requirements, as well as campaign finance and spending restrictions, by posing as political parties.”
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