You probably already knew that the two major parties do everything they can to block the paths of third parties and third party candidates, but here's a fun example.
Stephanie Yarian wants to run as an independent candidate for the City County Council in District 15. She can't because she missed the July 3rd filing deadline.
Meantime, the Democratic candidate in District 15 is Andre Carson. He was chosen to fill a vacancy on August 28th and will be on the ballot because of election laws that permit the filling of a vacancy.
There is no Republican candidate in District 15 and Andre Carson is unopposed.
By their own admission, Beth White's office knew last January when Patrice Abduallah filed his statement of candidacy for the 15th District council seat that he had moved out of the district. Although her office communicated the problem to him, it took no other action. Instead, White's office illegally placed his name on the May Democratic primary ballot, allowing him to win nomination as the Democratic candidate. When Abduallah filed his statement of candidacy in January, his office became vacant pursuant to IC 36-3-4-2(c) (2), which provides that “a vacancy in the legislative body occurs whenever a member…ceases to be a resident of the …district from which the member was elected”. The deadline referenced by Jim Shella, which prevented the Republicans or an independent candidate from being placed on the ballot applies equally to the Democrats. In other words, Democrats also missed the deadline to put Carson's name on the ballot.
As a long-time political observer, it never ceases to amaze me how reluctant Republican partisans are to fight for their rights. You can bet if the shoe were on the other foot, the Democrats would have been in court within hours of a Republican clerk announcing she was going to put a Republican candidate's name on the ballot under these same circumstances. Former Marion Co. Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy contended Clerk Doris Ann Sadler's mistakes in the Clerk's office during her last election amounted to "criminal" acts. At least she opened the polls up so people could vote. By contrast, local Republicans acted as if nothing had even happened after Beth White's election debacle.
So what does this mean to Marion Co. voters? All bets are off as far as what will transpire on election day. Democrats are totally in control of the election machinery now, and local Republicans don't have the stomach or organization to put up any kind of resistance. This is an open invitation for wholesale fraud. Big city, Democratic machine organizations have utilized every conceivable fraud to hold on to power in this country for decades. There's no reason to believe things are going to be any different in Indianapolis. It's just how things are done you see, particularly when you know how weak your opponent is.
22 comments:
So what is the problem...the law is the law is the law and NO law was broken here...I think just a bunch of sour grape republicans because they could not even get someone to file for office...now someone go read the election law and find that this was 100% legal.
NO law was broken." An election administrator knows a candidate is attempting to represent a district in which he does not live, and the law clearly states a council member vacates his office when he no longer resides in the district. I think what you're saying is that the law doesn't kick in until you get caught in the act of cheating by someone other than the person charged with administering our elections. By your logic, if a person is collecting absentee ballots illegally and the clerk's office knows it, the law isn't broken until someone else catches the person breaking the law.
Gary, if you think the law was broken, offer your services pro bono to the Republican Party and have at it. Otherwise, don't expect anyone to take seriously your claim that laws were broken. Come on, step up to the plate, like the Democrats did when they were in the minority, and file suit. Don't just talk, do something!!
If I could afford the pro bono time I would. I don't have any deep pockets, and it's all I can do to eke out a living for myself as a solo practicing attorney. Tom John has a million-dollar contract for his law firm with the AG's office. Let him put one of his attorneys to work on a pro bono basis for God's sakes. I've never received a dime's worth of legal work from any GOP officeholder. I'll be damned if I'm going to be doing the work the people on the gravy train should be doing.
fyi, André Carson has ballot position # 6A
Let's try this again w/o typos:
For the life of me, I can't understand how ANY party doesn't field a candidate and let's the other side(s) run inopposed.
As the saying goes, you can't win if you don't play.
This is a perfect example where, IF the GOP had dared slate someone to run against Patrice, they might NOW be in the position to tilt the CCC balance. Hey, we voters keep hearing that 'every vote counts'. Doesn't every race we vote in count, too?
Gary, At some point you and other local Republicans ought to wise up and realize there's a method to Tom John's madness. Do a little research on what other legal work has been directed to John's firm. It will explain why he is deliberately falling down on the mayor's race. Think about it. Tom is just looking out for number one.
Wilson..so what?
I want to know how Abdul-Hakim Shabazz can serve as an Of Counsel with Tom John's firm when he doesn't appear on the Indiana Roll of Attorneys. Is John's firm branching out into Illinois?
Abdul has explained his of counsel relationship with the firm before when someone raised the issue. He discloses the fact he is not licensed to practice in Indiana.
Well, I'll go ahead and say what every other republican is afraid to say.
Murray Clark's law firm is in bed with the mayor. He pays them hundreds of thousands of tax dollars a year.
Therefore, the republican party is keeping arms length in this election cycle, including abandoning their mayoral candidate and council races.
What a shame that the once great Grand Old Party has succumed to low-life democrat practices.
I don't know Gary, if the election is up for grabs. I do know that after having talked to several GOP candidates, that the mood of the electorate is one of change, so perhaps that will benefit everyone.
I do know, having observed this municipal campaign, that Tom John is even less useful and perhaps more harmful than his past 2 predecessors as far as effectively managing a campaign, particularly for the 5 county-wide candidates, Mayor and At-large seats. Sad.
What may be even more sad is the effort that John and his associates put into his campaign for the GOP county chair, for 2 reasons: If he'd put a fraction of the effort into getting those 5 marketed to the public that he did his own intra-party campaign, they might actually be known to one and all, and second, that the precinct committeemen and ward chairs actually bought his act.
Hopefully after the election, esp if the GOP actually gets the Mayor and Council back, will the GOP see the error of its ways and mount an ouster campaign of John and associates. I've heard that a couple of local state senators and reps are interested. Time will tell.
Thanks for the info on Andre Carson's ballot position. He will be an asset on the council and will represent his district well. FYI---there are 5 other districts where the republicans did not file a candidate.
Is anyone really surprised with the inadequacies of the Marion County GOP?
Is anyone really surprised with the inadequacies of the Marion County GOP?
No, I'm not. Apparently they are on the take from the Democriminal regime and are obviously not supporting Ballard like they should be. Should Ballard loose I will vote with my feet and leave Marion county. Maybe then Bart will propose a plan to create superunigov and suck in the doughnut counties to support his blood sucking base. Good luck with that Bart and your future Detroit South.
fyi, André Carson has ballot position # 6A
WHO CARES? He's an illegal candidate anyway!
Tom Johns is a flipping idiot. So is Kyle Walker. They both want the Dems to win. They prove that by NOT supporting ALL their candidates. We've know about Mr. Clark and Bart Peterson long time love affair with the almighty $$$$. Especially the taxpaers $$$$.
When I met Andre Carson and welcomed him to the council, me said "thank you ,my brother". Whats wrong there?? Very unprofessional
Andre is not my councilman, but he would not get my vote if he were. And I am a Democrat.
However, this post, and the subsequent postings by partisan readers, indicate one thing: it IS important to file a candidate for EVERY office.
Why? From filing deadline to Election Day, it's about nine months. Long enough to birth a baby, and long enough for anything to happen. The above poster who said the CCC might be in the balance if they'd filed someone in Patrice's/Andre's district is engaging in extreme hyperbole: no Republican is going to get elected there.
But, given the chance, an argument could be made, and that could very well lift Republican spirits county-wide.
The Dems will have a net gain this time--maybe three seats.
We Dems have been in the exact same position Repubs are now. It wasn't that long ago, either. These things tend to run cycles.
I only hope my Dem leaders are paying attention to the consequences of not filing someone in every race. Because that lesson will come home to roost in my party soon enough.
Hell, maybe Cindy Noe will do something even more stupid than she usually does, for example. If the Dems field a candidate, the door is open.
The Cindy Noe thing is a real possibility, by the way. She's dodged the stupid bullet more than any one human should, except maybe for the one brain being shared by two Burtons.
HOOSIERS FOR FAIR TAXATION is putting in place a campaign to hit right before the election.
We need volunteers who can give at least 2 hours per week for 3 weeks before the election.
We also need volunteers who can work on election day.
We can take back this city and dismantle this corrupt machine.
VOLUNTEERS PLEASE EMAIL:
hoosiers.for.fair.taxation@gmail.com
Put the word "VOLUNTEER" in the subject line.
Andre Carson is my councilor and I will vote for him...although it doesn't matter since the GOP doesn't care enough to even run a candidate.....as for the My Brother remark....aren't we all brothers and sisters in God's family.....
Gary,
Thank for the information. If Beth White as the County clerk and secretary of the Election Board can illegally place Mr. Carson's name on the ballot, a lawsuit will be filed before the November Election, I promise you.
After attempting to file for write in candidacy for City County Council in the 15th District, I, Stephanie Yarian, was informed that I could not be a write in candidate because of the July 3rd deadline for this election. I am disturbed by this because Andre Carson, who replaced Patrice Abduallah on August 28th as 15th District City County Council person due his to forced resignation, did not file as a candidate before this deadline either, but was selected by a political party’s caucus, not the constituents of the 15th District. If Mr. Carson is allowed to run uncontested this election cycle, a travesty of democracy will be committed, and the citizens of the 15th District will not be able to vote for a candidate of their choice or be represented appropriately in the City County Council.
I challenge the legitimacy and validity of Andre Carson’s candidacy. I live in the 15th District and don’t know (as do many other 15th District constituents) who he is, what his agenda is, how he intends to represent the 15th District. All I do know is that he was selected by a bunch of politicians, not the people. If you go out on the street in the 15th District and ask people who Andre Carson is, they’ll say he is Julia Carson’s grandson. Is this the way to get into office? Is he just riding on the hem of his grandmother’s skirt? The last time I checked, we live in a democracy where the people choose who represents them, not a political caucus and most assuredly not a monarchy where political power is passed through generations.
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