U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie can’t run for congress this fall after his Republican primary loss to Trump-backed candidate Ed Gallrein.
Kentucky state law prohibits the libertarian-leaning Massie from squaring off against Gallrein again under the guise of another political party. The law – KRS 117.265 – is known as a “sore loser law” and it prevents candidates who’ve lost a primary from running for the same office in the general election, with few exceptions.
But some of Massie’s more libertarian-minded supporters aren’t backing Gallrein in his race against Democrat Melissa Strange this fall.
Instead, they gathered signatures to put Libertarian candidate Jeremy Todd on the ballot.
Isn’t it past the filing deadline?
The filing deadline for candidates who must run in a primary election, like Republicans and Democrats, was Jan. 9.
But other candidates who don’t have primaries, like Todd, can file a nomination petition with the Kentucky secretary of state’s office by June 2.
Candidates who file to run for Congress in June need at least 400 signatures from registered voters to file a nomination petition, according to the secretary of state website.
Todd received almost twice the necessary signatures, the Jeremy Todd for KY D4 Facebook page stated.
“In only 12 days over 30 volunteers said what happened in our backyard cannot be tolerated. Over 750 signatures demanded a better choice, one not bought by special interests and foreign lobbies,” the group posted.
The Secretary of State’s Office verifies that each candidate submits the correct number of signatures. Anyone, including political opponents, can challenge the validity of the signatures.
The Enquirer reached out to Todd and his campaign June 2, but could not immediately reach anybody for comment.
This article may be updated.
Have a news tip? Comment? You can reach Northern Kentucky reporter Jolene Almendarez at jolenea@usatodayco.com or follow her on social media. Keep up with Northern Kentucky news at NKY.com or by downloading our NKY news app.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Libertarian files to run for Massie’s House seat, challenge Gallrein
Reporting by Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
