Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

The North Carolina Green Party’s U.S. Senate candidate must be placed on the November ballot, a federal judge ruled Friday, despite Democrats’ repeated attempts to block the progressive party from spoiling one of their best shots at flipping a seat in the narrowly divided chamber.

U.S. District Judge James Dever III’s order prohibits the state elections board from enforcing a July 1 candidate filing deadline to keep the Green Party’s Senate nominee, Matthew Hoh, off the ballot in North Carolina.

Though the Green Party had earlier this year submitted a petition to qualify as a new political party, the elections board initially shot it down amid an ongoing investigation into the party’s signature gathering process, causing the now-certified Green Party to miss the deadline.

Dever canceled a federal court hearing scheduled for Monday and gave Hoh until Wednesday to submit his paperwork ahead of the board’s Aug. 12 ballot printing deadline. But Hoh said he worries an “outrageous new lawsuit” in state court could interfere with Friday’s favorable ruling in federal court.

North Carolina Democrats, represented by the powerful Washington-based Elias Law Group, asked a state court Wednesday to overturn the board’s unanimous vote certifying the Green Party. The Democrats’ lawsuit marks their latest attempt to barricade the ballot after they acknowledged pressuring signers to retract their names from the Green Party petition.

Democrats have warned Hoh’s appearance on the ballot could divide progressive voters and lead to a GOP victory in the close Senate race between Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Rep. Tedd Budd, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

The federal judge’s ruling acknowledged that parallel litigation had been filed, but directed the board to place Hoh on the ballot since federal law takes precedence over state law, according to the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. Dever recommended the board follow his instructions despite the case in Wake County Superior Court, writing that the federal court has jurisdiction over “this federal constitutional claim.”

“This important legal victory comes on the heels of unprecedented voter intimidation, harassment and fraud, perpetrated by well-financed partisan operatives to keep us off the ballot,” North Carolina Green Party Co-chair Tony Ndege said Friday.

 

Photo via Matthew Hoh for Senate.

 

Related Stories
‹
Democrats Sue To Keep Green Party off North Carolina Ballot
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM North Carolina Democrats, accused by the Green Party of meddling in its petitioning process to qualify candidates for the November ballot, have asked a state court to overturn a unanimous elections board vote granting the Green Party official recognition despite allegations of fraud. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Wake County Superior Court, precedes […]
NC Elections Board Certifies Green Party, Reverses Past Vote
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM The North Carolina State Board of Elections unanimously voted Monday to recognize the Green Party as a new political party, reversing its previous decision to reject the party’s petition while the board investigated the signature sheets for fraud. Katelyn Love, the board’s legal counsel, announced Monday that the North Carolina Green Party has […]
Democrats Bareknuckle Green Party off North Carolina Ballot
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM A day after Connor Harney received anonymous text messages asking him to retract his signature from a petition to qualify Green Party candidates for the November ballot in North Carolina, he said unidentified canvassers brought their “attempts to interfere with democracy” to his doorstep. A woman claiming to represent the state […]
Democratic Candidate Pledges To Keep Fighting in North Carolina’s Close Supreme Court Race
Justice Allison Riggs vowed at a rally on Monday to “fight as long as it takes” to keep her seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Court Directive To Notify Voters in Close North Carolina Election Blocked for Now
The North Carolina Supreme Court temporarily halted enforcement on Monday of an appeals court decision over its undecided 2024 election.
North Carolina's Governor Vetoes GOP Bill That Would Weaken His Successor and Other Democrats
Outgoing North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation on Tuesday that would strip powers from several Democrats elected to statewide office this month
North Carolina Presidential Primary Candidates Have Been Finalized; A Trump Challenge Is on Appeal
North Carolina's election board finalized on Tuesday the candidates for the state's March 5 presidential primaries.
N.C. Democratic Party Elects Anderson Clayton Chair
Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS North Carolina Democratic Party officials elected a new chair on Saturday. The party’s executive committee chose 25-year-old activist Anderson Clayton for a two-year term. Clayton is the Person County Democratic Party chair and president of the state party chairs’ association. In a statement, Clayton thanked Democrats from across the state […]
Obama Endorses Beasley in Crucial Senate Race for Democrats
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Former President Barack Obama endorsed North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley on Tuesday in a new campaign ad as Democrats target the Southern swing state as one of the few where they have a strong shot at flipping a seat in the evenly split chamber. North Carolina, which Obama narrowly won in […]
Democrats Spend $4M More Aiding Beasley in NC Senate Race
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON National Democrats getting outspent by rival Republican groups in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race sought to narrow the gap Tuesday by running a new commercial criticizing GOP nominee Ted Budd on his abortion views. Senate Majority PAC, aligned with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said it’s spending over $4 million […]
›