Category Archives: campaigns

“From shaming to semi-stalking, Democrats flood inboxes for last-minute campaign cash”

September 30, 2014, 9:00 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WaPo: “Absolute meltdown.” “Kiss any hope goodbye. “We’re done. Go home. Give up.” The lyrics to a moody ballad? A depressing Facebook page? No, these are subject lines from a series of frantic e-mail messages sent to Democratic donors… Continue reading

“Democrats Are Spending More on the Ground in Key Senate Races”

September 30, 2014, 9:24 amcampaignsRick Hasen

NYT’s “The UpShot” reports.

Plaintiff a No-Show in #KSSEN Lawsuit to Force Dems to Choose Candidate

September 29, 2014, 2:42 pmballot access, campaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Holy cow: A three-judge Shawnee County panel did not decide Monday whether Kansas Democrats should be required to pick a replacement for Chad Taylor, who dropped out of the closely contested U.S. Senate campaign against longtime incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts.… Continue reading

SOS Kobach, Accusing KS Democratic Party of Chutzpah, Rejects First Amendment Argument Not to Pick #KSSEN Candidate

September 29, 2014, 10:53 amcampaignsRick Hasen

This brief, which it says was prepared in 3 hours time, argues that it is no big deal to force a party to choose a candidate to run in an election against its will. Near the end of the brief,… Continue reading

“Judges on the Campaign Trail”

September 27, 2014, 3:55 pmcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Adam Liptak has an important column in the NYT Sunday Review on judicial elections. It discusses, among other cases, the Williams-Yulee case that the Supreme Court could agree to take up next week. It also discusses the Ninth Circuit’s Wolfson … Continue reading

“3rd-Party Names May Tip Scale as 2 Parties Battle for Control”

September 27, 2014, 10:18 amballot access, campaigns, third partiesRick Hasen

NYT: In an election year shaped by voter anger toward the political establishment, the outcome of an unusually large number of close Senate and governor’s races could be determined by the outsize role of third-party candidates. The potential spoilers… Continue reading

In #KSSEN, KS Attorney General Urges Court to Require Democrats to Name a U.S. Senate Candidate

September 26, 2014, 2:55 pmballot access, campaignsRick Hasen

You can read the brief here. Interestingly, the brief does not mention the serious First Amendment issues with requiring Democrats to name a candidate, nor the virtual impossibility of the party holding a convention in time.

In #KSSEN, Court Sets Up Hearing to Decide on Taylor Replacement Before Oct. 1 Kobach Deadline

September 26, 2014, 2:31 pmballot access, campaignsRick Hasen

You can read the case management order, which includes oral argument on Monday, Sept. 29.

OH Supreme Court Says It is OK to Bar False Judicial Campaign Speech, But Not Misleading Judicial Campaign Speech

September 24, 2014, 9:28 amcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Read the opinion (via CNO). I think the part about the unconstitutionality of regulating truthful but misleading speech is surely right. But this opinion is also significant in saying it is constitutional to sanction a judicial candidate for… Continue reading

“FAN 33 (First Amendment News) What is a PAC? The next big issue?”

September 24, 2014, 7:52 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Ron Collins blogs.

“Nebraska Republican Party Allowed to Substitute New Lieutenant Governor Candidate After the September 1 Deadline”

September 23, 2014, 5:22 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

BAN reports. Waiting for the howls of outrage from those upset with the Torricelli and Taylor cases.

Kobach Not Yet Giving Up in Forcing Democrat on #KSSEN Ballot

September 23, 2014, 4:12 pmballot access, campaignsRick Hasen

Dave Helling in the KC Star: “We think that we could survive if the trigger was pulled Oct. 1,” said an email from Brian Newby, Johnson County election commissioner. “That’s pushing it.” Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said he… Continue reading