Arizona’s election landscape is heating up as several third-party candidates face legal challenges that could see them removed from the ballot. The scrutiny predominantly targets candidates affiliated with the No Labels Party, formerly known as the Arizona Independent Party, and the Green Party.
Among those facing legal hurdles are Hugh Lytle, a gubernatorial candidate, and Michael Zepeda, who is running for state treasurer. Congressional hopefuls Christopher Ajluni, Iman Bah, and Jessie Martines are also under challenge, alongside Risa Lombardo and David Redkey from the Green Party.
Nearly all legal actions appear to be initiated by Democrats or Democratic-affiliated legal firms. Herrera Arellano LLP, a firm with ties to prominent Democratic figures, has filed lawsuits against several No Labels candidates. Meanwhile, Coppersmith Brockelman attorneys, known for their Democratic connections, are challenging Lytle and Lombardo.
Paul Johnson, leading the No Labels Party in Arizona, accuses Democrats of orchestrating a campaign to eliminate third-party threats. Johnson believes that the challenges aim to prevent potential vote splitting that could disadvantage Democrats in the upcoming elections. “The idea that they challenged Hugh (Lytle) and the Green Party — that’s the smoking gun,” Johnson stated.
Challenging the Candidacies
Despite Johnson’s claims, individuals like Steven Jackson and Paul Weich, who are behind some challenges, deny any coordinated effort with the Democratic Party. They argue that their actions stem from legitimate concerns over candidate qualifications and signature validity.
Arizona law requires candidates to gather a certain number of signatures from registered voters to qualify for the ballot. This legal requirement has been the basis for most challenges, with allegations of invalid signatures and unqualified petition circulators.
For instance, Lombardo submitted 3,250 signatures, needing only 1,771 to qualify. However, a lawsuit claims that over 1,600 of these signatures are invalid. Similarly, Zepeda’s candidacy faces scrutiny over approximately 1,000 signatures.
Unique circumstances also characterize some challenges, such as Weich’s case against Martines, citing inconsistencies in his party affiliation and signature submissions.
Debate Over Intentions
While Johnson attributes the challenges to a Democratic strategy, Weich suggests that confusion around the No Labels Party’s rebranding might have attracted candidates unfamiliar with the process. This, he argues, led to procedural errors rather than a conspiracy.
Johnson admits that some third-party candidates may have failed to adhere to legal requirements. However, he insists that the Democratic Party’s actions against independent candidates are systematic and recurrent. “The idea that candidates mess up, make mistakes, those things happen and challenges happen,” Johnson noted.
It’s important to note that not only Democrats are scrutinizing third-party candidates; Republican attorney Kory Langhofer has also filed challenges, and No Labels candidate Teri Hourihan is contesting her primary opponent, Lytle.
The political maneuvering over ballot access underscores the complexities of Arizona’s electoral process, where legal battles are often fought long before voters cast their ballots.
