Photo via The Supreme Court of Texas
The Supreme Court of Texas denied a challenge from the Republican Party to keep 23 Libertarian Party candidates off of the ballot. Two of those candidates will be on local ballots. Nick Hearn is challenging incumbent Republican State Representative District 87 Four Price and Shanna Steele is challenging incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. No other candidates for State House District 87 are on the ballot. Democrat Mike Collier.
The Republican Party filed the challenge on August 8th, complaining that the 23 Libertarians they were challenging “failed to pay either their required filing fee or file their required signature petition in lieu of payment of their required filing fee.”
The Supreme Court of Texas denied the challenge last Friday, pointing out that “nearly four months passed” between the Libertarian Party nominating the candidates and the Republican Party filing the challenge.
Libertarian Party of Texas Chair Whitney Bilyeu said in a statement that “The Libertarian Party of Texas is thrilled with this outcome.” She further stated that keeping the candidates on the ballots provides options for “voters who reject the ever-increasing tyranny and authoritarianism of the Republican and Democratic Parties.”
Nick Hearn said the following in a statement posted to social media: “Sorry gop you’ll see my name on the ballot this November.”
The list of Libertarian Party Candidates that had been challenged by the Republican Party is included below. There were also 40 other Libertarian Party candidates not challenged by the Republican Party. A list of all Libertarian Party candidates in the upcoming November election can be found at the Libertarian Party of Texas website at https://lptexas.org/about/2022-candidates/.
U. S. Representative District 3: Christopher Claytor
U. S. Representative District 4: John Simmons
U. S. Representative District 8: Roy Eriksen
U. S. Representative District 10: Bill Kelsey
U. S. Representative District 15: Ross Lynn Leone, Jr.
U. S. Representative District 22: Joseph Leblanc
U. S. Representative District 26: Mike Kolls
U. S. Representative District 33: Ken Ashby
Lieutenant Governor: Shanna Steele
Member, State Board Of Education, District 7: Alan Pyeatt
State Senator, District 5: Tommy Estes
State Senator, District 8: Edward Kless
State Senator, District 22: Jeremy Schroppel
State Representative District 4: Matt Savino
State Representative District 8: R. Edwin Adams
State Representative District 14: Jeff Miller
State Representative District 87: Nick Hearn
State Representative District 122: Stephanie Berlin
State Representative District 133: James Patrick Harren
State Representative District 134: Carol Unsicker
Brazos County Judge: Clyde Garland
Llano County Treasurer: Joe Burnes
Brazos County Justice Of The Peace Precinct 2: Bailey C. Cole
Click the button below to read the case summary published by the Texas Supreme Court: