N.M. Court Orders Nader's Name on Ballot
NewsMax.com Wires
Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004
SANTA FE, N.M. The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday
ordered Ralph Nader's name to be placed on New Mexico's Nov. 2
ballot as an independent presidential candidate, turning back a
Democrat challenge to his candidacy.
The court announced its decision after deliberating for about 90
minutes following oral arguments in the case earlier Tuesday.
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The New Mexico Democratic Party brought a lawsuit against Nader
after he was certified as a candidate by Secretary of State Rebecca
Vigil-Giron. Nader filed nominating petitions Sept. 7 with
signatures of about 31,000 voters, more than twice the required
amount, to secure a spot on the ballot.
The ruling overturns a decision last week by state District
Judge Theresa Baca, who said that Nader didn't qualify as an
independent candidate in New Mexico because he was running in other
states as the nominee for minor parties, including the Reform Party
in Florida and Colorado.
Nader is on the ballot in more than 30 states, but faces court
challenges in some of those and is suing for ballot access in
several others.
Democrats worry that Nader will take some support from John
Kerry, potentially giving President Bush the edge in New Mexico,
which is among the swing states considered critical by both parties
in this year's election.
Bush lost the state in 2000 by 366 votes. Nader ran as the Green
Party nominee four years ago and received about 4 percent of the
vote in New Mexico.
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