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Evans Accepts Constitutionist Nomination for US Senate; Libertarians Convene in Aberdeen July 30

By Cory Allen Heidelberger on 2016-07-12

Kurt Evans pops two bits of third-party news into the cycle. First, Evans tells us that he is once again a candidate for United States Senate. Evans accepted the nomination of the South Dakota Constitution Party  Saturday to challenge Democrat Jay Williams and Republican incumbent Senator John Thune. This nomination is extralegal and depends on the Constitution and Libertarian parties prevailing in a pending ballot access lawsuit.

Evans ran for U.S. Senate in 2002 as a Libertarian. He considered running for Senate as a Libertarian again in 2014 but bailed before the campaign got going. The Libertarians re-recruited Evans in 2014 to run for auditor, in which race, absent a Democratic challenger, Evans spent no money and broke 20%, an impressive turnout on which the Libertarian Party might have built a little recognition and momentum. However, Evans left the Libertarians, considered an Independent bid for Senate this year, then changed his mind last October and returned to his Democratic roots in May to support Clinton as the “least-dangerous major-party candidate” in the Presidential race.

Meanwhile, the South Dakota Libertarians are toiling on. As Evans mentioned yesterday, our Libertarian neighbors will hold their convention here in Aberdeen on Saturday, July 30, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Unlike 2014, when the Libertarians convened in the Sioux Falls public library, they’re going all swanky and renting meeting space at the Aberdeen Ramkota. The convention is open to the public (and the press, I hope!), but only registered Libertarians can vote.

Published in South Dakota

14 Comments

  1. Nick Nemec 2016-07-12 07:50

    Is it possible Evans could garner the nominations of both the Constitutionist and Libertarian parties?

  2. Timoteo 2016-07-12 08:58

    I thought the libertarians would have to put up Gary Johnson, their national candidate. I must be missing something in how this works.

  3. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-07-12 10:02

    Timoteo, the Libs can nominate whomever they want for President, although it would be silly for them not to nominate their national party’s ticket. But I think Nick is referring to the U.S. Senate race. I don’t think the Libs can nominate Evans unless he renounces his registration with the Constitution Party and registers Lib. Remember the Libs’ 2014 fiasco with Ryan Gaddy? State law says a nominee must be a registered member of the nominating party (see SDCL 12-6-3.2).

  4. Stace Nelson 2016-07-12 10:48

    These political parties should be free to
    Nominate whomever they wish.

  5. Rorschach 2016-07-12 11:10

    I agree with Mr. Nelson. If a party wants to nominate someone who is not a member they should be able to do that. What compelling interest is there for the legislature to take away from political parties the right to nominate any person who can get enough votes in a primary or according to a party’s rules at convention?

  6. Stace Nelson 2016-07-12 11:41

    @Rorschach Base politics of control. This is No different then when they gerrymandered districts in 2011 to hurt political opponents and help cronies. Sadly, we have many registered “Republicans” who see Republicanism as a vehicle to be carjacked for their political aspirations and not as a noble ideology to be supported and upheld.

  7. Bob Newland 2016-07-12 17:12

    I suppose it’s possible, Nick, but not likely.

  8. Kurt Evans 2016-07-12 17:47

    Nick Nemec asks:

    Is it possible Evans could garner the nominations of both the Constitutionist and Libertarian parties?

    Cory writes:

    I don’t think the Libs can nominate Evans unless he renounces his registration with the Constitution Party and registers Lib.

    I’m not aware of anything in state law that would invalidate the Constitution Party’s nomination under those circumstances, but for the record, I’m not planning to try it.

    Stace Nelson writes:

    These political parties should be free to
    Nominate whomever they wish.

    I’m with Stace on this. Regardless of whether SDCL 12-6-3.2 violates the U.S. Constitution, it’s one of several lousy authoritarian election laws that South Dakota ought to change.

  9. Kris 2016-07-13 17:10

    if me n my buds can get to Aberdeen can we sine up to vote?

  10. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-07-13 20:27

    Kris, you will need to register to vote as a Libertarian first. You can stop at the county auditor’s office to do that on Friday. Don’t wait until you get here on July 30.

    And make sure you spell everything correctly, or your name may be stricken from future petitions that you sign. Come Friday, July 29, and I can meet you at the courthouse to help you fill out the form.

  11. Kris 2016-07-13 21:04

    And make sure you spell everything correctly, or your name may be stricken from future petitions that you sign. Come Friday, July 29, and I can meet you at the courthouse to help you fill out the form.

    you gonna meet me at da Minnehaha courthouse. dats were I hav to do it rite?

  12. Bob Newland 2016-07-13 21:35

    Kris, don’t bother unless you can write a complete sentence. With correctly spelled words.

  13. Kurt Evans 2016-07-13 23:32

    Bob Newland writes:

    Kris, don’t bother unless you can write a complete sentence. With correctly spelled words.

    I’d like to clarify that while Bob may find Kris’s spelling choices abhorrent on a personal level, he’d never advocate addressing the matter through government coercion (ha ha).

Comments are closed.