On Friday night, federal Judge James Dever made a decision in the North Carolina Green Party’s lawsuit against the State Board of Elections, placing the party’s candidates on the ballot and claiming jurisdiction over the matter.
The case was judged as partly moot, but only in the matter of whether the party would be recognized, after the NCSBE voted 4-0 to reverse an earlier decision and recognize them.
But Dever determined the case still had matters to be determined, both in the matter of whether the NCSBE would wave the July 1 deadline for candidate filing and whether his decision in federal court would supercede a potential decision in state courts in a case recently filed by the North Carolina Democratic Party.
In both of these matters, Dever ruled as the Greens had hoped — their candidates would be on the ballot and the NC Democrats state lawsuit would not be able to reverse the ruling because Dever claimed jurisdiction.
This means the Green Party’s U.S. Senate candidate, veteran Matthew Hoh, will be on the ballot along with Republican Ted Budd, Democrat Cheri Beasley, and Libertarian Shannon Bray. Democrats had tried in multiple ways to prevent this, including the last-ditch lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court.
Hoh told CJ after the decision, “I am grateful for the Federal Court’s decision placing the North Carolina Green Party’s candidates on November’s ballot. This is a win for democracy. North Carolina voters will now have an option to vote for a Senate candidate who represents working families. Issues that would have otherwise been ignored by the corporate backed candidates, such as healthcare for all, student and medical debt relief, affordable housing, true living wages, a Green New Deal and an end to the war on drugs, will now have a voice and a representative in this year’s US Senate election.”
Immediately after the announcement, The N.C. Green Party reacted on Twitter:
More updates coming. The decision by Dever can be read in full below: