Four ways you can still run for office without qualifying for the primary
Link to the June Michigan Libertarian
By Greg Stempfle, Political Director
1) Be nominated for statewide office at the Libertarian Party of Michigan Fall State Convention
There are thirteen statewide candidates that may be nominated at our August 25 state convention in Romulus. These are candidates that do not compete in the primary election. Delegates will select our nominees for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Board of Education (2 seats), MSU Board of Trustees (2), U of M Board of Regents (2), WSU Board of Governors (2), and Justice of the Supreme Court (2).
2) Win the primary as a write-in candidate
To win a primary as a write-in candidate and advance to the general election, the write-in candidate has to receive enough votes to equal 0.15% of the population of the particular area based on the 2010 census (MCL 168.582). For statewide office, such as US Senator, this figure is 14,825 write-in votes, nearly the same as the 15,000 required signatures to qualify for the ballot in the first place. For Congress, it will average 1,059 write-in votes, State Senate, 390 votes, and State House, 135 votes. The number will vary slightly district to district, depending on the population. In order to run as a write-in candidate, the candidate has to file a “Declaration of Intent” by July 27, 2018.
For comparison, in 2016, Debra Wirth won an otherwise uncontested Democratic primary for the 4th district with 2,013 votes and in 2012 Gary Johnson got 7,774 write-in votes for President in Michigan. Mike Duggan holds the record for most write-in votes received with 44,395 in the 2013 Detroit Mayoral primary.
3) Run as an independent
The option also exists to qualify for the November ballot as a candidate with “No Party Affiliation”. Such independent candidates must also collect signatures to appear on the ballot; a filing fee is not an option. The signature number requirement for each office are as follows: US Senator or Governor (30,000), Congress (3,000), State Senator (1,500), and State Representative (600). The deadline to file for the general election as an independent is July 19, 2018.
4) Run for nonpartisan office
There will be a limited number of nonpartisan races on the ballot this year across the state including various school boards, community college boards, library boards and city offices. Please check with your local or county election officials to see what will be on the November ballot and confirm the local filing deadline.
Write-in, independent, and nonpartisan candidates are able to receive an endorsement from Libertarian Party of Michigan delegates at the Fall State Convention, but our bylaws prohibit us from endorsing candidates running as nominees of other parties.
