Current:Home > NewsIndiana US Senate candidate files suit challenging law that may keep him off the ballot -Capitatum
Indiana US Senate candidate files suit challenging law that may keep him off the ballot
View
Date:2025-04-18 22:13:47
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An egg farmer seeking the Republican nomination for Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2024 filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the constitutionality of a state law that could prevent him from getting on the ballot.
John Rust, the chair of Seymour-based Rose Acre Farms, filed the lawsuit against Secretary of State Diego Morales, the Indiana Election Commission and Jackson County Republican Party Chair Amanda Lowery.
Rust told The Indianapolis Star he hopes the lawsuit will allow Indiana residents that identify with their party to run for office without following requirements in Indiana law on political party affiliation.
The law says a candidate’s past two primary elections must be cast with the party the candidate is affiliated with or a county party chair must approve the candidacy. In the lawsuit filed in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis, Rust states that this statute “should be struck down as being unconstitutionally vague and overly broad.”
Rust voted as a Republican in the 2016 primary but as a Democrat in the 2012 primary. He did not vote in the 2020 Republican primary due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lack of competitive Republican races in Jackson County, the lawsuit says.
He said his Democratic votes went to people who he knew personally. But he said he’s always been a conservative Republican and voted for Republicans in the general elections.
The lawsuit states Lowery, in a July meeting with Rust, expressed concerns about Rust’s votes in Democratic primaries and said she would not certify him.
Lowery said she could not comment on pending litigation. An email seeking comment was sent to Morales’ office.
Rust faces an uphill battle for the GOP nomination against U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, who has received the endorsement of the Indiana Republican Party. In a statement, Banks said Rust’s “longtime Democrat voting record” disqualifies him from running as a Republican.
“No one is trying to keep him off the ballot, he just thinks he’s above the law and can throw his money around to buy a U.S. Senate seat,” Banks said.
The U.S. Senate seat is being vacated by Sen. Mike Braun, who is running for governor.
veryGood! (82494)
prev:Average rate on 30
next:Small twin
Related
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Botched's Dr. Terry Dubrow Issues Warning on Weight Loss Surgeries After Lisa Marie Presley Death
- Clean Beauty 101: All of Your Burning Questions Answered by Experts
- Vecinos de La Villita temen que empeore la contaminación ambiental por los planes de ampliación de la autopista I-55
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Methane Mitigation in Texas Could Create Thousands of Jobs in the Oil and Gas Sector
- Cities Stand to Win Big With the Inflation Reduction Act. How Do They Turn This Opportunity Into Results?
- Gigi Hadid Is the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo After Debuting Massive New Ink
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Harry Styles’ 7 New Wax Figures Will Have You Doing a Double Take
Ranking
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- As Extreme Fires Multiply, California Scientists Zero In on How Smoke Affects Pregnancy and Children
- Inside Penelope Disick's 11th Birthday Trip to Hawaii With Pregnant Mom Kourtney Kardashian and Pals
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s Ty Pennington Hospitalized 2 Days After Barbie Red Carpet
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Here's the Reason Why Goldie Hawn Never Married Longtime Love Kurt Russell
- Inexpensive Solar Panels Are Essential for the Energy Transition. Here’s What’s Happening With Prices Right Now
- Blac Chyna Celebrates 10 Months of Sobriety Amid Personal Transformation Journey
Recommendation
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
Harry Styles’ 7 New Wax Figures Will Have You Doing a Double Take
The UN Wants the World Court to Address Nations’ Climate Obligations. Here’s What Could Happen Next
Environmental Groups File Court Challenge on California Rooftop Solar Policy
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
California, Battered by Atmospheric Rivers, Faces a Big Melt This Spring
Sharna Burgess Deserves a 10 for Her Birthday Tribute to Fine AF Brian Austin Green
Preserving the Cowboy Way of Life