The Minnesota DFL is challenging whether Republican incumbant Gil Gutknecht can remain on the ballot this November because of some apparently invalid petition signatures, the Star Tribune
reports.
The Minnesota Supreme Court will make the final decision on a DFL lawsuit claiming that most of the petitions that Gutknecht filed on July 5 had been signed before a July 4-18 period prescribed by state law and that he therefore should be stricken from the ballot.
More below.
Mary Kiffmeyer, the Republican Secretary of State certified the signatures because:
"There's no limitation on the time of collecting signatures for petitions in lieu of filing fees."
According to Kiffmeyer, the only people who must abide by the July 4-18 period for collecting signatures are those who are running independantly or for a minor party. The filing fee in lieu of petitions is $300. Gutknecht was the only major party candidate in the state to submit petitions.
The DFL is challenging the petitions for a pretty good reason, according to the attorney of the 77 year-old man who filed the suit.
Last week, Louis Reiter, 77, of Elgin, Minn., filed papers with the state Supreme Court seeking to disqualify Gutknecht. The filing was prepared by Alan Weinblatt, a DFL election attorney, who argued the time limit for petitions applies to all candidates.
If it did not, Weinblatt said, major party candidates could collect signatures years before an election and use them over and over again in succeeding years, an "arbitrary and ridiculous result," he said.
If the Supreme Court sides with the plaintiff, Gutknecht will have only 250 signatures, far short of the 1,000 required by state law. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean Tim Walz will be uncontested.
A second Republican candidate has filed for the First Congressional District seat and will appear on the primary ballot. He is Gregory Mikkelson, of Lake Crystal, Minn.
Kiffmeyer and Gutknecht have until 4:30 PM Thursday to file formal responses. At that time the court will schedule the hearing. This is one to watch.
There is a bit of irony to this. Gil Gutknecht has always filed and re-filed using petitions to save his campaign the $300 in order to tout himself as a fiscal conservative.
He's certainly failed in that regard.
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