A Florida Senate committee has recommended making it tougher for political candidates to switch or leave parties in mid-campaign, a move spurred by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's bolt from the Republican Party to run as an independent for U.S. Senate.
The Florida Senate Ethics and Elections Committee also calls for a "sore-loser statute" that would prohibit party-affiliated candidates who lose a primary from re-entering the race as in independent.
| Except that Orange-Boy didn't lose a primary, he pulled out prior to the primary because he saw he was going to lose. A 'sore-loser statute' wouldn't have affected him. |
"The issue is whether Florida law regarding candidates who change political parties while running for office is unambiguous and expansive enough to promote the state's interests in political stability and maintaining integrity in the various routes to the ballot," said a report released this month by the committee. "After careful review, some changes appear worthy of consideration."
The panel cited other states, including Caliphornia and Colorado, that have stricter election laws regarding candidates switching or leaving parties.
The committee suggested that candidates be registered with a party - or to be a declared independent - one year before they must qualify for the office they seek. Since the qualification deadline for federal offices typically is about six months before the November general election, candidates would be locked into party or "non-party" status about 18 months before the final election, "effectively preventing last-minute party-switching for personal political gain." |