Stefanowski Loses Lawsuit To Remove Independent Party From Ballot

CONNECTICUT — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski lost his lawsuit to remove the Independent Party from the November ballot. He accused party officials of improperly running a caucus vote that resulted in opponent Robert Hotaling winning the party’s gubernatorial nomination.

Stefanowski sought the Independent Party nomination, which would have landed him a second line on the ballot. He won the party endorsement during his 2018 run. The Independent Party is a minor party and separate from unaffiliated voters, who belong to no party.

Gov. Ned Lamont is cross-endorsed by the Democratic Party, Working Families Party and Griebel-Frank for Connecticut Party.

Stefanowski alleged in a lawsuit that Independent Party Chairman Michael Telesca violated the party’s bylaws. He alleged that Telesca violated the rules when he voted a second time to break a tie between Stefanowski and Hotaling. He also said rules were broken when Hotaling won the nomination despite not getting 51 percent of the votes cast at the caucus. The party used ranked choice voting during the caucus.

Stefanowski sought to have Hotaling and his running mate Stuart “Chip” Beckett removed from the ballot.

The Independent Party and Hotaling argued that the party bylaws say nothing about what to do in the event of a caucus vote tie.

Stefanowski said in a statement that the decision was disappointing, but he doesn’t plan to appeal, according to the CT Mirror. He called for the legislature to consider changing the rules for minor parties, so the situation doesn’t happen again.

Certain rules regarding major parties don’t necessarily apply to minor parties, according to state law, Superior Judge Cesar Noble wrote in his decision.

“Had the legislature desired to impose a mandate that minor parties must follow their rules, it clearly knew how to do so, but did not,” he wrote.

“The court again stresses that this conclusion does not impart unlimited or unilateral discretion in the presiding officer of a minor party to select the party’s nominee,” Superior Court Judge Cesar Noble wrote in his decision. “Adherence to party rules in a fashion that does not result in unlawful or irrational action is a prerequisite for a nominee to be considered “duly elected.”