Patriot Party A Victim Of Bad Timing

A member of the Patriot Party was not allowed to run for the seat vacated by the death of Sen. Cal Anderson because of what King County’s elections superintendent calls “a crazy situation.”

Superintendent Bob Bruce said state law requires minor-party candidates to be nominated by a convention and the convention must be advertised 10 days in advance.

The problem: The Sept. 19 primary was scheduled about 10 days ago, three days after Anderson died from complications from AIDS.

Patriot Party candidate Rae Larson said the local party held a June convention, but didn’t nominate anybody for the seat then filled by a living person.

But another minor-party candidate, Libertarian Art Rathjen, was allowed to file for the primary Wednesday because his party held an impromptu convention last week to nominate him. King County waived the 10-day public notification requirement for that convention, Bruce said.

The Patriot Party might take their arguments to court, said Patriot Party state chairwoman Harriet Hoffman.

“The Democrats and Republicans make the rules to keep everybody out,” she said.

Two Democrats have filed for the primary race to replace Anderson: state Rep. Pat Thibaudeau and Seattle City Council staff member Ed Murray.

The Patriot Party was founded in April 1994. It was an outgrowth of veterans of the Ross Perot movement and followers of Lenora Fulani, who was the New Alliance Party’s presidential candidate in 1992.