Judge Makes Anderson Keep Name On Ballot Though He’s Pulled Out Of Race, He Still Could Take Votes Away From Burnette

Spokane County voters can cast their ballots for independent County Commission candidate Chris Anderson - whether he wants them to or not.

A judge Friday denied Anderson’s request to pull his name from the November ballot.

The ruling puts Anderson in the bizarre position of campaigning against himself.

He withdrew from the race Sept. 28, acknowledging that a win was improbable and that he wanted to continue on the Spokane City Council.

Anderson, 43, immediately threw his support to Republican Martin Burnette, who he said had a better chance at beating Democrat John Roskelley in a two-candidate race.

Superior Court Judge Larry Kristianson, brought in from Colville to hear Anderson’s plea, said state election laws afforded him “little room for discretion.”

Kristianson said the laws, which generally prohibit candidate withdrawals after primaries, were intended to avoid “election chicanery.”

While candidates can remove their names from ballots with a court order, such orders almost always are limited to extraordinary circumstances, such as the candidate dying or moving away.

“I’m disappointed,” Anderson said.

“I’m disappointed not so much personally but for all the people of Spokane County. I stood to lose nothing personally.”

He conceded, however, that Burnette, his personal preference, will have a tougher time outpolling Roskelley, who ran away from a six-man primary field of Republicans, Democrats and the independent.

County civil attorney Jim Emacio successfully argued that the court should not engage in “political manipulation of the ballot.”

The law, he said, requires candidates to demonstrate an error, wrongful act or neglect by elections officials - a standard even Anderson said he couldn’t meet.

“Mr. Anderson has to demonstrate a clear legal right, not a political right, not a wish, not a hope,” Emacio said.

Members of the Republican Party had aided Anderson’s request to pull his name from the ballot, saying it would improve their candidate’s chances.

, DataTimes