Libertarian candidate to be listed as independent on Tennessee ballot

Arkansas-Tennessee Live Blog

NASHVILLE - A federal judge has denied a request by the Libertarian Party candidate for governor that his party affiliation appear next to his name on the ballot. Instead, Daniel Lewis will be listed as an independent.

That's because the Libertarian Party of Tennessee has not collected the more-than-40,000 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot under Tennessee law. Individual candidates need collect only 25 signatures to appear on the ballot, but they appear as independents if their parties have not also qualified.

The party is suing over the signature requirement, claiming it is onerous.

The order filed last week by U.S. District Judge William Haynes denied a temporary injunction that would have allowed Lewis be listed as a Libertarian on the ballot while the lawsuit works its way through the courts.

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