ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606170082
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER JAY RUTLEDGE, the Libertarian candidate,
submitted 2,299 signatures on 110 petitions this week.
A 3RD CANDIDATE ENTERS THE RING
Libertarian candidate Jay Rutledge, who lives in Southeast Roanoke, this week submitted 2,299 signatures on 110 petitions to the state Board of Elections in his effort to get on the ballot alongside Republican incumbent Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, and Democratic challenger Jeff Grey of Lexington.
The Board of Elections is checking the signatures to ensure they come from voters registered in the 6th District. It expects to have that done by July 15.
Rutledge needs 1,139 valid signatures to win a spot on the ballot.
"I want to thank everyone who signed for giving us a chance," Rutledge said in a news release issued this week. "Hopefully, we have enough extra signatures to get over the petition hurdle. The political freedom to get on the ballot is important. ... But the laws infringing political freedom put on the books by the old parties are like a ball and chain on young parties."
Rutledge gained some notoriety two weeks ago in U.S. District Court in Roanoke by challenging a Festival in the Park rule that prevented him from gathering signatures in Elmwood Park during the festival.
He won the right in federal court, but an appellate judge later ruled Festival in the Park had the right to forbid him from passing out campaign literature in the park while the festival was under way.
One of Rutledge's campaign planks will be support for a constitutional amendment setting term limits at three two-year terms for members of the House of Representative and one six-year term for U.S. senators.
"A term limit amendment must also forbid the states from giving advantage to any political party or parties by law," Rutledge said.
The 6th District stretches from Roanoke to Harrisonburg and includes Lynchburg, Staunton and Lexington.
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB