Rogers ends campaign; ballot closed

In one of the more unusual developments in local electoral politics, Heidi Rogers, the winner of Tuesday’s GOP primary for lieutenant governor, this afternoon withdrew her campaign. Rogers and state Republican chairman Giovanni Cicione threw their support behind Robert “Cool Moose” Healey, who’s making his third LG bid on a platform of eliminating the office.

Rogers told reporters she originally planned to continue her campaign, but decided to fold it after long talks with Healey. Healey says he’s seen information showing him within the margin of error in a matchup with Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Roberts.

We wondered whether Kara Russo, loser of the GOP LG primary, or other Republicans could get on the ballot for LG in November. (Healey says he intends to run as an independent.) Chris Barnett of the secretary of state’s office says the answer is “no,” because of this section of state law. The only alternative for additional challengers, Barnett says, is to run on a write-in basis.

 § 17-15-38  Vacancies among nominees. – (a) Whenever the nominee of a party for a particular office dies after the primary, or removes him or herself from the jurisdiction of or as a candidate for the office for which the nominee seeks election, or becomes physically or mentally disabled, the state committee of that party or a duly authorized subcommittee of the state committee in the case of state officers, and the appropriate city, town, ward, or district committee or any duly authorized subcommittee of them in the case of candidates for the other offices covered by § 17-15-7, may file with the appropriate authority the name of its nominee for the office; provided, that except in the case of death, the appropriate committee shall file the name with the appropriate authority no later than four o’clock (4:00) p.m. of the third (3rd) day following the last day for the holding of the party primaries; and provided, further, that any appointed nominee shall have been eligible for the nomination on the dates as required by and pursuant to the requirements of §§ 17-14-1.1, 17-14-2, and 17-14-2.1. The person so named shall be the nominee of the party for the office, and if in case of the death of a nominee time will permit, the secretary of state shall place the name of the nominee upon the election ballot. When the withdrawal or death occurs after the third (3rd) day after the last day for holding primaries, the secretary of state shall not be required to remove from any computer ballot or mail ballot which has already been printed the name of any person who is no longer the nominee of a party for a particular office as provided in this subsection, and any votes cast in any election for that person shall not be counted.