Losing Conservative
gubernatorial candidate will continue campaign as write-in
WEST LAKE, Damoign --
Days after the Damoign Supreme Court ruled it was too late for him to change
his party affiliation, Conservative-turned-Independent businessman Rick Tesario
of West Lake announced he will continue his campaign for governor as a write-in
candidate.
Tesario previously filed to run for governor as a
Conservative, but then filed to run as an Independent a day before the October
25 primary election.
The Damoign Secretary of State’s office said Tesario was too
late to change his affiliation. Ballots listing him as a Conservative had
already been printed.
Tesario sued, saying the deadline for election filings
should be extended because of computer problems within the Secretary of State’s
office, which handles elections.
Tesario’s lawyers argued the wealthy billionaire inventor
and businessman should be allowed to change his party affiliation at the last
second, and instead run as an Independent.
Filed the day before the primary election, his lawsuit could
not be resolved before voters went to the polls. It finally concluded last week
with the Damoign Supreme Court ruling Tesario was too late in changing his
party affiliation.
“Mr. Tesario has the right, just like every other candidate
for statewide office in the state of Damoign, to change or withdraw his party
affiliation. But like every other candidate in Damoign, he should have made
that decision earlier. The day before the primary election is well past time
for any candidate to change their affiliation,” said Chief Justice Richard
Gregorio-Ovalla in a written explanation for the majority opinion.
With his candidacy and party affiliation thrown into doubt a
day before voters took to the polls, Mr. Tesario ended the primary election in
last place, taking not quite 13% of the vote.
Former Lt. Gov. and megachurch pastor Mercer Diego clinched
the nomination with 28%, followed by former National Security Secretary Robert
Austin with 23%, Assemblywoman Patricia “Pat” Leemore with just under 23%, and
Assemblyman John DeGallio with 13%.
With a last-place finish and the state supreme court’s
ruling against him, it’s effectively the end of the road for the Tesario
campaign, or at least a dead end on the path to victory.
No candidate has ever won a write-in campaign for a
statewide race in Damoign in modern history. With over a population of 24.5
million people, it’s highly unlikely a write-in candidate, particularly one
that’s not very well-known such as Mr. Tesario, could pull off a victory.
But Tesario has vowed to forge on with his long-shot
write-in bid anyway.
“The two-party system is an utter failure. I refuse to
surrender this election to the two corrupt political parties,” said a defiant
Tesario at a campaign rally in Evanter, 125 miles south of Grassadellia City.
So why did Rick Tesario want to change his affiliation at
the last second? Sources within the Tesario campaign say Mr. Tesario feared he
would lose in the five-person Conservative primary, but figured he could
advance to the general election by filing as an Independent.
If he ran as an Independent and obtained a sufficient amount
of votes in the primary election, Tesario could have been guaranteed a spot on
the general election ballot. Although even as an official Independent candidate
on the ballot, it’s difficult to win an election when not affiliated with one
of the major political parties.
At a campaign rally in the city of Oscarville in southwest
Damoign, Saturday, Mr. Tesario ripped the Conservative party leadership.
“This election, the way they treated me when I threatened to
run as an Independent candidate, it shows just how corrupt the Conservative
Party is and what incredible lengths they will go to to make sure their
preferred candidate wins and the underdog guy, the rebel candidate, the one
that won’t do exactly what they want but will stand up for himself and buck his
party when necessary, they make sure that candidate loses,” said Tesario.
Party leaders say there was no corruption or favoritism
involved in the primary campaign, although they concede Tesario was not the
first choice of party leaders.
“Mr. Tesario was treated fairly and equally as the other
four Conservative candidates in the race,” said Saul Hannah, deputy president
of the state CNS party affiliate.
“His eccentric personality and his very flimsy adherence to
conservative positions and policies are far more responsible for his demise
than party leaders orchestrating and working against him,” said Mr. Hannah.
Indeed, the inventor and businessman is known for his
eccentric personality. He notably lacks the warmth and folksy demeanor
Conservative nominee Mercer Diego displays on the campaign trail. And he doesn’t
speak with passion like NAT candidate Jenna Duvan.
Tesario was born into an affluent family, but expanded his
fortune through inventions and patents. He is more comfortable talking stocks
and government debt than he is discussing politics. His campaign has focused
almost exclusively on the economy and managing the state’s money.
Despite his eccentricities, Tesario’s main argument is
simple: he is not a politician, and he understands the economy better than the
typical politicians running for the major parties.
He promised to rein in unemployment, to pay off outstanding
debts the state owes, and jump-start job creation, which has slowed noticeably
during the tenure of current Gov. Rod Penora (N).
The Diego campaign filed a brief with the Damoign Supreme
Court, asking the court to rule against Tesario.
If Tesario were still in the race, he would likely take more votes
away from Mr. Diego than Attorney General Jenna Duvan, as most Tesario supporters are Conservatives or independents that lean Conservative.
Even as an unofficial write-in candidate, though virtually
guaranteed to lose, Tesario could still siphon votes away from Mercer Diego,
which could help deliver a victory for the strongly liberal Duvan, who is
beloved by liberals but reviled by Conservatives.
In a campaign stop at a Tolston delicatessen Saturday
afternoon, Mr. Diego said Rick Tesario is entitled to continue his campaign as
a write-in candidate, but doing so would assure a victory for Jenna Duvan.
“It’s his right, and he is entitled to run as a write-in
candidate. But it’s a losing prospect, and it will only help Jenna Duvan. Every
vote that’s not for me is a vote for Jenna,” Diego told the media who were
following him on the campaign trail.
Not surprisingly, Ms. Duvan, who is the frontrunner in the
race, didn’t have a problem with Mr. Tesario staying in the race.
“We live in a democratic society, and if someone doesn’t win
their party’s nomination, I think they have the democratic right to run as a
write-in candidate and garner as many votes as they can,” said Duvan. “If Rick
Tesario runs as a write-in candidate against the wishes of the Conservative Party,
they have no one to blame but themselves. Their party tried to silence him,
alienate him and his supporters, marginalize them because he’s a ‘moderate’ and
might go rogue against the party. They have done this to themselves,” Duvan
said.
Mr. Tesario knows he has little chance of winning, but said
he will stay in the race in spite of his losing venture.
“It’s the principle of it. I was treated unfairly, and more
importantly, all my supporters were treated unfairly by the party
establishment. We are going to send a strong message to the corrupt party
leaders, and that message is this: we want a free, fair election where voters
can choose their own candidate without the party leaders meddling and trying to
influence the election in their favor.”
A Grassadellia City Times/University of Damoign poll
conducted October 26-29 showed Jenna Duvan (N) leading a three-way race,
receiving 50% support, followed by Mercer Diego (C) with 40% and Tesario (IND)
with 10 percent.
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