With a shortfall of 3,109 verified signatures, the far-right Patriot Party of Arizona was unable to meet its requirements. (Image via Facebook)
Unfortunately, the Patriot Party of Arizona on the far-right has fallen short in its attempt to secure enough valid signatures to be recognized as a political party on the 2024 ballot.
On Monday, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes declared that the aspiring political party received 37,227 signatures, exceeding the required 34,127. However, only 31,018 signatures were deemed valid after verification became mandatory.
In a press release, Fontes stated that the Patriot Party of Arizona has not met the minimum signature requirement after the necessary statutory review by his office and county elections officials throughout the state. As a result, the party will not be considered a new political party for federal, statewide, and legislative races in the 2024 Primary and General Elections under Arizona law.
Fontes has been under pressure from the Republican National Committee and the Arizona Republican Party after they threatened to take him to court if the Patriot Party of Arizona gained recognition. The GOP accused Fontes of including signatures from non-registered voters and outdated signatures, among other errors, totaling 8,000 and 10,000 respectively.
The AZGOP expressed their satisfaction in a press release, celebrating the failure of the Patriot Party to acquire adequate signatures. They hailed this as a crucial triumph in upholding the authenticity of Arizona’s petition signature collection mechanism.
According to the AZGOP, over 50 of their volunteers diligently examined and verified more than 37,000 signatures by hand at the party’s headquarters until the wee hours of the morning.
According to the AZGOP, Fontes was criticized for favoring partisan interests over transparent and impartial processes due to the alterations he made to the qualification process for new parties.
John Fillmore, a former Republican state legislator and the leader of the Patriot Party, did not provide a comment upon request.
Daniel McCarthy and Steven Tyler Daniels were the previous leaders of the Patriot Party of Arizona. McCarthy ran for the U.S. Senate seat in 2020 as a Republican, but was defeated in the primary election by Martha McSally. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Daniels was unsuccessful in his attempt to become the chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. Known for their bold political tactics, both men have been vocal about their opposition to what they refer to as the “uniparty” system. This fringe theory suggests that there are no significant differences between the ways Republicans and Democrats govern.
Since 2021, the group has been striving to gain recognition as a political party in Arizona. Unfortunately, it missed a crucial deadline to submit signatures before the 2022 elections.
Political parties that are recognized will have the advantage of automatically being able to access the ballot for the general election.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, McCarthy encouraged people to harass individuals wearing masks, which attracted the attention and support of extremists on the far right, including anti-LGBTQ provocateur Ethan Schmidt.
In a video uploaded by Schmidt, McCarthy recounted his initial encounter with Ethan, stating, “I told him to go out and shame people wearing masks. Every person donning a mask should be ostracized from society.” McCarthy’s words were forceful and unyielding, leaving no room for ambiguity.
In 2021, Daniels made headlines after he was arrested for disrupting a school board meeting in Chandler. It’s worth noting that both Daniels and Justine Wadsack, who was elected to the state Senate in 2022, have a history of extreme activities. The Patriot Party of Arizona played a significant role in organizing protests at school boards all over the state, beginning with a massive gathering of parents at the board chambers in the small town of Vail. Daniels and Wadsack were among the attendees at these events.
According to recent reports, the No Labels Party is facing legal challenges as Democrats in Arizona have filed a lawsuit against the party for being qualified for ballot access in the state. In response, the No Labels Party has also filed a lawsuit of their own to prevent individuals from running for any office other than President under their banner.
