Jon Huntsman Fails To Qualify For Arizona's Presidential Primary Ballot

PHOENIX -- The Arizona secretary of state's office says Jon Huntsman has failed to qualify for the state's presidential primary.

A spokesman for Secretary of State Ken Bennett says the former Utah governor filed paperwork a few hours before Monday's 5 p.m. deadline, but that it was missing a notarized signature from the candidate.

Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller says the campaign submitted what was required and will aggressively challenge the ruling to get on the ballot.

Arizona's presidential preference primary is scheduled for Feb. 28.

It's a Republican-dominated affair because President Barack Obama faces no opposition for the Democratic nomination.

Major GOP candidates Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Ron Paul made the ballot, as did 24 other people.

Comments

[Hunter Stuart]

01:21 PM on 01/13/2012

Wait, what? He was missing a notarized signature? I bet you he's not even an American citizen; I bet he's secretly a Chinese socialist in disguise. Let's demand to see his birth certificate before we allow this monster to continue to deceive honest Americans.

[BeautifulWorld]

11:34 PM on 01/10/2012

Copy of the original and not notarized. - Inauthentic and illegitimate. Definitely fitting for this man.

The guy is not who he appears to be. Don't trust him. Mark my words.

[ladyrosedeky]

06:18 PM on 01/10/2012

Bummer! But if Perry and Newt get put on the ballot in Virginia after filing an appeal, Huntsman should be able to get on Arizona's through an appeal process. Especially since the person making the decision is working for Romney. That is the only way for it not to look like the decision was made as a conflict of interest.

[MyAhaMoment]

03:52 PM on 01/10/2012

Guess he couldn't find his long form birth certificate.

[TweetDeckTV]

03:43 PM on 01/10/2012

Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who rejected Huntsman's paperwork, is an Arizona campaign co-chair for Romney. http://bit.ly/AZirther

[Constandse]

02:59 PM on 01/10/2012

Unfortunately for Ambassador Huntsman, he doesn't have a legal leg to stand on as the law likely has no provision for exceptions. All fans of the 10th Amendment should be delighted. Next time your credit card or mortgage payment is late because you forgot to sign the check, see how much sympathy you get from the bank.

[ladyrosedeky]

06:07 PM on 01/10/2012

I had a friend who would pull that trick to get an extension on his utilities bills when he didn't have the money in his budget to make it through the week. The phone company went ahead and deposited it one time and it went through. Not signing those checks doesn't always work because they'll go ahead and deposit them and in a large deposit, it doesn't get noticed a lot of times. For people who do that in hopes of them returning the check for signature, hope they have good over draft protection.

[Makeredhappy]

02:45 PM on 01/10/2012

Well, he'll probably be out of the race by then anyway, no support from his party despite his being the only educated, experienced, sensible, non-religious right wingnut in the offing. Too bad....Republicans are such losers anyway!

[Chuck134]

03:45 PM on 01/10/2012

educated, experience­d, sensible, non-religi­ous right wingnut in the offing. Those traits automatically disqualify him from being considered a contender by the right-wing religious zealots of teh Republican Party. Plus he served as an American ambassador to China for Obama. That by itself is disqualifying for the wingnuts.

[ladyrosedeky]

06:16 PM on 01/10/2012

Unfortunately, unless people in the Republican Party stop drinking the spiked tea - you are probably right. It's too bad someone like Warren Buffet doesn't start a PAC and back Huntsman to keep him in like Gary Adelson out of Las Vegas is backing Newt. Republicans should look at the fact that someone as good a Tom Ridge is supporting Huntsman but they don't. Ridge supporting Huntsman; the fact that Huntsman has sons serving; the fact that Huntsman has served under both Democrat and Republican presidents; served as governor and his state did very well under him - should say a lot about him and garner a lot more support than he has been getting but for some reason people aren't getting it. They don't get that he does put his country first over politics. Unlike people like Newt.

[Liberaltarian2]

06:36 PM on 01/10/2012

His best chance is as the Americans Elect candidate - Then he would be on the ballot of every state... for President. Republicans are afraid of this because they think it would insure a win for Obama.

Personally, I think he would pull just as many votes from Obama as he would whoever the Republican nominee is.

[razaminaz]

02:28 PM on 01/10/2012

Tell that to the boys in DC, they make their own rules.

[madame48]

04:25 PM on 01/10/2012

did you miss the word Arizona?

[razaminaz]

02:27 PM on 01/10/2012

Wonder if he is gonna cry like Rick and Newt, or be a man and move on?

[BeautifulWorld]

11:43 PM on 01/10/2012

You can bet he won't be a man.

[bradley ross]

02:26 PM on 01/10/2012

Huntsman didn't have much of a shot in Arizona anyways. The Independents in the state as recent as about a month ago were really on the Romney bandwagon and Huntsman was very far behind being with the big boys.

[Americanwoman55]

02:03 PM on 01/10/2012

Rules are Rules. Virginia and now Arizonia has rules. Sucks to have rules WE ALL HAVE TO LIVE BY DOESN'T IT BOYS : )

[Sheng Paule]

01:11 PM on 01/10/2012

Good work Jon

[hopeisalive]

12:51 PM on 01/10/2012

I cannot fathom why a candidate will not make sure that everything is in order weeks before deadlines like this. For this to occur as it also has in Virginia is sheer stupidity and I would follow Mr. Romney's belief that it "feels good to fire" people.

[panamarine]

12:35 PM on 01/10/2012

Come on...it's just a minor technicality that can be resolved via a Fax remittance of the signed and notarized page.
---------------A spokesman for Secretary of State Ken Bennett says the former Utah governor filed paperwork a few hours before Monday's 5 p.m. deadline, but that it was missing a notarized signature from the candidate.-----------------

This is called CANDIDATE SUPRESSION as opposed to voter supression. Apparently Arizona does not want Huntsman on their ballot. If they can do that to him, imagine what "technicality" they will use to keep Democrats from voting in the General. If I were the people of Arizona I would protest and support Huntsman's getting on the ballot. Fair is Fair.

[Americanwoman55]

02:28 PM on 01/10/2012

Fair is Fair. If a contractor misses the deadline and does not get his bid in on time he loses the ability to bid on the contract. His loss. He is a big boy/girl.

Same goes for the candidate. The men and their handlers can in fact, read write and fill out forms. They missed the deadline, no one is missing out on anything. This is not a game, it is running for POTUS. There are no second chances just like the contractor. Tough luck. Fair is fair. Rules are rules.

[Gidster]

06:36 PM on 01/10/2012

Exactly. That's why I find it dubious that this clerical slipped by them at all.

[Chuck134]

03:48 PM on 01/10/2012

The same state that wants your NOTARIZED birth certificate, showing you were born in America. Well, except for homeboy John McCain.

[taina2]

12:13 PM on 01/10/2012

Are write in votes counted in Arizona? That is Virginia's flaw, no write in votes are counted. In the name of an orderly ballot we keep the 2 party status quo in power.

[Americanwoman55]

02:30 PM on 01/10/2012

It's not flawed in VA. It is the way the state has the law written and it is the way the state wants it.

States have a right ot run their elections based on the way they want it as long as they play by the Constitution.

Voters have a right to vote, for candidates that have followed the rules.

[taina2]

02:45 PM on 01/10/2012

Getting 10,000 signatures and from every congressional district is a burden solely to preserve the status quo of the 2 parties. They take turns stealing from the public treasury. Outlawing write-ins is a worse burden than showing a photo ID to vote, which the government claims is an unconstitutional burden.