Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party

Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW is a political third party in the U.S. state of Nebraska established in 2016 as the state affiliate of the Legal Marijuana Now Party.[1][2]

Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party
AbbreviationLMN
ChairpersonMark Elworth
Founded2016 (2016)
HeadquartersOmaha
IdeologyMarijuana legalization
Colors  Green
Seats in the Senate
0 / 100
Seats in the House
0 / 435
Governorships
0 / 50
State Upper House Seats
0 / 1,972
State Lower House Seats
0 / 5,411

In 2022, Legal Marijuana NOW Party ran more candidates for Nebraska statewide offices than the Democratic Party recruited.[3] Their candidate for Attorney General, Larry Bolinger, got 188,648 votes, more than 30 percent, the highest percentage for a statewide Nebraska candidate running outside the two major parties in 86 years, when independent George Norris was reelected to U.S. Senate.[4]

History

Background
Main article: Legal Marijuana Now Party § History

Earning ballot access
Mark Elworth petitioning for Legal Marijuana NOW in Omaha, 2015

In 2016, the Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party petitioned to be recognized as a major political party. To make the ballot, Legal Marijuana NOW Party needed valid signatures equal to at least one-percent of the total votes cast for governor in 2014, or 5,397 signatures statewide.[5] In July, 2016, volunteers turned in 9,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State. However, the Secretary of State said that half of the signatures were invalid, falling short of the 5,397 needed.[6]

After failing to make it onto Nebraska ballots in 2016, the party began circulating petitions for 2020 ballot access for a Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party in September, 2016.[7] The party planned to collect 15,000 signatures for their second attempt at gaining ballot access.[8][9][10]

Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party leaders submitted their petition to the Secretary of State on September 18, 2020. The party needed to collect the signatures of 6,800 registered Nebraska voters in order to qualify as an official state party. According to Elworth, they turned in 15,000 signatures, just to be safe.[11][12]

2021—2023

The Nebraska Secretary of State initially told petition drive organizers, Elworth and Krystal Gabel, on January 7, 2021, that the Legal Marijuana NOW Party petition was short by 28 signatures from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, which includes Omaha.[13]

On April 21, 2021, after the Secretary of State reviewed some petition signatures that were challenged, Legal Marijuana NOW gained official recognition as a state political party in Nebraska, earning the party ballot access for their candidates, and allowing Legal Marijuana NOW Party to register voters.[1] Gabel, the national Legal Marijuana Now Party chairperson, told a reporter for the Star-Herald that the party is running several candidates in Nebraska at multiple levels of government, from United States Congress to local sheriffs.[2]

In 2022, Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party ran more candidates, two, for statewide offices than the Nebraska Democratic Party recruited, one. The Libertarian Party also found more candidates, three. Only the Republican Party had candidates in all five Nebraska constitutional races in 2022.[3]

Larry Bolinger was nominated by Legal Marijuana NOW to run for Nebraska Attorney General in 2022. Bolinger, a resident of Alliance, Nebraska, focused on legalization of marijuana and expanding drug courts in the race to unseat Doug Peterson, who was seeking his third term as attorney general.[14][15]

During a radio interview on February 14, 2022, Bolinger, who entered public work by serving a term on the Alliance Planning Commission, said “The way the Republican and Democratic parties have been treating each other over the past several years, they’re just full of hate and vinegar. And it’s kind of disgusting. I decided to go with this new party and just support the system how it’s supposed to be. We’re supposed to work together to make things right for the people.”[16]

Bolinger received 188,648 votes, 30.27%, in the 2022 Attorney General race, the highest percentage for a statewide Nebraska candidate running outside the two major parties in 86 years, when independent George W. Norris was reelected to U.S. Senate.[4] Bolinger was one of the top two third party vote-getters, in the US.[17]

Electoral history

Results in Nebraska state elections
Year Office Candidate Popular votes Percentage
2022Nebraska Attorney GeneralLarry Bolinger188,64830.27%
2022Nebraska Auditor of Public AccountsL. Leroy Lopez120,98619.32%

Results in federal elections
Year Office Candidate Popular votes Percentage
2022United Stares Representative, District 3Mark Elworth Jr.13,0155.90%

Further reading

See also

References
  1. "'Legal Marijuana NOW' now recognized as a party in Nebraska". Associated Press. April 21, 2021.
  2. Garcia, Justin (May 3, 2021). "Legal Marijuana NOW party makes pitch to area voters". Star-Herald. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021.
  3. Swanson, Ian (March 16, 2022). "2022 campaign shows Nebraska has two weak political parties". Nebraska Examiner.
  4. Winger, Richard (January 24, 2023). "Legal Marijuana Now Candidate in 2022 Polled Highest Share of Vote in a Statewide Nebraska Race for a Non-Major Party Nominee Since 1936". Ballot Access News.
  5. Stoddard, Martha (July 23, 2016). "Marijuana party seeks spot on ballot for presidential race". Omaha World-Herald.
  6. "Marijuana Party petition drive fails to result in ballot placement". Lincoln Journal Star. Associated Press. August 5, 2016.
  7. Pluhacek, Zach (September 14, 2016). "Marijuana groups already petitioning for 2018 ballot". Lincoln Journal Star. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016.(subscription required)
  8. Jordan, Spike (May 12, 2017). "Legalize Marijuana Now advocates petition to get pro-marijuana third-party on the ballot". Scottsbluff Star Herald. (subscription required)
  9. Ozaki, Andrew (September 29, 2017). "Medical marijuana advocates petition to form Nebraska political party". KETV 7 ABC News.
  10. Krohe, Kalin (April 4, 2018). "Krystal Gabel For Governor And Legal Marijuana Now Petition Signing In Scottsbluff". Panhandle Post.
  11. Summers, Brandon (September 19, 2020). "Legal Marijuana Now submits petition to become new state party: Party plans to run its first candidate in 2022 campaign". Grand Island Independent.
  12. Young, JoAnne (September 21, 2020). "Legal Marijuana Now Party turns in signatures for official recognition in Nebraska". Lincoln Journal Star.
  13. Winger, Richard (January 8, 2021). "Nebraska Secretary of State Rejects Legal Marijuana Now Party Petition". Ballot Access News.
  14. Walton, Don (July 12, 2021). "Legal Marijuana Now Party supports attorney general candidate". Lincoln Journal Star. Bolinger received 3,389 votes in the 2020 Republican congressional primary race. The newly formed Legal Marijuana Now Party qualified earlier this year for ballot access in Nebraska.
  15. Carlson, Scott (July 15, 2021). "Legal Marijuana Now chairman to run for Nebraska AG". North Platte Post. At age 52, Bolinger earned a Bachelor of Science Degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, majoring in Political Science and Minor in Criminology with a concentration in government affairs and civic engagement. Bolinger has served on several local commissions, including the Alliance Planning Commission.
  16. "Larry Bolinger, running for Attorney General on the Legal Marijuana Now Party ticket, joins us Feb. 14, 2022 to discuss issues". KNEB News. February 14, 2022.
  17. Winger, Richard (November 16, 2022). "Three Statewide Minor Party Candidates Exceeded 30% of the Vote in November 2022". Ballot Access News.
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