Congressional candidate Chris Mathys has filed a lawsuit against California Secretary of State Shirley Weber over his desired ballot designation of MAGA Conservative.
This is the second time in two years that Mathys has filed a challenge over his ballot designation.
The backstory: Last year Mathys, a former Fresno City Councilman, tried to list his ballot designation as “Trump Conservative,” but was denied by Weber.
- He ran for Congress in District 22, challenging Rep. David Valadao (R–Hanford) from the right but placed third in the primary by 2.2 points.
The big picture: Mathys, who is challenging Valadao once again, had his request for MAGA Conservative denied by Weber.
- The lawsuit he filed against her is scheduled for trial on Friday in Sacramento County Superior Court.
What they’re saying: Mathys said in a statement that he is looking forward to his day in court.
- “My campaign believes that the best description of who I am and what I do is ‘MAGA Conservative.’ We believe that our request is on par with other terms used by candidates before us,” Mathys said.
- Mathys pointed to the First Amendment in defense of his ballot designation.
- “The California Secretary of State is violating these rights when she unilaterally rejects a candidate’s description of who he or she is or how he or she describes themselves,” Mathys said. “I have a right to self-identify as well as my right to choose a ballot designation that aligns with my principals without discrimination.”
