Claudia De la Cruz slams Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision to kick her off 2024 ballot

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz may not appear on the battleground state's 2024 ballot.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled against ballot access for Party for Socialism and Liberation presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled against ballot access for Party for Socialism and Liberation presidential candidate Claudia De la Cruz.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The Pennsylvania high court agreed with a Commonwealth Court decision to bar De la Cruz and her running mate, Karina Garcia, from the ballot following a challenge supported by the Democratic donor-funded, anti-third-party Clear Choice PAC.

Pennsylvania justices also ruled against the Constitution Party's James Clymer, whose name was listed as a placeholder for the party, delivering a victory to Republicans.

In De la Cruz's case, Democratic-aligned challengers argued that seven of the PSL's 19 presidential electors named in the paperwork were registered as Democrats, violating a political disaffiliation provision which prohibits minor-party candidates from being registered with a major party within 30 days of a primary.

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"The fact that the Democrats and Republicans refused to allow our socialist campaign to stand next to their candidates on the debate stage at the presidential debate last week in Philadelphia, much less appear next to their candidates’ names on the ballot, shows their inability to address the crises working people face in the United States," De la Cruz, who traveled to Philly to protest the debate, said in a press release.

"The Democratic Party knows our socialist platform resonates with huge numbers of voters, and they want to deny voters their right to have their voices heard on election day," she added.

The Democratic Party and associated groups have been accused of spending huge sums of money to strip ballot access from grassroots-powered third-party candidates. These legal maneuvers have targeted the Green Party's Dr. Jill Stein and Independent Dr. Cornel West along with the Vote Socialist campaign, in particular.

De la Cruz and West are currently appealing a decision to disqualify them in the key swing state of Georgia following Democratic Party challenges.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

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