Presidential candidate Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente's uphill battle to land on Georgia's presidential ballot is over.
De La Fuente had a steep enough climb after he missed the July 1 filing deadline by 11 days and the Georgia Secretary of State's office could only verify about 3,000 of the 7,500 signatures needed to secure a spot. But he filed a legal complaint contending that the requirements were unconstitutional, and asked the courts to force Secretary of State Brian Kemp to etch his name on the ballot.
The case wound up before the Georgia Supreme Court after a mountain of litigation, and on Wednesday the justices unanimously affirmed a trial judge's ruling that tossed De La Fuente's lawsuit.
"Even if the Secretary were to examine his nomination petition and conclude that it is a proper nomination petition, De La Fuente still would not be entitled to have his name placed upon the ballot," wrote Justice Keith Blackwell in the opinion. "He cannot obtain the ultimate relief that he seeks, and so, the superior court was right to dismiss his lawsuit."
The 62-year-old Reform Party and American Delta Party candidate was in Helena on Friday to explain his "Rockies Strategy."
It involves unlikely electoral math, nonexistent candidate cooperation and a lot of luck.
De La Fuente says if third-party candidates win all of the Rocky Mountain West, then neither major-party candidate would have enough electoral votes to win. The decision would go to the U.S. House of Representatives, where anything could happen.
He says he is ready to cede some states to other third-party candidates, but he is gunning for Montana, Nevada and Alaska.
He says the plan may be a long shot, but long shots come in once in a while.
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