Backers protest LaRouche being kept off ballot

Supporters of maverick politician Lyndon LaRouche demonstrated outside of the Utah Democratic Party headquarters Thursday, upset over state party leaders' refusal to allow LaRouche's name to be on an upcoming "straw poll" ballot for president.

In the early 1990s, LaRouche served a five-year prison term on a federal mail fraud conviction. And he has since been roundly criticized by Democratic Party leaders around the country for running — at various times — as a Democrat for president.

While LaRouche's politics may be offensive to party leaders, state party Chairman Donald Dunn said he is actually being excluded because he isn't a registered voter today or in 2000 anywhere in the United States.

"Being a registered voter now and in 2000 is one of the (candidate) requirements in the Utah Democratic Party bylaws and for the Democratic National Committee," Dunn said.

The other requirements are to qualify for president as outlined in the U.S. Constitution, promise not to run for president in any other party and to gather 4,500 signatures throughout the state or pay a $2,500 filing fee.

Not surprising, says Dunn, all the other Democratic presidential candidates have paid the filing fee rather than gather signatures. Seven of the main nine candidates — all but Al Sharpton and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun — had paid the fee as of late Thursday.

There is almost no chance that LaRouche would actually win the national Democratic Party's presidential nomination, and so he would not appear on the final Utah general election ballot in November.

But state election executive director Amy Naccarato points out that if LaRouche supporters were to gather 1,000 signatures of registered voters, LaRouche's name could appear on the November ballot as an independent.

"There is no (Utah) filing fee for presidential candidates," said Naccarato, only the signature requirement.

The state is not involved in the Utah Democratic Party's Feb. 24 primary.

In 2000, then-Gov. Mike Leavitt persuaded lawmakers to put up $600,000 to pay for a state-sponsored presidential primary. But facing severe budget constraints a year ago, the GOP-controlled Legislature refused to fund a presidential primary this year — especially after it was clear President Bush would be the Republican nominee.