Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW is a political

third party Third party may refer to: Business * Third-party source, a supplier company not owned by the buyer or seller * Third-party beneficiary, a person who could sue on a contract, despite not being an active party * Third-party insurance, such as a Veh ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

established in 2016 as the state affiliate of the

Legal Marijuana Now Party The Legal Marijuana Now Party is a political Third party (United States), third party in the United States. The party’s platform includes abolishing the Drug Enforcement Administration and legalizing hemp and cannabis (drug), marijuana. As of ...

. In 2022, Legal Marijuana NOW Party ran more candidates for Nebraska statewide offices than the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

recruited. Their candidate for

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, Larry Bolinger, got 188,648 votes, more than 30 percent, the highest percentage for a statewide Nebraska candidate running outside the two

major parties A major party is a political party that holds substantial influence in a country's politics, standing in contrast to a minor party. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Major parties hold a significant percentage of the vote in electi ...

in 86 years, when

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

George Norris was reelected to

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

History

Background

Earning ballot access

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. In July, 2016, volunteers turned in 9,000 signatures to the

Nebraska Secretary of State The secretary of state of Nebraska is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Nebraska. In Nebraska, the secretary of state is elected for a four-year term. Vacancies are filled by appointment by the governor of Nebraska. The c ...

. However, the Secretary of State said that half of the signatures were invalid, falling short of the 5,397 needed. After failing to make it onto

ballots in 2016, the party began circulating petitions for 2020 ballot access for a Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party in September, 2016. The party planned to collect 15,000 signatures for their second attempt at gaining ballot access. 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.

2021—2023

The Nebraska Secretary of State initially told petition drive organizers, Elworth and

Krystal Gabel Krystal Gabel (born October 14, 1984) is an American cannabis rights activist, politician, and writer. Gabel, a candidate for governor of Nebraska in the 2018 election, at age 33 was the youngest of a record number of women who ran for governors ...

, on January 7, 2021, that the Legal Marijuana NOW Party petition was short by 28 signatures from

Nebraska's 2nd congressional district Nebraska's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Nebraska that encompasses the core of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It includes all of Douglas County, which includes Omaha, as well as the ...

, which includes Omaha. 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. Gabel, the national Legal Marijuana Now Party chairperson, told a reporter for the ''

Star-Herald The ''Star-Herald'', or the ''Scottsbluff Star-Herald'', is a newspaper serving the city of Scottsbluff and surrounding areas in Nebraska, United States. The paper is published daily, except Mondays. History Founding The ''Star-Herald'' had its ...

'' that the party is running several candidates in Nebraska at multiple levels of government, from

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

to local sheriffs. In 2022, Nebraska Legal Marijuana NOW Party ran more candidates, two, for statewide offices than the

Nebraska Democratic Party The Nebraska Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Nebraska. Over 700 Democrats are elected across the state of Nebraska. Jane Kleeb is the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and also serves as the Midwest C ...

recruited, one. The

Libertarian Party Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties * Outline of libertarianism ...

also found more candidates, three. Only the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

had candidates in all five Nebraska constitutional races in 2022. Larry Bolinger was nominated by Legal Marijuana NOW to run for Nebraska Attorney General in 2022. Bolinger, a resident of

Alliance, Nebraska Alliance is a city and the county seat of Box Butte County, in the western part of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. Its population was 8,151 at the 2020 census. Alliance is the home to Carhenge, a replica o ...

, focused on legalization of marijuana and expanding

drug court Drug courts are judicially supervised court dockets that provide a sentencing alternative of treatment combined with supervision for people living with serious substance use. Drug courts are problem-solving courts that take a public health appro ...

s in the race to unseat Doug Peterson, who was seeking his third term as attorney general. 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 Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

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.” 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. Bolinger was one of the top two third party vote-getters, in the US.

Results in Nebraska state elections

Results in federal elections

References

External links

facebook.com/MJPNE

March 24, 2022, KLKN 8 ABC TV 10:00 PM News, “Legal Marijuana NOW Party hosts its first rally of the year.”
{{Drug policy 2016 establishments in Nebraska Cannabis law reform organizations based in the United States Cannabis political parties of the United States Drug policy organizations based in the United States Single-issue political parties Political parties established in 2016 Political parties in Nebraska Progressive parties in the United States Social democratic parties in the United States