Rebekah Jones allowed back in Democratic congressional race while appeal continues
Rebekah Jones is once again a candidate in the Democratic primary for Florida's 1st Congressional District after an appeals court put the order disqualifying her from the race on hold pending her appeal.
On Friday evening, the Florida First District Court of Appeal granted Jones' requested stay of the order that knocked her out of the race.
The stay means notices informing voters that Jones was disqualified will not be posted at polling locations, and if the stay is in place on the night of Aug. 23, votes for her will be counted.
The stay comes just as early voting is set to begin in most of the congressional district on Saturday. Early voting already began in Santa Rosa County on Aug. 8.
Last week, Leon County Circuit Court Judge John Cooper ruled that Jones did not meet the requirements to run as a Democratic candidate in the primary because she had not been a registered Democrat for a full 365 days before qualifying in June.
Jones disqualified: Judge disqualifies Rebekah Jones from running as Democrat in Aug. 23 primary
Appeal filed: Rebekah Jones files appeal in disqualification from Democratic primary
Jones' Democratic opponent Peggy Schiller filed suit against Jones earlier this month alleging Jones had been a registered "unaffiliated" for a crucial two-month period while Jones lived in Maryland.
Jones refuted the claim and said she was not the one who filed the paperwork in Maryland that changed her registration status from Democratic to unaffiliated.
The appeals court also set an expedited timeline for the appeal with the last legal argument in the case due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, making it likely a ruling on the case will be issued before the Aug. 23 primary.
Both Schiller and Jones are hoping to unseat Rep. Matt Gaetz from the 1st Congressional District. Gaetz, a Republican, is facing his own primary challenge from former FedEx executive and Vietnam veteran Mark Lombardo, as well as former military pilot Greg Merk.
Jim Little can be reached at jwlittle@pnj.com and 850-208-9827.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Rebekah Jones reinstated as Democratic candidate in Aug. 23 primary
