Rebekah Jones wins appeal, will be valid candidate in Democratic primary Tuesday

Tom McLaughlin, Northwest Florida Daily News
·2 min read
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PENSACOLA — Democratic congressional candidate Rebekah Jones' name will appear on Tuesday's primary ballot and she can be considered a viable candidate in Florida's 1st Congressional District race.

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.

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Florida's First District Court of Appeal overruled that finding Monday morning, writing a candidate's sworn statement of party affiliation cannot be challenged as a basis for disqualification.

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.

After reviewing the facts of the case, the appellate court wrote, "Our decision today holds only that the party affiliation requirements in section 99.021(1)(b) cannot be the basis for disqualification of a duly qualified candidate. It does not disturb 15 other instances when our court has recognized constitutional or statutory bases to remove a candidate from the ballot."

A statement issued by Jones' campaign Monday said, "While her challenger sought to prevent Florida Voters from casting ballots for her, Rebekah Jones continued to present her candidacy to the voters as a true Democrat in this important race. She fought her opponent on the court battlefield to represent Florida’s Voters in the U.S. Congress. She will continue to fight for Florida in the Congress. This successful litigation is just the start of how Rebekah Jones will use the rule of law for the benefit of the District."

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.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Rebekah Jones wins appeal, to face Democrat Peggy Schiller in primary