My county by county election totals

Overall I received 6,027 votes, or 1.8 percent (Pat Fallon got over 245,000 votes, 75percent).

In a county by county review, I received the highest percentage of votes in my home county, Red River, with 1.8. My second highest percentage was in Colin County, with 1.69 percent, Rockwall with 1.64 percent, and then Titus County with 1.6 percent and. My lowest percentage was in Morris and Cass counties with .82 percent.

In total votes, I had 1.168 votes in Rockwall and 1,079 in Grayson County. The fewest votes were 36 votes in Delta County.

Here’s the county by county break-down:

Rockwall, 1,168 votes, 1.64 percent

Grayson, 1,079 votes, 1.24 percent.

Hunt, 767 votes, 1.29 percent

Collin, 688 votes, 1.69 percent.

Bowie, 570 votes, .93 percent.

Lamar, 310 votes, .96 percent

Fannin, 286 votes, 1.29 percent.

Hopkins, 284 votes, 1.19 percent.

Titus, 282 votes, 1.6 percent.

Cass, 171, .82 percent.

Red River, 153 votes, 1.8 percent

Rains, 79 votes, .95 percent.

Marion, 76 votes, 1 percent.

Morris, 70 votes, .82 percent

Camp, 69 votes, .87percent.

Franklin, 68 votes, .97 percent

Delta, 36 votes, .91 percent

Thanks to everyone!

Thanks to everyone for your help and support in this election. In light of the short election season, I'm very happy.

Although I received the Libertarian nomination in March John Ratcliffe's departure in May left things very unsettled. We didn't know until August 8 who the Republican candidate would be.

But more importantly, we didn't know if the Libertarian candidates would be on the ballot until the ballot were printed because of the Republican court challenges.

So the election season only started around Labor Day. I wasn't going to spend money on the campaign if I wasn't going to be on the ballot. In the end, I probably spent around $1,000, all of newspaper advertising (I'm a big believer in newspaper advertising).

Pat Fallon ran a clean campaign and never attacked other candidates. In 2022 I'll be able to start campaigning early and hope to do even better.

Not user friendly

I've had maybe two of three cases during the campaign when I was unable to complete a survey. Being self-employed, I'm used to being service oriented. Apparently some people are not. In one case, with an outfit called VoteSmart, I did the survey but then couldn't submit it because I couldn't electronically sign it.

If I'm asked to complete a survey, and then have to spend hours messing with it, I'm moving on. My time is too valuable.

Antonelli releases ten-point platform

CLARKSVILLE, Tx. - With only 18 days left until the November 3 general election, congressional candidate Lou Antonelli has released a ten-point platform of legislative issues he’d like to see enacted if elected.

The Libertarian Party nominee in the Texas 4th district, Antonelli said “I sat down and wrote up a set of specific actions I’d take if elected in response to feedback I’ve heard on the campaign trail. I believe it addresses the serious concerns I’ve heard from people.”

The platform in brief states:

1. Term limits – No local, state or federal official can serve more than three cumulative terms in office.

2. Eliminate Gerrymandering – Legislative districts must be drawn by a bi-partisan commission and be compact and contiguous.

3. Campaign Spending Limits – Candidates cannot spend more in running for an office than the office pays in annual salary.

4. Electoral College Reform – Electoral votes will be cast on the basis of the candidate that carried each congressional district, and not the whole state.

5. Abolish the Federal Reserve Bank.

6. Legalize Marijuana – Tax it at the same level at alcohol and tobacco, use the revenue to reduce debt.

7. Cut the federal payroll by one percent every year for 50 years until it is halved.

8. Adopt a 0th Amendment to the Constitution stating all federal laws and regulations must be applied and enforced regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin or color.

9. Investigate the Democratic Party under the RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) for ongoing and systemic electoral fraud.

10. Abolish Obamacare.

Antonelli faces off in the general election against Republican Pat Fallon of Sherman, Democrat Russell Foster of Sherman and write-in Tracy Jones of Texarkana.

Man who made Obama cry runs for Congress

By BOB PALMER

Former Publisher

Mt. Pleasant Tribune

Despite what former UCLA Coach Henry Russell Sanders once said, winning isn’t the only thing to the Libertarian nominee for Texas’ 4th Congressional District, Louis (Lou) Antonelli, who knows he has an uphill battle as a third party candidate.

Antonelli, 63, has a long history in public service as well as community journalism. A life-long conservative, he says the most interesting thing that ever happened him is that he reportedly once made a future president of the United States cry.

Antonelli says he does not remember seeing Barack Obama shed tears while they were both students at Columbia University in New York City, but an alumni blog salutes Antonelli and another conservative student colleague for causing moisture to come to Obama’s eyes in frustration.

The pair staged an anti-Soviet protest at Columbia University in New York following the shooting down of a Korean Air Lines Flight 007 from Anchorage to Seoul by a Soviet interceptor.

A bystander to the student protest later reported “Lou Antonelli and Jon Crane get more students to protest Soviet downing of KAL 007 than ever supported South Africa divestiture. Obama left campus for the last time in tears.”

Antonelli and Obama’s time at the university overlapped slightly and they interacted at least one more time when Obama and fellow liberals accosted Antonelli and some friends after a Student Republican club meeting.

Ronald Reagan was President in 1983 and Antonelli says President Reagan had the strongest influence on shaping his political philosophy.

 “Reagan had a strong Libertarian streak in him,” said Antonelli. “He often spoke about the need to cut back big government.”

Antonelli sees Reagan as influencing his position as a pro-life Libertarian.

“Ronald Reagan said we don't actually know when life begins exactly, but if you don't know, err on the side of ‘don't do any harm,’” Antonelli explained.

The Libertarian candidate for the 4th District seat made vacant when President Donald Trump appointed incumbent John Ratcliffe to be Director of National Intelligence does endorse an end to capital punishment and making marijuana legal.

“I think any drug that's a natural product that grows like marijuana and mushrooms shouldn't be illegal,” Antonelli said. “Now if you have to make something like meth, you have to cook, that's another thing.”

Antonelli noted how capital punishment is the only punishment that cannot be reversed. Antonelli pointed out how prisoners are often released after decades in custody when new evidence exonerates them. That is not possible if the prisoner has been executed.

“Kinky Friedman said, ‘How can Christians support capital punishment when the founder of their religion was executed as a political criminal?’” Antonelli cited.

As a business owner, Antonelli definitely supports lower taxes and smaller government, both Libertarian touchstones.

Born on Jan. 6, 1957 in Medford, Massachusetts, Antonelli is the son of Sergio and Anna Savini Antonelli who immigrated to the United States from Italy after World War II.

Antonelli credits the Boy Scouts of America for having a strong positive influence on his early life. He embraced the Scout Oath and Law and quickly found a role as Troop Scribe, reporting Scout events to the local newspaper. His first story was published when he was 12. He later worked for his local newspaper all throughout high school.

Although Massachusetts has a liberal reputation, Antonelli said Italians found themselves more welcome in the Republican Party than with the local Democratic Party which was run by Irish descendants.

“There are plenty of conservatives in Massachusetts,” Antonelli said.

At Columbia University, Antonelli quickly immersed himself in student politics winning a seat on the student council as well as joining the Young Republicans.

After college, he volunteered to run as a Republican for a heavily Democratic Congressional seat in Upper West Side Manhattan in 1982 when he was 25

“It used to be what you'd call a Standard Bearer,” Antonelli said. The Republican Party Chairman in Manhattan was actually a really nice guy. His name was Roy Goodman. I went to his office one time and said do you have anybody to run for the office? He said no, you want to do it? I said sure, so I did. It was an interesting experience.”

Antonelli believes his political activities influenced others.

“I think actually the thing that had the most positive influence on the most people goes back to when I was in college,” Antonelli said. “I showed college students at a very liberal university, you could be conservative and be a rice guy, too.”

Antonelli packed up and moved to Texas when he was 28. He’s worked for a number of community newspapers since then, and while in Cedar Hill he met and married Patricia Randolph, a Dallas native, in 1999.

He went to work in Clarksville in 2015 and the Antonellis bought The Clarksville Times from its owner in 2018. The started a second newspaper in Mount Pleasant at the start of this year.

In addition to publishing two newspapers, Antonelli is also a prolific science fiction writer, having 125 short stories published in 15 years. He is a two-time Hugo award nominee, and in 2017 he was a finalist for the Dragon Award for his alternate history novel “Another Girl, Another Planet”.

Antonelli has been a much sought after panel participant and speaker at conventions for science fiction writers across the country, although that’s been severely curtailed this year because of the COVID pandemic. His last convebtiom was in Atlanta in February before the quarantines began.

Some might consider Antonelli’s Quixotic quest as the Libertarian candidate for Congress in the strongly Republican 4th District of Texas his greatest piece of living science fiction.

Antonelli would disagree that someone should run for office only when convinced victory is in the bag.

“If you've ever thought about service in elective office, do it,” Antonelli urged. “Get it out of your system. You might win and if you don't, you'll see what it's like. I think you'll have a lot more sympathy with elected officials if you serve as one yourself in some capacity.”

Antonelli served as an elected trustee of the Cedar ISD from 1992 to 1995. He is currently a member of the Clarksville Planning and Zoning Commission, and President of the Clarksville Lions Club.

The Antonellis, who have no children, are members of First Baptist Church in Clarksville.

Early voting starts next week

With early in-person starting next week, I've started to place ads in newspapers. I believe in newspaper advertising, obviously; I own one.

This ad is running in the Greenville Herald-Banner this weekend and in the Rains County Leader (Emory) on Tuesday. The Texarkana Gazette is having its election edition on Oct. 24 and I've committed to an ad with them also.

Story from Sulphur Springs radio station

The Sulphur Springs radio station, KSST, has already posted a You Tube video from my visit Saturday at the Magic Scoop. They featured it today on their web page, and included a short story:

Libertarian Lou Antonelli Seeking Texas 4th Congressional District Seat

A meet and greet was hosted over the weekend at The Magic Scoop in Sulphur Springs for Lou Antonelli, who is the Libertarian candidate running for Texas 4th Congressional District seat, a seat held by John Ratcliffe until he was confirmed as the Director of National Intelligence.

Antonelli faces Democrat Russell Foster and Republican Pat Fallon, who currently serves Senate District 30 and was elected last month by a Republican Congressional District Executive Committee to replace Ratcliffe on the November ballot, in the November election for District 4.

Antonelli lives in Clarksville in Red River County, where he and his wife own The Clarksville Times. He is the managing editor, and has been a community journalist for 40 years.

He told KSST he chose Sulphur Springs to start holding events due to its location in the middle of Congressional District 4, which spans from Collin County to Texarkana.

Antonelli said he wants to bring fresh blood to the political system and, if elected, plans to serve one term in office. He said he believes in the Libertarian platform of limited government, including lower taxation, and less government infringement on personal liberties.

Interview with the Sulphur Springs newspaper

Reporter Taylor Nye of the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram has interviewed the candidates in the District 4  Congressional race. Her interview with me was published today.

LOU ANTONELLI

• Business experience: Publisher, Clarksville Times

• Political experience: Planning and Zoning Commission member, Clarksville; former school board member, Cedar Hill

What issues are most important for you during the campaign?

“In my case, running as a third-party candidate, my main issue is to try to make third parties respectable and to try to get people thinking outside the box. This us versus them, Republican versus Democrat…, it doesn’t seem to be working. It increases polarization. …I want people to seriously consider voting for third parties. It might seriously be an improvement on the current political system. I mean, they’re [Republicans and Democrats] about to knock each others’ brains out, the country’s about to collapse. I think the country would be better if we had a four-party system: Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Greens. That’s my goal.”

What issues do you expect your opponent(s) to focus on?

“The Democrat [Russell Foster, D-Sherman] is in a bad situation because this is such a Republican district. Pat Fallon (R-Sherman) doesn’t seem to be campaigning. I think he thinks he can coast into office. This district was 75% Republican last time, so he just thinks it’s his for the taking. The difference is I’m actually out campaigning. I have been putting out news releases, and as we get closer to the election, I will put out information about particular ideas.

“The Republican is just not campaigning that much and he probably doesn’t think he has to. Other Republicans as well resent the fact that he [Fallon] got the nomination when he doesn’t live inside the district. Pat Fallon’s state senate district does overlap the congressional district by a bit, but I think he’s being a bit hypocritical. It’s not illegal, but I do think it’s unethical. I think the bigger problem is he’s from the fringes of the district…. Everybody from Sulphur Springs and east, we haven’t had a congressman in a long time.”

Once you get elected, what would your priorities be?

“Libertarians tend to support major party legislation, and that would be Republicans. Libertarians are closer to Republicans.

“One issue I think needs to be addressed is that it’s time to legalize marijuana. It’s just ridiculous, everybody’s smoking it. You can’t have legislation that’s so divergent from social mores. It’s like prohibition—it’s led to an enormous crime problem. I don’t even believe in smoking, but it’s not about what I believe. It’s one more thing that should be off the plate of national controversy.

“Polarization has been created by gerrymandering; that’s what they’ve been doing. We need to pass some sort of legislation that says districts need to be compacted and contiguous instead of having them roam all over the landscape. They need to be geographically logical and have more of an admixture of political opinions—all the Republicans in one district and Democrats in another district, and you pile them up. But we need more elections where people face contests. They need to face the potential to be defeated, because then you moderate your views. Fallon just puts on his signs ‘Vote conservative Republican.’ It’s like, let’s hear some views.”

How did you decide to run for the seat?

“I thought to do something this year to help the party, so I contacted the Libertarians and asked them if they had any nominees for various offices. The Libertarian Party said no one had expressed an interest in congressional district 04, so I said I’ll do it. I kind of volunteered, and they nominated me. I wouldn’t say I’m passionate, but I’m involved in it. Some good can be accomplished.”

How do you deal with negativity on the internet and from detractors?

“People get too emotionally involved with anger and hostility. People advocate positions and even call each other names, but at the end of the day, we’re still citizens of the same country.

“As a third party, I find positions from either party I can support. …Dealing with hostility, sometimes I find maintaining a sense of humor and wit is helpful. Sometimes you just have to look at somebody and say, ‘I’ve been called worse things by better people.’ Also, sometimes people are not at their best. They get crabby, they’ve had a bad day. I like to shake hands. I like to be friendly. People don’t need to be cynical and contemptuous, everybody’s a person.”

Antonelli criticizes carpetbagger charge made against Fallon

Lou Antonelli for Congress

Sept. 30, 2020

For Immediate Release

 

Antonelli criticizes carpetbagger charge made against Fallon

 

Lou Antonelli of Clarksville, the Libertarian Party candidate for Congress in Texas District 4, says charges which have been raised that his opponent, Republican Pat Fallon, is a “Yankee Carpetbagger” are unfair and should be denounced.

“I know it may be unusual for one candidate to defend another, but I am a Yankee transplant myself, and I feel it’s an unfair slur,” said Antonelli. “There are other reasons to criticize Pat Fallon, but being born in Massachusetts is not one of them. I was too.”

Fallon moved to Texas 30 years ago, Antonelli 35 years ago. Fallon grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Antonelli in Rockland, Massachusetts.

“Ever since Fallon was attacked as a ‘Yankee Carpetbagger’ during the 2018 Republican Primary by State Senator Craig Estes, the accusation has been rolling around out there,” said Antonelli.

Fallon referred to the charge again Saturday, Sept. 26, while speaking at a Republican Rally in Mount Vernon in Franklin County.

“Rather than criticize people because of the geography of their accident of birth, we should commend anyone who shows the good sense to migrate to Texas,” said Antonelli. “Fleeing the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts is one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.”

Antonelli, Fallon, Democrat Russell Foster of Sherman and write-in Tracy Foster of Texarkana are all running for the seat vacated by John Ratcliffe when he was appointed Director of National Intelligence by President Donald Trump.

-30-

You Tube interview

Doug Haston, the video producer for Sulphur Springs radio station KSST, interviewed me yesterday at the campaign stop. Click here for the video.

Vote Lou Antonelli. Texas Congress District 4, Libertarian Party

Had a appearance Saturday afternoon in Sulphur Springs. I visited with people at the Magic Scoop downtown. It went very well, and towards the end we took a photo. Patricia and I were joined by, from left, Omar Sanchez, Jessica Vaculik, and Garret McGraw.

Saturday Meet and Greet

I'm hitting the proverbial campaign trail this weekend. I will be in Sulphur Springs Saturday afternoon, as the ad says. This was in last Saturday's Sulphur Springs News-Telegram. If you are in the area, stop on by!

Still no reply from Fallon

 This story has also been published in at least two other papers in the district.

 

Republicans violated own platform by nominating Fallon

Lou Antonelli for Congress

116 West Main St.

Clarksville, Tx. 75426

903-427-0002

Sept. 15, 2020

  For Immediate Release

Lou Antonelli, the Libertarian Party nominee for Texas’ 4^th Congressional District, calls on Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West to acknowledge the party violated its own platform in nominating Pat Fallon for Congress.

A professional politician who was most recently a state senator, Fallon was nominated to take Congressman John Ratcliffe’s place on the ballot at a district convention Aug. 8 in Sulphur Springs after Ratcliffe was named Director of National Intelligence by President Trump.

Fallon got the nod, despite questions about his residency, and after some considerable arm twisting by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz at the convention. Fallon lives in the Denton county portion of Prosper, an outer suburb of Dallas, which is just outside the 4th's boundaries.

Even Wikipedia, the largest and most popular general reference work on the World Wide Web, notes Fallon’s position: “Fallon's state senate district includes much of the eastern portion of the congressional district.”

However, regarding the 4th Congressional District, Wikipedia continues: “While candidates for the House are only required to live in the state they wish to represent, longstanding convention holds that they live either in or reasonably close to the district they wish to represent.”

“What is more significant,” said Antonelli, “is that Fallon has violated his own party’s platform by accepting the nomination.”

The Platform Plank on Candidate Eligibility (No. 178) states “A candidate running for office should be required to reside within the geographical boundaries of the office sought.”

It can be viewed at https://www.texasgop.org/platform/

“There were many questions asked at the district convention regarding Fallon’s residency, but they were brushed aside as Cruz and Fallon bulldozed the convention,” said Antonelli.

Antonelli lives Clarksville in Red River County, where he owns The Clarksville Times newspaper.

“While Fallon and I both grew up in Massachusetts, I have lived in Texas longer, and more importantly, I actually live in the district I am running to represent,” said Antonelli.

Antonelli challenged Fallon to a debate on Sept. 8, 2020. To date he has received no reply.

-The End-

 

Antonelli names Camp County Chair

 

Following a meeting with campaign supporters at the Two Senoritas restaurant in Mount Pleasant on Thursday, Sept . 10, Libertarian congressional candidate Lou Antonelli named a number of county campaign chairmen.  Madlen Krause of Pittsburg has been named to be Lou’s chairman in Camp County.

Antonelli names Franklin County Chair

Following a meeting with campaign supporters at the Two Senoritas restaurant in Mount Pleasant on Thursday, Sept . 10, Libertarian congressional candidate Lou Antonelli named a number of county campaign chairmen. Kate Prather of Mount Vernon has volunteered to be Lou’s chairman in Franklin County. Kate is also the treasurer of the Libertarian Party of Texas.

GOP candidate doesn’t live in district

 Antonelli for Congress

 For Immediate Release

 Facing a lack of transparency from his opponent, and with less than two months before the general election, Texas 4^th District Congressional candidate Lou Antonelli asks how Pat Fallon plans to represent a district he doesn’t live in.

Many of the prospective candidates who spoke at the Republican district convention in Sulphur Springs Aug. 8 referenced Fallon’s residency. Fallon lives in the Denton county portion of Prosper, an outer suburb of Dallas, which is just outside the 4th's boundaries.

Even Wikipedia, the largest and most popular general reference work on the World Wide Web, notes Fallon’s position: “Fallon's state senate district includes much of the eastern portion of the congressional district.”

However, regarding the 4^th Congressional District, Wikipedia continues: “While candidates for the House are only required to live in the state they wish to represent, longstanding convention holds that they live either in or reasonably close to the district they wish to represent.”

The Libertarian Party candidate in the election, Antonelli said “A number of candidates who lost to Fallon in the district convention seem to feel his victory was due to arm-twisting by himself and Senator Ted Cruz, and they resent it and have told me so,”

“The residency requirement for the U.S. House is in the Constitution, so Fallon has done nothing illegal,” said Antonelli. “But Texas deserves congressional leaders who do better than just skirt the law.”

Antonelli issued a challenge Sept. 8 to Fallon to debate but to date has received no reply.

“If he showed up, perhaps he could address the subject of his candidacy,” said Antonelli.

In related news, Antonelli met with campaign supporters at the Two Senoritas restaurant in Mount Pleasant Thursday night, Sept. 10.

Afterwards he announced the appointment of three county campaign chairmen: Kate Prather for Franklin County, Garrett McGraw for Hopkins County and Madlen Krause for Camp County.

 

Antonelli challenges Fallon to debate

 Lou Antonelli for Congress

Sept. 9, 2020

For immediate Release

Lou Antonelli of Clarksville, the Libertarian candidate for Texas's 4th Congressional District - today asked Republican nominee Pat Fallon to join him in a public forum or debate.

"I sent my request via Facebook, since I could not find a good email or mailing address for the candidate," said Antonelli. "I understand having no address on any of his social media pages, since he actually doesn't live in the district."

The letter sent by Mr. Antonelli reads as follows:

"Dear Mr. Fallon –

"As a candidate for the Texas 4th Congressional district, I’m sure you want to make every effort to inform the voters of Northeast Texas of where you stand and what you plan to do in office.

"So do I. 

"As the Libertarian candidate for the seat, I’d like to ask if we can set up a debate or forum to meet and greet voters and answer their questions.

"I’m open to any location and I’m very flexible about the time; I’m a self-employed small business owner and my time is my own. I may be contacted at any time at my office in Clarksville.

"If you are amenable to this, I’d contact the other candidates – the Democrat as well as the declared write-in – and invite them to participate.

"Let’s take the high road in this election, and not take anything for granted. These are difficult times for our nation; the next Representative from this district will face many challenges. A forum is a good way to not only expound on one’s positions, but gather input from the people he will represent.

"I hope to hear from you soon.

 "Lou Antonelli"

"If Mr. Fallon declines, or doesn't reply, I suppose I'll just debate an empty chair with his cutout on it," said Antonelli

-The End-

Court rejects Republicans’ attempt to remove 44 Libertarians from ballot

By Sami Sparber

The Texas Tribune

This story is as published in the Paris (Tx.) News

AUSTIN — The Texas Supreme Court on Saturday rejected an attempt by Republicans to kick 44 Libertarians off the ballot in the November elections.

Several Republican Party candidates and organizations had sued to remove the Libertarians, arguing they did not pay filing fees — a new requirement for third parties under a law passed by the Legislature last year. But the Supreme Court dismissed the suit, finding that the Republicans missed the August 21 deadline to successfully boot people from the ballot.

“The available mechanism for seeking the Libertarians’ removal from the ballot for failure to pay the filing fee was a declaration of ineligibility,” the court wrote in a per curiam opinion. “But the deadline by which such a declaration can achieve the removal of candidates from the ballot has passed.”

Groups affiliated with both major parties have gone to court in recent weeks to remove from the ballot non-major-party candidates perceived to be a threat. In general, Libertarians are believed to peel votes away from Republicans, while the Green Party is thought to siphon votes from Democrats.

Lou Antonelli of Clarksville in Red River County, the Libertarian nominee for Northeast Texas’ 4th congressional district — one of the candidates the Republicans sought to block — welcomed the decision.

“We need more diversity of the ballot, not less,” he said. “The two-party system has created polarization and an ‘us versus them’ mentality.”

He faces Republican Pat Fallon and Democrat Russell Foster in the Nov. 3 general election. Fallon was nominated by a district convention Aug. 8 following the resignation of the incumbent, John Ratcliffe, to take a federal appointment as director of national intelligence.

In multiple cases citing the same lack of a filing fee paid, state and national Democrats were successful in removing some Green Party candidates. The Supreme Court suggested that at least some Libertarians may have made the same mistake, but said the GOP was too late in bringing its legal challenge forward.

“Although the result in this instance may be that candidates who failed to pay the required filing fee will nevertheless appear on the ballot, this Court cannot deviate from the text of the law by subjecting the Libertarian candidates’ applications to challenges not authorized by the Election Code,” the court wrote.

Paris News Managing Editor Klark Byrd contributed to this report.

Republican bid to block Antonelli fails

The Texas Supreme Court on Saturday, Sept. 5, rejected a Republican attempt to remove 44 Libertarians from the November ballot, according to the Texas Tribune.

Groups affiliated with both major parties have gone to court in recent weeks to remove from the ballot non-major-party candidates perceived to be a threat. In general, Libertarians are believed to peel votes away from Republicans, while the Green Party is thought to siphon votes from Democrats.

The GOP sued because the Libertarians didn't pay their filing fees. But the state Supreme Court said Republicans missed the deadline to kick them off the ballot.

Lou Antonelli of Clarksville in Red River County, the Libertarian nominee for Northeast Texas’ 4th congressional district – one of the candidates the Republicans sought to block – welcomed the decision.

"We need more diversity of the ballot, not less,” he said. “The two-party system has created polarization and an ‘us versus them’ mentality.”

He faces Republican Pat Fallon and Democrat Russell Foster in the Nov. 3 general election. Fallon was nominated by a district convention Aug. 8 following the resignation of the incumbent, John Ratcliffe, to take a federal appointment as director of national intelligence.

Antonelli, 63, is co-owner of The Clarksville Times weekly newspaper with his wife Patricia. He had served as an elected school trustee, as well as a library and animal shelter board member.

He is currently a member of the Clarksville Planning and Zoning Commission, and President of the Clarksville Lions Club.

Libertarian suggests Republicans can unite behind him

Lou Antonelli of Clarksville in Red River County, on the ballot as the Libertarian candidate for the 4^th Congressional District this fall, says the Republicans can unite with the Libertarians against the Democrats by nominating him for Congress.

Republican County and Precinct Chairmen, gathering as the Congressional District Executive Committee (CDEC), will meet Saturday, August 8, at 1 p.m. at the Hopkins County Regional Center in Sulphur Springs to pick a candidate.

Republicans will have to choose a successor on the ballot for John Ratliffe, who resigned his congressional seat in May after being appointed Director of National Intelligence by President Trump.

Since Ratcliffe won the Republican nomination in the March Primary, it is now up to the CDEC to replace him on the ballot.

Antonelli suggests that if the Republicans become deadlocked over the difficult decision among 13 candidates, they could give him the nod for November.

Declared candidates include:

Trace Johannesen, Rockwall city councilman.

TC Manning, U.S. Navy veteran.

Floyd McLendon, former U.S. Navy SEAL.

Jim Pruitt, mayor of Rockwall.

Travis Ransom, mayor of Atlanta.

Robert West, farmer from Cooper.

Jason Ross, former district chief of Staff for Ratcliffe.

Pat Fallon, state senator from Prosper.

Casey Campbell, lawyer from Rockwall.

Bob Worthen, businessman from Texarkana.

Aaron Harris, chief of staff for U.S. Representative Lance Gooden.

Zach Rateliff, Businessman from Texarkana.

Steve Gorman, retired airline pilot and drag racer from Whitesboro.

John Cooper, preacher from Sulphur Springs.

 

“I’m already on the ballot,” said Antonelli. “If the Republicans deadlock or the meeting breaks down, I can be a compromise candidate and represent the party in November.”

He added that, in light of the unique situation this year, if nominated and elected, he will only serve one term.

“Normally, all these fine candidates should have had the opportunity to battle it out against themselves in a Republican Primary. If elected, I will hold the seat for one term and then the process can proceed normally in 2022,” said Antonelli.

Antonelli, 63, is co-owner of The Clarksville Times weekly newspaper with his wife Patricia. A life-long journalist, he was won awards for Community Service, General Excellence, Column Writing, and Photography,

He had served as an elected school trustee, as well as a library and animal shelter board member. He is currently a member of the Clarksville Planning and Zoning Commission, and President of the Clarksville Lions Club.

 

The situation in the 4th Texas district

President Trump’s nomination of former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe (R-Heath/ Rockwall) as Director of US Intelligence has led to a 4th Congressional District Republican Party convention gathering in early August to choose a replacement general election nominee.

The convention winner advances into the general election and then will take the seat in the next Congress. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has already announced that he will not call a special election to fill the balance of the current term.

The district convention, scheduled for August 8th as previously reported, will only feature 158 voting precinct chairs from throughout the district’s 16 whole and two partial counties. Candidates will be nominated at the convention, so there is no filing period. Therefore, various individuals announcing their candidacies carries no particular significance other than to inform the precinct chairmen they want to be considered for nomination. Additionally, the 158-voting number is set because a quirk in the party rules won’t allow the many vacant precinct slots to be filled prior to the vote.

Apparently, Democrats are weighing the option of filing a lawsuit to declare the convention process unconstitutional under US law or the state of Texas. Doing so, and if successful, could mean the Republican Party would have no avenue of replacing Mr. Ratcliffe for the general election, meaning Democratic nominee Russell Foster, chosen in the March 3rd regular primary election vote, would face only Libertarian Party candidate Lou Antonelli in what is a 75% Trump district. Much remains to occur here before we see who emerges as Mr. Ratcliffe’s successor.

Originally published by eBay Main Street on May 29, 2020.

Libertarians field viable candidate for District 4 seat

With the confirmation of John Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on May 21, multiple candidates are stepping forward to run for the open Congressional seat.

The Libertarian Party is proud to announce its nominee for District 4 is Lou Antonelli of Clarksville in Red River County, a small business owner with a long record of public service and community involvement. Antonelli pledges to run a full-fledged active campaign.

Antonelli says his goal running as a third party candidate is to inject original ideas into the discussion, and push for the Libertarian Party to become the second party in the district, displacing the Democrats.

“Can you imagine how much better our political system would be if the two major parties were the Republicans and Libertarians, instead of the Republicans and Democrats?” asked Antonelli. “Libertarians are the loyal opposition, as opposed to the Democrats, who are the disloyal opposition.”

Antonelli said Libertarians stand for hacking away strangling bureaucracy at all levels of government, and returning as much authority as possible to individuals. “Thanks to the COVID pandemic, we have all gotten a free trial of Socialism,” he said. “How do you like it?”

Lou and his wife Patricia own The Clarksville Times, founded in 1873, the oldest business in Red River County. He is the managing editor, and has been a community journalist for 40 years.

He has served in the past as an elected school trustee, a library trustee, an animal shelter board member, and a condemnation court judge. He is presently the President of the Clarksville Lions Club.

His cell phone number is 903-257-6573 and anyone is welcome to call him any time. His office number at The Clarksville Times in 903-427-0002, or you can email him at theclarksvilletimes@gmail.com