The state was within its rights to refuse to put James Island candidate Eugene Platt’s name on the Nov. 2008 state House ballot, according to a ruling last week by U.S. District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie.

After Platt lost the Democratic Primary last year, the S.C. Election Commission refused to put him on the general election ballot for the Green Party because of a “sore loser statute” in the state law that prevents a losing primary candidate from returning to potentially spoil the race in November.

Judge Currie said that the state’s statute is justified and that Platt took the risk of running afoul of this law when he decided to run as the candidate for more than one party.

Platt says the ACLU has filed a notice of appeal in the case.

“That the ACLU, with finite resources, would embrace this case from the beginning and immediately file notice of appeal, is deeply gratifying as well as encouraging,” Platt says.

The former candidate continues to be a strong advocate for the Green Party.

“Of course, when it comes to putting political success before principle, the Democratic and Republican Parties have much in common,” Platt says. “As Ralph Nader aptly put it, ‘There’s not a nickel’s worth of difference between them.'”

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