Republicans and Will Rollins have much to differ on — including what kind of lawyer he is.
A lawsuit by the Riverside County GOP chairman seeks to prevent Rollins, a Democrat, from describing himself as a “counterterrorism attorney” or “counterterrorism advisor” on the March 5, 2024, primary ballot.
Those terms, Matthew Dobler’s lawyers argue in court papers, are misleading because Rollins, who is seeking a rematch against Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, in California’s 41st Congressional District, is no longer a federal prosecutor and works for a firm that doesn’t practice counterterrorism law.
“A misleading ballot title is yet another example of out of touch politician Will Rollins’ willingness to mislead voters,” Dobler said via email.
“When you don’t have a record to stand on, you have to resort to fabrication and embellishment. I believe voters in the 41st will see through these misleading tactics.”
Calvert’s campaign is not a party to the lawsuit filed in Sacramento Superior Court against the California Secretary of State’s office, which oversees elections and is based in Sacramento.
Rollins’ campaign manager said via email that the lawsuit “is just as flimsy as their case for re-electing Calvert.”
“We’re delighted that Ken Calvert and his cronies have chosen to make law enforcement and counterterrorism the front and center topic of this race,” Coby Eiss said.
“As a federal prosecutor, Will served in the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section of the National Security Division, going after Al-Qaeda terrorists and Iranian nationals who violated U.S. sanctions.”
Lawsuits challenging ballot language are common during election season.
Candidates are often sensitive to how opponents describe themselves, because that description — often neutral-sounding terms like “small business owner” — might be the only information a voter knows about a candidate before casting a ballot.
Dobler’s lawsuit, filed Thursday, Dec. 14, argues that calling Rollins a counterterrorism attorney or advisor breaks rules that bar the use of misleading ballot designations.
Those descriptions, according to the lawsuit, “insinuate that (Rollins) is a government employee, prosecuting or counseling or counterterrorism and national security issues, a position that (he) has not held since September 2021 and an area of law which his private law firm employer … makes no mention of on its webpage.”
California election law allows candidates to use up to three words to describe their “principal profession, vocation or occupation” on the ballot, provided it is “factually accurate” and not “confusing nor misleading.”
Neither the secretary of state nor Rollins had filed a formal response to the lawsuit as of Wednesday, Dec. 20, court records show.
The lawsuit is an early skirmish in what promises to be a costly and bitter election battle in the 41st, which represents Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Indian Wells, Lake Elsinore, La Quinta, Menifee, Norco, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Wildomar and parts of Corona, Eastvale and Riverside.
Rollins in 2022 mounted a well-funded challenge to Calvert, the Inland Empire’s longest-serving congressmember who was first elected in 1992. But Rollins came up short, losing to Calvert 52% to 48%.
He hopes a second run will unseat Calvert in a district with a near-even voter registration split between Republican and Democrats. The race for the 41st figures to gain national attention as just a handful of seats could determine who controls the House of Representatives.
Besides Rollins, Democrat Anna Nenvenich is on the March primary ballot in the 41st. The top two primary vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the November general election.
attorney/”>Source link
Attorneys and law firms can elevate their online presence with professionally written content from SEO Content Writing Services monthly plan. Our team of experienced writers specializes in crafting blog posts, articles, and written content that accurately reflect the expertise and knowledge of our clients in the legal field. With a keen eye for detail and a thorough understanding of legal terminology, we provide high-quality writing that helps our clients stand out from their competition and engage with their target audience. Trust SEO Content Writing Services for one time article writing or monthly written content to handle all of your written content needs and showcase your law firm's expertise.
If you need written content, blog posts, or articles professionally written for your website, we can help. Go HERE to find out more.
or email us here: myseowritingservices@gmail.com
To find out more about our article writing or blog post services, fill out the form, thank you.
