Richard Lee Winger (born August 27, 1943) is an American political activist and analyst. He is the publisher and editor emeritus of ''

Ballot Access News ''Ballot Access News'' is a United States–based website and monthly online and print newsletter edited and published by Bill Redpath and Richard Winger. History Richard Winger, an expert on ballot access law in the United States, started t ...

''. He sits on the editorial board of the '' Election Law Journal''. Winger publishes analysis, statistics and legal information and supports expanded access to the ballot for

minor parties A minor party is a political party that plays a smaller (in some cases much smaller, even insignificant in comparison) role than a major party in a country's politics and elections. The difference between minor and major parties can be so great ...

Overview

Winger is widely regarded as an expert on ballot access and election law, as well as on the topic of third-party politics in the United States. Though not an attorney, Winger periodically testifies in court cases and legislative hearings and is a source for both the media and political organizers. He has been published in ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'', ''Journal of Election Law'', the ''Fordham Urban Law Review'', ''American Review of Politics'', ''California Journal'' and other publications. He has appeared as a commentator on ballot access on NBC, ABC,

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, and NPR. Since 1985 Winger has published ''Ballot Access News'', a monthly newsletter covering developments in ballot access law and among American minor parties generally. On June 1, 2023, Winger announced his retirement from ''Ballot Access News''. He continues to write on the website.

Background

A lifelong

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

n, Richard Winger graduated from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

as a

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

major in 1966, and attended Graduate School in Political Science at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

Coalition on Free and Open Elections

In 1985 Winger co-founded, along with several minor party representatives, the Coalition on Free and Open Elections (COFOE). The group attempts to co-ordinate action and provide mutual support among the various minor parties for efforts to liberalize and reform ballot access laws.

Politics

Winger has been a member of the Libertarian Party for several years. Winger has made one run for public office, a 1986 campaign for

Secretary of State of California The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The secretary of state is elected for four year terms, like the state's other constitutional officers; the officeho ...

on the Libertarian ballot line. As he was running for the office charged with the administration of elections, the campaign was styled as being nonpartisan, intended to represent the interests of all minor parties. Winger finished fourth among five candidates with 1.5% of the vote.Join California:Election History for the State of California/Elections 1986-11- - 1995
www.JoinCalifornia.com.

References

External links

''Ballot Access News''COFOE
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Winger, Richard 1943 births Living people Activists from California American bloggers American online publication editors American political scientists California Libertarians Newsletter publishers (people) United States federal election legislation UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni