⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Seventh Circuit hears a dispute over Republican primary-ballot access in Brown County, Indiana. Richard Stanley and Tim Clark complained to the Indiana Republican Party about their local chairman. The party rejected the complaint and declared both men not Republicans in good standing for five years. They dispute the party's allegations and say the county election board cannot constitutionally enforce that decision against their candidacies. They sued the board before it decided whether to exclude them. The federal district court found the threatened exclusion concrete enough for judicial review, but dismissed their claims under an earlier decision called Hero. They now appeal. The judges will consider whether the lawsuit was premature and whether the party's right to choose its candidates permits the board to enforce this ban. Hero involved another Indiana candidate removed from a Republican primary ballot after a party ban.

Richard Stanley, Jr. v. Brown County Election Board (No. 26-1186) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, argued September 25, 2026.