Ron Paul Campaign Press Release - Virginia Judge Rules Against Candidates' Ballot Challenge

LAKE JACKSON, Texas - Most of 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul's rivals for the GOP nomination will not appear on Virginia's primary election ballot, a U.S. District Court ruled, calling into question the seriousness of all but Paul and Mitt Romney's candidacies.

Virginia is the nation's 12^th-largest state and its primary election takes place on March 6^th - Super Tuesday.

Viewed politically and not legally, however, the outcome is quite logical. Paul and Romney are the only two candidates capable of funding and executing a prolonged 50-state race for the presidency, making the Virginia outcome a preview for how poorly the underfunded, under-organized campaigns of Messrs. Perry, Gingrich, Huntsman, and Santorum would fare.

Huntsman and Santorum did not file signatures with the Virginia State Board of Elections at all. Perry and Gingrich did file signatures, but fell short of qualifying. Rick Perry brought a suit against the state challenging the ballot-access requirements to which all candidates were held, and others failing to qualify joined the suit.

"In essence, they played the game, lost, and then complained that the rules were unfair," said U.S. district judge John Gibney.

The Paul camp welcomed the news but did not express surprise.

"In ballot access as well as in reality, the 2012 campaign for the presidency is now a two-man race between establishment candidate Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, the candidate of authentic change," said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.

"Nothing new was learned here today, as the Virginia ruling merely confirms the suspicions of what many people feel about the viability of Perry, Gingrich, Huntsman, and Santorum. This is their crystallizing moment," added Mr. Benton.