Stage names on ballots

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

What happens to candidates' stage names on ballots?
This question is particularly interesting in the light of events; a candidate named Kid Rock would get significantly more votes than a candidate named Robert James Ritchie. (Or the other way round. )

In case he wins - which the most recent poll indicates - how would he be addressed?
As Senator Rock or as Senator Ritchie?

[muon2]

Most states allow for nicknames to be used on the ballot, often combined with real names in quotes. For example Robert "Kid Rock" Ritchie would be perfectly acceptable on a ballot in IL. I don't know MI laws on ballot names.

[Dr. MB]

Jesse Ventura's legal name is James George Janos. He ran and won as Jesse Ventura. I'm also wondering about this – rapper Killer Mike tried a write in campaign for the Georgia House in 2015 and ran as his legal name Michael Render.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Jesse Ventura's legal name is James George Janos. He ran and won as Jesse Ventura. I'm also wondering about this – rapper Killer Mike tried a write in campaign for the Georgia House in 2015 and ran as his legal name Michael Render.

How was he addressed? As Governor Ventura or as Governor Janos?

[MarkD]

In Missouri, twenty-five years ago, there was a Democrat who planned to run for Lieutenant Governor. He intended to make the primary plank in his campaign platform that the state should help pay for a bullet train to be operated between St. Louis and Kansas City, so that people can travel back and forth between the two cities in an hour. He asked the Secretary of State's office whether he could be listed on the ballot with the words "Bullet Train" in quotes between his first and last name. The staff at the SoS office replied that the law only allows nicknames to be in quotes if, upon investigation, it is determined that the person's family and friends actually do refer to that person by that nickname. His request was denied. So Richard Pisani went to court and had his name legally changed to Richard Bullet Train Pisani. He presented to the SoS office the legal document that it was his actual, legal name. So he appeared on the ballot, in August 1992, with the name Richard Bullet Train Pisani as one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov.

He came in last place.

[WilliamStone1776]

In Missouri, twenty-five years ago, there was a Democrat who planned to run for Lieutenant Governor. He intended to make the primary plank in his campaign platform that the state should help pay for a bullet train to be operated between St. Louis and Kansas City, so that people can travel back and forth between the two cities in an hour. He asked the Secretary of State's office whether he could be listed on the ballot with the words "Bullet Train" in quotes between his first and last name. The staff at the SoS office replied that the law only allows nicknames to be in quotes if, upon investigation, it is determined that the person's family and friends actually do refer to that person by that nickname. His request was denied. So Richard Pisani went to court and had his name legally changed to Richard Bullet Train Pisani. He presented to the SoS office the legal document that it was his actual, legal name. So he appeared on the ballot, in August 1992, with the name Richard Bullet Train Pisani as one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov.

He came in last place.

How would a Lt. Gov. get that done?

[MarkD]

In Missouri, twenty-five years ago, there was a Democrat who planned to run for Lieutenant Governor. He intended to make the primary plank in his campaign platform that the state should help pay for a bullet train to be operated between St. Louis and Kansas City, so that people can travel back and forth between the two cities in an hour. He asked the Secretary of State's office whether he could be listed on the ballot with the words "Bullet Train" in quotes between his first and last name. The staff at the SoS office replied that the law only allows nicknames to be in quotes if, upon investigation, it is determined that the person's family and friends actually do refer to that person by that nickname. His request was denied. So Richard Pisani went to court and had his name legally changed to Richard Bullet Train Pisani. He presented to the SoS office the legal document that it was his actual, legal name. So he appeared on the ballot, in August 1992, with the name Richard Bullet Train Pisani as one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov.

He came in last place.

How would a Lt. Gov. get that done?

I would suppose that he just planned to use the office as a pulpit.

[WilliamStone1776]

In Missouri, twenty-five years ago, there was a Democrat who planned to run for Lieutenant Governor. He intended to make the primary plank in his campaign platform that the state should help pay for a bullet train to be operated between St. Louis and Kansas City, so that people can travel back and forth between the two cities in an hour. He asked the Secretary of State's office whether he could be listed on the ballot with the words "Bullet Train" in quotes between his first and last name. The staff at the SoS office replied that the law only allows nicknames to be in quotes if, upon investigation, it is determined that the person's family and friends actually do refer to that person by that nickname. His request was denied. So Richard Pisani went to court and had his name legally changed to Richard Bullet Train Pisani. He presented to the SoS office the legal document that it was his actual, legal name. So he appeared on the ballot, in August 1992, with the name Richard Bullet Train Pisani as one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov.

He came in last place.

How would a Lt. Gov. get that done?

I would suppose that he just planned to use the office as a pulpit.

Who ended up winning?

[muon2]

Jesse Ventura's legal name is James George Janos. He ran and won as Jesse Ventura. I'm also wondering about this – rapper Killer Mike tried a write in campaign for the Georgia House in 2015 and ran as his legal name Michael Render.

How was he addressed? As Governor Ventura or as Governor Janos?

Gov Ventura, I doubt many in MN knew his legal name.

[MarkD]

In Missouri, twenty-five years ago, there was a Democrat who planned to run for Lieutenant Governor. He intended to make the primary plank in his campaign platform that the state should help pay for a bullet train to be operated between St. Louis and Kansas City, so that people can travel back and forth between the two cities in an hour. He asked the Secretary of State's office whether he could be listed on the ballot with the words "Bullet Train" in quotes between his first and last name. The staff at the SoS office replied that the law only allows nicknames to be in quotes if, upon investigation, it is determined that the person's family and friends actually do refer to that person by that nickname. His request was denied. So Richard Pisani went to court and had his name legally changed to Richard Bullet Train Pisani. He presented to the SoS office the legal document that it was his actual, legal name. So he appeared on the ballot, in August 1992, with the name Richard Bullet Train Pisani as one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov.

He came in last place.

How would a Lt. Gov. get that done?

I would suppose that he just planned to use the office as a pulpit.

Who ended up winning?

Roger Wilson, who eventually ended up as Governor for a few months following the death of Mel Carnahan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_B._Wilson

[WilliamStone1776]

In Missouri, twenty-five years ago, there was a Democrat who planned to run for Lieutenant Governor. He intended to make the primary plank in his campaign platform that the state should help pay for a bullet train to be operated between St. Louis and Kansas City, so that people can travel back and forth between the two cities in an hour. He asked the Secretary of State's office whether he could be listed on the ballot with the words "Bullet Train" in quotes between his first and last name. The staff at the SoS office replied that the law only allows nicknames to be in quotes if, upon investigation, it is determined that the person's family and friends actually do refer to that person by that nickname. His request was denied. So Richard Pisani went to court and had his name legally changed to Richard Bullet Train Pisani. He presented to the SoS office the legal document that it was his actual, legal name. So he appeared on the ballot, in August 1992, with the name Richard Bullet Train Pisani as one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov.

He came in last place.

How would a Lt. Gov. get that done?

I would suppose that he just planned to use the office as a pulpit.

Who ended up winning?

Roger Wilson, who eventually ended up as Governor for a few months following the death of Mel Carnahan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_B._Wilson

Didn't Mel win a senate election even though he was dead?

[MarkD]

In Missouri, twenty-five years ago, there was a Democrat who planned to run for Lieutenant Governor. He intended to make the primary plank in his campaign platform that the state should help pay for a bullet train to be operated between St. Louis and Kansas City, so that people can travel back and forth between the two cities in an hour. He asked the Secretary of State's office whether he could be listed on the ballot with the words "Bullet Train" in quotes between his first and last name. The staff at the SoS office replied that the law only allows nicknames to be in quotes if, upon investigation, it is determined that the person's family and friends actually do refer to that person by that nickname. His request was denied. So Richard Pisani went to court and had his name legally changed to Richard Bullet Train Pisani. He presented to the SoS office the legal document that it was his actual, legal name. So he appeared on the ballot, in August 1992, with the name Richard Bullet Train Pisani as one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Lt. Gov.

He came in last place.

How would a Lt. Gov. get that done?

I would suppose that he just planned to use the office as a pulpit.

Who ended up winning?

Roger Wilson, who eventually ended up as Governor for a few months following the death of Mel Carnahan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_B._Wilson

Didn't Mel win a senate election even though he was dead?

Correct; Mel died in a plane crash less than a month before the election of 2000, when he was running against John Ashcroft. Also died in the crash was the pilot - Carnahan's son - and a campaign advisor/former chief of staff. The plane was headed to a campaign event. State law did not allow the name on the ballot to be changed, so dead candidates can still be "elected" and Mel was. Roger Wilson promised that if Mel was "elected" to the Senate, he would appoint widow Jean Carnahan to the Senate vacancy.

Additional trivia: one of Mel Carnahan's surviving children, Russ Carnahan, ended up replacing Richard Gephardt in MO-03. Russ served for eight years, until the elimination of one of the nine congressional districts resulted in him being placed in MO-01, where he tried and failed to win against Lacy Clay. Then four years after that, Russ ran for Lt. Gov. but lost the general election.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Jesse Ventura's legal name is James George Janos. He ran and won as Jesse Ventura. I'm also wondering about this – rapper Killer Mike tried a write in campaign for the Georgia House in 2015 and ran as his legal name Michael Render.

How was he addressed? As Governor Ventura or as Governor Janos?

Gov Ventura, I doubt many in MN knew his legal name.

Pres. Rock sounds quite legit, doesn't it?

[Maverick J-Mac]

Well Kid Rock had a good stage name for politics.

[The Mikado]

There was a perennial Republican candidate in Tennessee who legally changed his middle name to Low Tax so he'd appear on the ballot as "Byron Low Tax Looper."

[SteveRogers]

In the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election Kinky Friedman was allowed to appear on the ballot as Richard “Kinky” Friedman because it was the name he had used professionally for years. However Carol Keeton Strayhorn was not allowed to appear on the ballot as “Grandma” Strayhorn because the Secretary of State ruled that “Grandma” was just something she had used as part of her campaign slogan and not an actual name she had ever gone by.

[AtorBoltox]

There was a perennial Republican candidate in Tennessee who legally changed his middle name to Low Tax so he'd appear on the ballot as "Byron Low Tax Looper."

How could you neglect to mention that in 1998 he murdered his opponent so his name would be the only one on the ballot?