Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, despite his status as a longtime Virginia resident, will not appear on the state’s primary ballot. Gingrich failed to collect the 10,000 signatures necessary to qualify, along with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and several other Republican candidates. The only two candidates to qualify for the primary ballot in Virginia were former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.
Gingrich expressed his displeasure at Virginia’s ballot process on Saturday, calling it “a failed system.” His campaign director promised to pursue an aggressive write-in campaign, saying, “Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates.” Virginia law, however, does not allow voters to write in candidate names in primary elections.
