No Party Candidate Chris Justin Continues Momentum One Month After Securing Spot on District 1 Ballot
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Nearly one month after officially qualifying for the November 3, 2026 election, Chris Justin remains the only No Party candidate to secure a place on the ballot statewide under Louisiana’s new closed two-party primary system.
Justin qualified after completing a costly and labor-intensive petition process that critics say creates significant barriers for Independent and No Party candidates. Unlike major party contenders, Independent candidates are required to collect verified signatures exclusively from registered No Party voters within their district. Reaching that specific electorate requires extensive door-to-door outreach, targeted voter identification, and significant financial investment, effectively forcing independent campaigns to run a full-scale field operation to qualify for a spot on the ballot.
“To simply give voters another choice on the ballot required countless hours of work and an extraordinary investment of resources,” Justin said. “The reality is that Louisiana’s new election system creates barriers that most everyday working people simply cannot overcome.”
To meet the state’s requirements, Justin’s campaign invested over $50,000 in a coordinated signature collection and voter outreach effort. Justin raised nearly $90,000 in 2025 to launch his campaign. More than half of his early fundraising had to be spent simply to qualify for the ballot.
Over the course of the effort, Justin and his team knocked on more than 13,000 doors, speaking directly with No Party voters across District 1. State law required the campaign to submit 1,000 valid signatures. The campaign ultimately submitted 1,218 verified signatures, significantly exceeding the threshold. Election officials repeatedly noted the unusually high validity rate of the petition drive.
“Anyone who has followed recall elections or petition efforts knows how difficult it is to collect signatures that survive verification,” Justin said. “Our team approached this process with precision and discipline from day one. Every signature mattered.”
Now, one month into the general campaign, Justin says the petition process not only secured ballot access but strengthened his connection with voters.
“We didn’t just collect signatures. We listened,” Justin said. “Across District 1, we heard the same concerns again and again. Families are struggling with rising utility bills tied to an unreliable grid system. Residents are fed up with backroom deals and rigged systems that benefit everyone but us. We are sick and tired of partisan fights that ignore common sense solutions. This broken system is why Independent voices matter right now.”
Justin said the early momentum, both in fundraising and grassroots engagement, demonstrates strong appetite for an Independent engineer focused on accountability and practical solutions.
“When qualifying for office requires tens of thousands of dollars and a full-time effort just to appear on the ballot, something is wrong,” Justin said. “But we proved it can be done. And now we’re focused on the real work: lowering utility costs, strengthening grid reliability, and banning the corrupt practice of utilities funding the politicians who regulate them.”
Justin’s campaign will continue building on its early foundation with an emphasis on data-driven energy policy, ratepayer protection, and leadership that puts Louisiana families ahead of partisan and special interests.
Learn more about Chris Justin and his platform at votechrisjustin.com.
About Chris Justin
Chris Justin is a licensed professional engineer, small business owner, and energy policy expert with extensive experience advising regulators, public agencies, and businesses on energy systems and policy. He is running as an Independent to deliver real results for families through lower energy costs and stronger accountability for the utilities that serve them. Justin lives in New Orleans with his family and is a candidate for Public Service Commissioner, District 1.
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