Judge Rejects Green Party Candidate's Bid for California Governor Ballot

Rudolph 'Butch' Ware argued the tax return requirement is unconstitutional, but the court ruled the state acted properly.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 3:30pm

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A Sacramento judge has rejected a lawsuit from Green Party candidate Rudolph 'Butch' Ware, an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara, who sought to appear on the June primary ballot for California governor. Ware argued that the state's requirement for gubernatorial candidates to submit five years of tax returns is unconstitutional, but the court ruled that the Secretary of State's office acted properly in disqualifying Ware's paperwork due to inconsistencies.

Why it matters

The tax return requirement for California gubernatorial candidates has faced legal challenges, with the state Supreme Court previously striking down a similar law for presidential candidates. This ruling upholds the state's ability to impose 'reasonable' requirements to safeguard the electoral process, though the constitutionality of the law remains an open question.

The details

Ware argued that the Secretary of State's office gave him 'contradictory and confusing messages' about correcting 'deficiencies' in his tax return filings, leading him to believe the state was 'arbitrarily establishing thresholds' to disqualify him. However, the court sided with the state, which said Ware's paperwork contained multiple inconsistencies like a missing business name and partial dates. The judge denied Ware's claim, saying the Secretary of State demonstrated efforts to work with him on the filings.

  • Ware filed his tax returns by the March 6 deadline.
  • The Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled against Ware on Thursday, April 1, 2026.

The players

Rudolph 'Butch' Ware

An associate professor of history at UC Santa Barbara who sought to run for California governor as a Green Party candidate.

Shirley Weber

The California Secretary of State whose office disqualified Ware from the gubernatorial ballot.

James Arguelles

The Sacramento Superior Court judge who ruled against Ware's lawsuit.

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What they’re saying

“We will be on that ballot. If they continue the fraudulent, dirty tricks running cover and carrying water for a Democrat administration that is running scared, then we will beat them in a write-in vote.”

— Rudolph 'Butch' Ware, Green Party Candidate for California Governor

What’s next

Ware said he plans to appeal the ruling and file a separate federal lawsuit against the Secretary of State.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing legal battles over candidate disclosure requirements, with the courts upholding the state's ability to impose 'reasonable' rules while also acknowledging concerns about unconstitutional barriers to the electoral process.