A Pennsylvania judge on Friday ruled that a Green Party candidate be removed from the ballot after the state party sued, alleging the hopeful was a “spoiler candidate to distract progressive voters.”
Andrew Tupone had filed a petition to run for the state’s 7th Congressional District as a Green Party candidate to take on Democratic nominee Bob Brooks and incumbent Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), but voter records showed Tupone was registered as a Republican for years and regularly voted in GOP primaries before changing his registration.
Commonwealth Court Judge Stella M. Tsai granted the objection of the Green Party of Pennsylvania. The party argued Tupone misled voters into believing he was a Green Party-backed candidate, saying many voters who signed his petition to appear on the ballot would not have done so if they had known he was not supported by the party. Additionally, the party alleged Tupone ran as a Green candidate to siphon votes from Brooks.
Tupone vowed to appeal Tsai’s ruling, which will go to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
“The establishment parties are fighting to keep me off the ballot but I’m not backing down,” he said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I will continue this fight and appeal this decision because the people of the 7th congressional district deserve a real choice and a true progressive candidate who will stand up for them. This fight isn’t over. I’m going to keep fighting for the voters to have an option and for the representation our community deserves.”
Tupone had long voted for and was registered with the Republican Party, but switched to the Democratic Party in February 2026, and then later changed his registration to the Green Party.
Tupone has rejected criticism of his registration history, arguing that his political positions have remained the same. He claimed he was trying to “buck the establishment of both parties” and was running on a platform focused on universal healthcare and opposition to Israel.
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The now-booted candidate said Mackenzie must be defeated and criticized Democrats’ handling of their own primary.
While Tupone is now out of the race, it remains one of the more competitive House contests in Pennsylvania. Sabato’s Crystal Ball recently shifted the district from “leans Republican” to “toss-up.”