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The deadline was Friday to submit petitions to the office of the Secretary of the State to tabulate signatures for the April 26 presidential preference primary, said Patrick Gallahue, communications director for Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.
The candidate, Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente, submitted more than 7,700 petition signatures to join the field running for Democratic nomination, Gallahue said. About 7,100 signatures were required to gain access to the ballot, he said. The signatures were collected between Feb. 16 and March 4.
The list of candidates currently slated to appear on the April 26 presidential preference primary ballot are, in alphabetical order:
Republicans:
- Jeb Bush
- Dr. Ben Carson
- Ted Cruz
- John Kasich
- Marco Rubio
- Donald Trump
- Uncommitted
Democrats:
- Hillary Clinton
- Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente
- Bernie Sanders
- Uncommitted
This list could change should any candidates who have suspended their campaigns formally notify the secretary of the state's office of their withdrawal, he said.
The order of names on the ballot will be determined on March 22.
De La Fuente, 61, is a businessman, developer, and real estate tycoon from San Diego. He earned a bachelor's in physics and mathematics from Anahuac University in Mexico.
His first job was selling Mazda vehicles in El Cajon, Calif. Between 1976 and 1990, he owned over 25 car dealerships in California.
De La Fuente filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission and identifies as a conservative Democrat. Numerous media accounts say he was inspired to run because of his dissatisfaction with the current candidates, especially Donald Trump, whom he accuses of alienating large segments of the population. De La Fuente said he will primarily promote his campaign via social media.
To learn more about him, visit his official website.
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