Libertarians will stay on PA ballot

(Harrisburg) -- The Libertarian Party's candidates will stay on Pennsylvania's ballot.

A state judge has ruled in favor of the party, ending a nearly eight-week review of petition signatures that was forced by a challenge backed by the state Republican Party.

Commonwealth Court Senior Judge James Gardner Colins says lawyers for both sides agreed the Libertarians have at least 20,730 valid signatures. That's 129 more than the law requires.

Colins rejected motions by the challengers seeking to invalidate scores of signatures that they had previously accepted as valid, saying they failed to justify such an action.

The ruling keeps Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson on the Pennsylvania ballot, as well as its candidates for U.S. Senate and the three state row offices.