Sanders’ place on Florida ballot challenged

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A pair of Floridians are asking a court to remove Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Democratic front-runner for president, from the state’s March 17 primary ballot.

Although Sanders is registered as a Democrat with the Federal Election Commission, the suit claims he is a political interloper and not a bona fide Democrat.

Sanders, who has spent three decades in the U.S. Capitol, first as a congressman and now as a senator representing Vermont, has steadfastly refused to formally identify as a Democrat, even if he caucuses with the party.

As he has solidified himself as the party front-runner, the Democratic establishment and some of the party faithful, including the two octogenarians behind the Florida lawsuit filed this week, have expressed doubt about whether Sanders will be loyal to the party, even if he does not end up being its standard bearer.