She’s Running for President, Whether She Likes It or Not

Krystal Gabel of Colorado is currently a candidate for president of the United States in the Minnesota primary—which came as a big surprise to Krystal Gabel. WDAY describes Gabel as a cannabis activist whose name was entered as a candidate by a Minnesota third party for the March 5 primary there, without Gabel’s knowledge. Gabel tells the Star Tribune that she first found out about her presidential run when she recently received an early morning Google alert tied to her name and candidacy. Her name had been submitted by Minnesota’s Legal Marijuana Now Party, whose Nebraska branch Gabel says she was involved with in 2015 and 2016. Gabel says she was removed from the group’s Facebook page last summer, but for some reason, they decided to throw her name in the ring for a shot at the Oval Office.

“Krystal is a party leader and all indications were that she was ready to be in the MN primary,” an email from LMN to the Star Tribune tries to explain. “We thought this was all worked out.” Party rep Dennis Schuller tells Colorado Public Radio that Gabel, who has run for local office in her Colorado hometown, “had been in on discussions about the Minnesota and Nebraska primaries and 2024 election plans.” At any rate, the group notes Gabel’s candidacy has now been “withdrawn,” per the Star Tribune. But per the office of the secretary of state in Minnesota, where early voting has already begun, it’s not quite so simple: Once someone’s name has been submitted by a major political party for ballot placement, it can’t be removed.

“People have a common-law right not to be forced to be candidates,” Gabel says. “These actions are absolutely anti-democratic.” She adds that being placed on the ballot without her consent “felt very physically icky and violating,” per CPR. She’s now encouraging people to vote for anyone but her, noting that LMN’s move may end up “siphoning off votes” from “legitimate candidates.” She also wants Minnesota to get rid of this “loophole” so this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Gabel is in good company with other, more well-known names who are on the Minnesota ballot but aren’t running for president: former GOP candidates Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ron DeSantis, who all recently dropped out of the race, per the Star Tribune. (Read more strange stuff stories.)