BUCHANAN AND HOCK SEAL TICKET

The first full ticket to be declared:
Renee Buchanan & Gregory Hock

McVicker, Wilberforce and Inglis continue to battle it out for support and finalising VP.





The Express has learned from the LRP that Attorney-General Gregory Hock of the Linardist party has joined with Secretary Renee Buchanan as the nominee for vice president of the republic. Secretary Buchanan released a short statement following the announcement.

"I announce that the LRP ticket has a nominee for Vice President. Mr Gregory Hock has served the state as Attorney General in the Norton government and in previous service as President. He has the experience and I'm proud to have him on bored to help me to continue President Norton's record of delivering for Titulia", she said.

Attorney General Hock has yet to release a statement although it's expected he will soon as both he and Secretary Buchanan now take to the campaign as a united team to talk to the Titulian people.

This ticket creates a lot of problems for the other candidates. Former president Dennis McVicker has been the only other of the four declared candidates taking the time to speak to the Titulian people since the opening of nominations. The SDP representative Will Wilberforce joins Commonwealth party candidate James Inglis, who have both been missing in action since the nomination period opened.

Hail to the .... Veep?

Despite all four candidates now having secured the nomination requirement, Secretary Buchanan has been the only nominee to disclose her 'number two' before the end of nominations. The last campaign almost proved fatal to then candidates TJ Norton and Reformer because they failed to announce their vice presidents before the nomination period had ended.

This was a smart move for the LRP contender to avoid her boss's problem last time around. While Buchanan's campaign has gone into overdrive the other candidates haven't even formally hit the stage yet.

Politics on the road to power

Former LRP partner the RNC have reportedly decided not to endorse a candidate this campaign while they work on internal factional cracks between the moderate and right wing branches. Incumbent RNC leader jp9893 is facing a leadership challenge from conservative torch bearer JI. The Committee have not given up on a campaign of misinformation about their former coalition ally and may support SDP's Wilberforce in retaliation.

State of the parties

The Buchanan campaign needs 50.1% at either the first or second round of voting to return the government to Liberty House under its new leadership. Forging this outcome for a leading party requires a 4% edge on its opponents if no other political support comes its way. The SDP could have guaranteed themselves the vice president's spot but it was declined according to reports. Wilberforce's nomination ended the debate on whether the Social Democrats had confidence in the government's return.

A Buchanan win is the more likely at this stage. The RNC's implosion have rendered them disabled in the short to medium term and an SDP split from their government colleagues leaves the question of whether or not they would be happy to work in a Buchanan-Hock government.

One thing's for sure: the remaining three candidates will need to summon their base soon or the temptation to win will shift from gaining first place to three candidates fighting for second. Stay tuned at the Express for your election coverage.