Nixon v. Condon 286 U.S. 73 (1932)

• Author: Kenneth L. Karst
• Pages: 1818

Page 1818

After the decision in NIXON V. HERNDON (1927), Texas amended its statute, giving a political party's state executive committee the power to set voting qualifications for the party's PRIMARY ELECTIONS. The Democratic party's committee limited primary voting to whites. Nixon, a black, again was denied a primary ballot and again sued election officials for DAMAGES. The Supreme Court reversed a dismissal of the action, holding, 5?4, that the committee's conduct was STATE ACTION in violation of the FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT. The line of "Texas primary cases" continued with GROVEY V. TOWNSEND (1935).

KENNETH L. KARST

(1986)