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Gale to announce decision on Ricketts-Foley ballot

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale says his office is reviewing whether Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Ricketts can switch his running mate on the November ballot.

Gale will issue a decision Wednesday on whether to allow State Auditor Mike Foley onto the ballot instead of Lt. Gov. Lavon Heidemann. Heidemann resigned Tuesday and said he is withdrawing from the GOP ticket.

Attorneys for the Ricketts campaign say Nebraska's constitution trumps a state law which imposes a Sept. 1 deadline for him to name a running mate.

Vince Powers of the Nebraska Democratic Party says there's no legal way to make the switch because the deadline has passed. Powers says placing Foley on the ballot would expose the Ricketts campaign to a legal challenge from any Nebraska voter if he wins.

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