274
Thomas, J., dissenting
required of a candidate once the party chairman has certified his name to the State Board [of Elections]"). The Party has no control over the qualifications that determine "who may appear on the ballot." Ante, at 198.
What the Party does determine is something entirely distinct from the rules for ballot access, but which the Court fails to distinguish: the identity of the person who shall be entitled under state law, as the Party's nominee, to placement on the ballot by the State. In making that determination, the Party sets the "qualifications" necessary for the selection of its candidate. Though the Court conflates these two sets of criteria, the Party's standards for choosing its candidate are wholly separate from the State's standards for ballot access, as set forth in §§ 24.2-101 and 24.2-511 of the Virginia Code. When the Party picks a candidate according to its own partisan criteria, it does not act on behalf of the State. Whatever the reason the Party chooses its nominee, "it is not the government's reason." Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co., 500 U. S., at 638 (O'Connor, J., dissenting). In sum, the selection of a party nominee "forms no part of the government's responsibility" in regulating an election. Id., at 639.
To be sure, the Party takes advantage of favorable state law when it certifies its candidate for automatic placement on the ballot. See ante, at 195-197, and n. 13 (opinion of Stevens, J.); ante, at 238 (Breyer, J., concurring in judgment). Nevertheless, according to our state-action cases, that is no basis for treating the Party as the State. The State's conferral of benefits upon an entity—even so great a benefit as monopoly status—is insufficient to convert the entity into a state actor. See Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison, 419 U. S., at 351-352.15 If appellants believe that the State
15 On Justice Stevens' and Justice Breyer's view of the relationship between automatic ballot placement and state action, many private corporations in Virginia would qualify as state actors. Virginia corporations
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