Nancy Argenziano filed suit in circuit court Friday to overturn a state election law that prevents her from running for Congress as a Democrat.

The former Public Service Commission chairwoman and lifelong Republican switched to the Independent Party earlier this year. By doing so, she locked herself into minor-party status under a new law that requires candidates to belong to the party with which they are running 18 months in advance of Election Day.

"I object to the Legislature ... manipulated to limit with whom I can politically associate, for what purposes, and during what time frames, without founding such restrictions on a legitimate, identifiable and overriding state interest," said Argenziano, who is seeking to challenge freshman Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Tallahassee.

"For 45 years, the state was content to arrange its voting logistics around party declaration at six months. Now, in an era of instantaneous data transfer, the imposition of a requirement of a declaration of party affiliation 18 months out from the general election is preposterous," Argenziano contended.

Republican leaders have said Argenziano would not have been tied to the Independent Party and could have switched to the Democratic Party in advance of the election if she had registered "No Party Affiliation."