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BOSTON (AP) -- Tea party-affiliate Mark Fisher is rejecting an offer from the Massachusetts Republican Party to certify him as a candidate for governor in exchange for delaying any additional legal proceedings in his lawsuit against the party until after the election.

Fisher said Wednesday he's moving ahead with his lawsuit and wants the court to stick to a June 16 trial date. He said he wants the court to force the party to release tally sheets from the Massachusetts Republican Convention.

The party maintains that Fisher fell just short of becoming eligible for the ballot by failing to win the backing of 15 percent of the delegates at the March convention. Charlie Baker won the party's endorsement.

Fisher sued, claiming that the party violated its own rules by including blank ballots in the tally and adding 54 additional blanks to the total after the roll call on the convention floor.

"They're willing to put me on the ballot only if the criminal activity isn't exposed," Fisher said in a telephone interview. "We need the tally sheets. Where did those extra 54 ballots come from? It's how they stole the election.

"Just put me on the ballot," he added.

Baker and Fisher are the only candidates seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the September primary. Five Democrats and several independent candidates are also vying to succeed Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, who is not seeking a third term.

In their court filing, party leaders denied wrongdoing but said in "the best interests of the public, as well as the Republican Party," they would no longer contest Fisher's certification in exchange for a delay in additional legal proceedings until after the election.

"The litigation has become a distraction to the Republican Party and a drain on its resources, which should be used for the election of its candidates," argued party leaders, including MassGOP chair Kirsten Hughes.

They also faulted Fisher for an "unwavering commitment to publicize every aspect of the case both by speaking to newspapers and publishing on his web page and on Facebook every aspect of the dispute" and said he used "relationships within the Republican Party to carry his torch and caused increased disruption to the party."

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Tea-party affiliate Fisher rejects GOP offer