Judge says Cunningham can run in Democratic primary

By Max Pizarro | April 19th, 2007 - 3:14pm
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Judge Joseph Paone of the state Office of Administratve Law today ruled in favor of keeping Sandra Bolden Cunningham on the Democratic Primary ballot.

Cunningham, a candidate for State Senate in district 31, last week received a legal challenge from rival candidate Assemblyman Louis Manzo, who said Cunningham should not be allowed to participate in the primary because she filed a general election and not a primary election petition.

In his decision Thursday afternoon, Paone granted there were problems with Cunningham's petition and acknowledged many of the signatures Cunningham submitted were defective. 

But he concluded, "In view of the fact that I found that a great deal of public attention was generated by Cunningham’s candidacy, and I also found that the circulators... informed the signatories that they were signing a petition to place Cunningham on the primary ballot, I must conclude that the preponderance of the competent evidence demonstrates that the signatories to the petitions... knew that they were signing petitions to place Cunningham on the primary ballot.

"Therefore, the 393 signatures included in the petitions... that were filed and accepted by the Division of Elections, must be counted. Since the 393 signatures exceed the requisite number of signatures to participate in a primary election, I conclude that Cunningham has satisfied the requirements..."

The judge therefore ordered that Cunningham remain on the ballot as a candidate in the Democratic Primary.

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Budget Saving Measure

Submitted by HansMoleman on April 19, 2007 - 3:39pm.

With all these recent rulings and the 2002 Supreme Court ruling pretty much wiping out all need for the Division of Elections, why not just take a poll on election day, see who wins, put them in office and save millions every year. There are effectively no more election laws in this state.  Close down the Division of Elections.  Close down the County Boards of Elections.  Send all the little old lady poll workers home.

IF THIS WAS AN R

Submitted by VinCognito on April 19, 2007 - 4:28pm.

Had this been a challenge for a Republican it would have been turned down - look at Dist 36 - 1 signature and they throw it out.

Manzo's Done

Submitted by Hudson Hawk on April 20, 2007 - 12:08am.

With a failed challenge of Sandra Bolden Cunningham, Manzo may have stirred up a hornet's nest in what may have been a relatively quiet primary in which he could have snuck in. Additionally, Manzo has made a major blunder in attacking Mayor Healy over the Sean Cotter incident. Healy is not a candidate in this race, and attacking Healy may serve to alienate Healy supporters who may have considered Manzo over Cunningham initially. Throw those votes out the window now and look for a very angry Mayor Healy to crush Manzo with a vengeance.

JUDGE PAONE

Submitted by Michael Illions on April 20, 2007 - 8:14am.

VinCognito, I agree with you that if this was a Republican, the ruling would have been different. However, no one has pointed this out because not to many people probably even know. Judge Joseph Paone is the former CHAIRMAN OF THE WOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP REPUBLICAN PARTY. He resigned from his chairmanship to take this judgeship, after having many dinners with Democrat Senator Joe Vitale to get this appointment. Poitics make strange bedfellows ...

What a Shock!!

Submitted by J_Joseph_Rivera on April 20, 2007 - 12:43pm.

Oh wow, didn't see this ruling coming from a mile away! "Gee, what would people think of me if I kept Glenn Cunningham's widow off the ballot?"

Just what New Jersey needs, a black Mary Bono!!

DIINO- YOU DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING!

Submitted by Hudson Hawk on April 23, 2007 - 11:33am.

I recall in a previous post you predicted Cunningham would be tossed off the ballot and that she would run in November. Isn't that so?

Actually, what I said was

Submitted by J_Joseph_Rivera on April 23, 2007 - 3:44pm.

Actually, what I said was that the HCDO saw this mistake in advance and told Jose Arango not to put up a GOP slate for November in the event that she was tossed off the ballot. I really didn't think that she would get tossed, I do believe however, that the HCDO had an insurance policy in place in the event that by some freak luck, she did.

The HCDO prepares for every worst case scenario. "

Any Nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one" -Alexander Hamilton

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