An artful practitioner of politics, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh finds himself in somewhat of a political pickle on the heels of the May 12th elections.

His candidates in two battleground wards unofficially lost to Sayegh opponents, sparking challenges to the outcomes of both contests.

The mayor would be hard-pressed, however, to advocate – as Paster Kenneth Clayton has – for a nullification of the election results based on all the alleged troubles with vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots.

That’s because Governor Phil Murphy – a key Sayegh ally – doesn’t want New Jersey to establish a precedent – particularly in a federal election year – for VBM elections troubles sufficient for a total re-do.