Altman Survives Petition Signatures Challenge
The Sue Altman Campaign for Congress in New Jersey's District 12 will go on, after a judge ruled this morning that she retains an adequate number of petition signatures to qualify as a candidate.
Administrative Law Judge Michael Stanzione removed 351 signatures, allowed 271, including 35 added from an early ruling, and 24 in reserve.
Bottom line (unofficially, as the judge proceeded to eyeball the reserves): signatures remaining for Altman: 671, including 83 initially removed but restored in an earlier Stanzione ruling.
A candidate needs 500 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Altman stays in the contest.
For more InsiderNJ coverage on this case, please go HERE, and HERE.
Progressive activist Altman is running in a crowded field of Democratic candidates to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12).
In a field of 14 contenders, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson has the county backing her home county of Mercer, East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen won Middlesex, Union County Democrats went with Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, and Somerset County Commission Director Shanel Robinson handily won Somerset.
Former director of Working Families who also served as state director for U.S. Senator Andy Kim, Altman ran for Congress two years ago and lost to incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-7) in neighboring Congressional District 7.
CD-12 is seen as a significantly more winnable district for Democrats.
Rival operators left today's hearing mildly irritated by the ruling but amused by someone using the Zoom sign-in handle "Louie Lunchmeat," one of the more glaringly problematic names tossed from Altman's submissions. Growled one insider anticipating the coming rough and tumble as primary campaign season intensifies: "out of district candidate with out of state circulators submitting fake petitions is out of touch with you."
But how the primary shakes out with so many candidates cutting into one another is another matter.
"We go on and we intend to win," said Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp, one of the candidates.
