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Dems File Suit To Stop Senate Special Election

Somerset County Democratic Chairwoman Peg Schaffer filed an emergency lawsuit yesterday with the NJ Superior Court Appellate Division to stop the Special Primary and Election that Governor Chris Christie called on Tuesday, according to a report on PolitickerNJ.

The Special Primary is scheduled for August 13.  The Special Election is scheduled for October 16.  Democratic and Republican Primary candidates must submit petitions with 1000 valid signatures by 4pm on Monday June 10 in order to get on the ballot. Independent or third party candidates must file petitions with 1000 valid signatures by August 13.

NorthJersey.com reports that the Appellate Court has ruled that the suit can proceed.

The plaintiffs are Marie Corfield, Joe Grillo and  Joseph Danielson.

Corfield is a Democratic Assembly candidate from the 16th district (Hunterdon, Middlesex, Mercer and Somerset counties).  She lost a special Assembly election to Republican Donna Simon last November. Corfield first came into the public eye when the YouTube video of her exchange with Christie at a 2010 Town Hall meeting went viral.

Monmouth Dem Exec Director Joe Grillo. AsburyParkSun.com photo

Monmouth Dem Exec Director Joe Grillo. AsburyParkSun.com photo

Grillo is the Executive Director of the Monmouth County Democratic Organization.  Danielson is the Chairman of the Franklin Township (Somerset County) Democratic Committee.

Their suit contends that the Special Primary and Special Election will cause “voter suppression and confusion.” The Democrats want the Special Election to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Frank Lautenberg to be held on November 5, the same day as New Jersey’s next general election.

During his press conference announcing Attorney General Jeff Chiesa as Lautenberg’s temporary replacement, Christie said holding federal and state elections on the same day was contrary to the intentions of the framers of the NJ Constitution.  He further stated that the option of scheduling a special election in the manner is which he did clearly legal under two conflicting election law statutes. Christie said that New Jersey’s courts have a history of activism, particularly with regard to election law and that he chose a the method of electing a new U.S. Senator that was most likely to survive a court challenge.

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Posted: June 8th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Election, 2014 U.S. Senate race, Senate Special Election | Tags: , , , , | 8 Comments »

8 Comments on “Dems File Suit To Stop Senate Special Election”

  1. dentss said at 10:35 am on June 8th, 2013:

    R’s should counter sue the D’s for trying to stop expedited election .We all remember what they did when
    when McGreevey was “compromised” and couldn’t continue in office (announced in August…) the democratic legislature was perfectly ok with him staying on the job until October so Codey could assume the governorship without an election disenfranchising the entire state…

  2. bobwalsh said at 11:54 am on June 8th, 2013:

    I do not think it really made a difference what our Governor did. The D’s would of sued and claimed he did everything wrong if he had done what they wanted!! T

  3. Cost of lawsuit said at 11:55 am on June 8th, 2013:

    Fools. Now add the cost of the state defending the cost of the special election to the cost…. Don’t worry, we’ll pay for it, or our great grand kids will…..

  4. TheDigger said at 12:49 pm on June 8th, 2013:

    Well, if they throw out the October election, perhaps Christie will strike back and put it back to the November 2014 election.

    If they lose, will they be personally sued for all court costs? I’m sure somene will do that!

  5. Bob English said at 2:56 pm on June 8th, 2013:

    It’s crazy to have two statewide elections within three weeks of each other at an additional cost to taxpayers of $12 million.

  6. Ok, then, said at 3:16 pm on June 8th, 2013:

    let the kid serve the full 14 mos., so more clowns have time to get into the mix on both sides.. Either/or, am sure Sen. Booker will do just fine voting with the Dems to continue the socialization of the good ol’USA- ANYbody but Frankie!

  7. Draco said at 8:38 pm on June 8th, 2013:

    The fact that Peg Shafer is the attorney should tell you something. This suit is going nowhere.

  8. Tim Gurdis said at 10:59 pm on June 8th, 2013:

    Its Rullo’s fault!