NJWEEDMAN KICKED OFF THE 2007 NEW JERSEY ELECTION BALLOT

Burl. Co. Democrats are trying to extinguish candidacy of marijuana advocate

By JOHNREITMEYER
Burlington County Times

Burlington County Democrats are trying to extinguish the candidacy of marijuana advocate Ed Forchion in the 8th District state Senate race.

Forchion, a Pemberton Township resident, filed petitions with the state Division of Elections last week in an effort to get on the November ballot for the seat currently held by state Sen. Martha Bark, R-8th of Medford.

Democrats are challenging the petitions filed by Forchion, saying he didn't get enough valid signatures from registered voters to meet state requirements.

Forchion also filed petitions with the office of Burlington County Clerk Phil Haines to run for a seat on the county Board of Freeholders, but those petitions have been rejected due to insufficient valid signatures, county officials said.

Haines, coincidentally, is running as the nominee by the county Republican Party for the same Senate seat Forchion is seeking.

Forchion, a truck driver, said he didn't have a lot of time to collect signatures by last week's deadline because of a busy work schedule, but said he submitted petitions signed by 108 people, eight more than the state requires.

Rick Perr, chairman of the county Democratic Party, said his party believes many of the people who signed Forchion's petitions are not registered voters and, therefore, his candidacy may not meet state requirements for the Legislature.

The party has hired Camden County attorney Bill Tambussi to challenge Forchion's paperwork. A hearing is scheduled Monday before an administrative law judge in Mercer County.

“I'm no threat to them,” Forchion said in response to the Democrats.

Perr said the party doesn't see Forchion as a threat, but believes he should be held to the same standards as anyone else.

“We're appropriately exercising our rights under the law to challenge his petitions,” Perr said.

The Democrats are running state Assemblyman Fran Bodine, D-8th of Moorestown, in the Senate race. Bodine switched parties earlier this year after the county Republican Party dumped him from its ticket.

Haines, a Springfield resident, was chosen by the GOP earlier this year after Bark announced she would not seek re-election in the fall.

Petitions rejected, would-be Senate candidate to try for write-ins

By JOHN REITMEYER
Burlington County Times

Marijuana advocate Ed Forchion is launching a write-in campaign for the state Senate seat in the 8th District after learning yesterday that his attempt to get on the ballot as an independent candidate was rejected by the state.

Forchion, a Pemberton Township resident, tried to get on the ballot in the contest for the seat currently held by state Sen. Martha Bark, R-8th of Medford, by submitting nominating petitions to the state by a June 5 deadline for independent candidates.

Bark announced earlier this year she would not seek re-election in the fall.

His petitions were signed by 108 residents, eight more than the state requires for ballot positioning. Forchion, however, said when his petitions were reviewed by the state yesterday about 20 signatures were not from registered voters, meaning he doesn't qualify because the state requires all petition signers to be registered voters.

No problem, Forchion said. He'll continue with his campaign, but will be telling potential voters to write his name on their ballots on Election Day.

“I have to resort to a write-in campaign this year,” Forchion said. “I officially got booted.”

Forchion, a truck driver, said he'd been busy with work and didn't have a lot of time to gather signatures prior to the filing deadline this year. He also said he finds it hard to collect signatures because he generates a lot of attention from police officers due to his stance on marijuana laws. He wants them repealed.

The Burlington County Democratic Party challenged Forchion's petitions earlier this month, setting the stage for yesterday's review.

The county Democrats are running state Assemblyman Fran Bodine, D-8th of Moorestown, in the Senate race. Bodine, a longtime Republican, switched parties earlier this year after learning the county Republican Party was dropping him from its ticket.

The Republican candidate in the Senate race is county Clerk Phil Haines, a Springfield resident.

Coincidentally, Haines' office determined last week that petitions Forchion submitted to run for a seat on the county Board of Freeholders as an independent candidate also were insufficient.