Judge tosses NJ-11 independent from ballot

Independent candidate Russell A. Jenkins has been booted from the ballot in New Jersey’s 11th district after failing to submit enough valid signatures.

Administrative Law Judge JoAnn LaScala Candido issued the ruling and conducted the proceedings without Jenkins present. Jenkins was contacted multiple times to appear before Judge Candido, but remained absent throughout the hearing.

Jenkins, a Maplewood resident, did not return a call seeking comment on either his removal from the ballot or his failure to appear at the hearing. 

Jenkins ran under the ballot slogan “One For All.” He initially submitted 269 signatures, but 37 were deemed invalid, leaving him 18 signatures short of the 250 required to qualify for the ballot. The most common issue was that many of the residents who signed the petition resided in the 10th district.

In 2024, Jenkins ran under the same ballot slogan as an independent candidate in the 10th special election to fill the seat of the late Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-Newark).  He received just 530 votes against the winner, now-Rep. Lamonica McIver (D-Newark), and her Republican opponent, Carmen Bucco.  

Jenkins was seeking to join Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-Glen Ridge) and Republican Joe Hathaway on the ballot this November.