Ramon Mora, Jr. will need to wait until at least tomorrow to learn the fate of his independent campaign for Congress in New Jersey’s 2nd district.
The hearing on Tuesday lasted more than six hours and resulted in Administrative Law Judge Gauri Shirali Shah invalidating 67 signatures, but a disagreement over the number of contested signatures could render the entire petition challenge moot by tomorrow morning.
Mora filed 411 signatures – 161 more than the 250 needed to secure a ballot position – but Democrats who launched the challenge initially believed that total to be 361. Mora testified that he filed an additional 50 signatures in advance of the 4 PM deadline on June 2, and those signatures are included in the challenge field by the Democrats.
There are roughly 60 more signatures left to review when Shah resumes the hearing on Wednesday, not including the 50 that were not initially part of the challenge.
To remove Mora from the ballot, Democrats will need to strike another 94 signatures.
Shah would not commit to considering an amended challenge – the deadline to contest petitions was 4 PM yesterday – to include the other 50 signatures.
Mora is the lone independent candidate in the 2nd district contest between four-term Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) and his Democratic challenger, Cape May Mayor Zach Mullock. Mora is a progressive and Democrats worry that he might take votes from Mullock if the race were to suddenly tighten.