Dover Democrats challenge Dodd petitions

Dover’s Democratic Municipal Committee on Monday issued challenges to the nominating petitions of Mayor James Dodd and three of the four Alderman candidates running on his slate.

The petitions of Sol Sostre, Alderman Jim Visioli and Juan Pablo Lopez are being challenged.

The challenge alleges a number of deficiencies with the candidates’ petitions.

It claims that the petitions were circulated by someone other than the one who signed on as the certified circulator.

They claim this breaks the petitions’ chain of custody.

The challenge also claims the circulator, not voters, filled in certain voter information.

The challenge further alleges deficiencies regarding a number of the signatures themselves, including claims that say certain signatures are missing information, like names, or are illegible.

Other claims include improper addresses, signatures from unregistered voters and duplicate signatures.

One signature, the challenge claims, came from a non-U.S. citizen.

Insurgent Democrats took control of Dover’s Democratic Committee last year during a push by Dover First Democrats to oust Aldermen aligned with Dodd.

Now, Alderman Carolyn Blackman, a former Dodd ally who turned to Dover First last year, is running for mayor with the Democratic nod.

Dodd and his cohorts are mounting campaigns as independents.