An independent candidate for mayor of Glassboro is off the November ballot after coming up two signatures short on her nominating petitions.
Superior Court Judge James Swift upheld the Gloucester County Clerk’s decision to disqualify Lynda Gallashaw, who submitted 317 signatures in her bid to challenge Democratic Mayor John E. Wallace III and Republican Joseph Brown.
The clerk’s office invalidated 69 signatures, leaving Gallashaw with 248 valid signatures. Independent candidates for mayor in Glassboro are required to submit 250.
“I found the county clerk’s actions can’t be overturned. There’s nothing in the record that would substantiate and legal basis for me to conclude that the county clerk didn’t do what she was supposed to do,” Swift said. “There’s not 250 valid signatures.”
Gallashaw, who represented herself, repeatedly attempted to speak over Swift during the hearing and presented no evidence that would support overturning the clerk’s determination.
“This process isn’t being respected, and you’re part of that, because you’re saying you don’t have the information. I just showed you the email that was sent on June 2. You have it in front of you,” Gallashaw told Swift. “I’m giving you facts. You just decided not to respect them. That’s fine. This is expected. This is how this went over and over again: corruption.”
She also sought to add more signatures after the June 2 filing deadline, which is prohibited by a state law that permits candidates to correct some substantive or technical defects in a nominating petition but expressly bars the addition of new signatures after the deadline.
Gallashaw alleged that Judicial Deputy County Clerk Heather Pool initially told her that she needed only 130 signatures and later informed her that the requirement was 250. But according to court filings, Gallashaw could not substantiate her claim or identify when the initial conversation occurred.
Gloucester County Clerk James Hogan rejected Gallashaw’s petition on June 11 following challenges filed by Republican Steven Kush and Glassboro Councilwoman Daniele Brida Spence, the Democratic municipal chair.
The challenges cited several alleged deficiencies, including signatures from people who were not registered to vote, voters registered at addresses different from those listed on the petitions, illegible entries, blank signature lines and at least one voter who had signed another candidate’s petition.
In a brief opposing Gallashaw’s lawsuit, Hogan’s attorney, John Carbone, said Pool told Gallashaw when she attempted to file her petitions that she needed 250 valid signatures. Gallashaw filed two batches of petitions on June 2, one shortly after 1 PM and another just before the 4 PM deadline.
“The actions of the county clerk were rooted in reason and in compliance with the law,” Carbone said.
Gallashaw filed a handwritten complaint alleging that election officials had accepted an illegal challenge intended to remove her from the ballot, suppress voters and protect partisan interests.
Gallashaw previously ran for State Senate as a Republican in 2013, receiving 26% of the vote against Democrat Nellie Pou in the 35th legislative district. Pou, then an assemblywoman, now represents New Jersey’s 9th congressional district.
Wallace is seeking a third term as mayor.