Judge postpones hearing to next week after Glassboro candidate didn’t show up in court

Independent Glassboro mayoral candidate Lynda Gallashaw failed to appear Wednesday for a Superior Court hearing challenging her removal from the November ballot.

Gallashaw filed to run as an independent candidate for mayor on June 2. Two objections to her nominating petition were filed on June 8 by Steven Kush and Glassboro Councilwoman Danielle Brida Spence, who also serves as chief of staff to the three Democratic legislators representing the 3rd Legislative District.

On June 11, Gloucester County Clerk James Hogan ruled that Gallashaw’s petition fell short of the required 250 valid signatures.  Although she submitted 317 signatures, the clerk’s office determined that 69 were invalid, leaving her with 248 valid signatures and disqualifying her candidacy.  Gallashaw was notified of the decision by email on June 11 and by Priority Mail on June 12.

Gallashaw maintained that an employee in the clerk’s office told her she needed only 120 signatures. However, according to court filings, she was unable to identify who provided that information or when the conversation took place.

She visited the clerk’s office on June 15, where she was advised to seek review in Superior Court. Later that day, she left behind handwritten, unsigned documents.

In court filings, the clerk’s attorney, John Carbone, argued that Gallashaw failed to properly serve the clerk’s office with the order to show cause and related court papers as required. Instead, he said the clerk’s office had to obtain copies from the Judiciary’s online docket.

Superior Court Judge James Swift scheduled a hearing for Wednesday at 11:30 AM, but Gallashaw did not appear. After making repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact her, Swift adjourned the matter and rescheduled the hearing for Thursday, July 16, at 1:30 PM.

This is Gallashaw’s second bid for public office.  She was the Republican candidate for State Senate in the 35th district in 2013, winning 26% of the vote for an open seat against Democrat Nellie Pou (North Haledon), then an assemblywoman and now the congresswoman from New Jersey’s 9th district.

She is seeking to challenge Mayor John E. Wallace III, a Democrat who is seeking a third term, and Republican Joseph Brown.