Judge sets Dansereau petition hearing for next week

A Superior Court judge in Union County has scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday to decide if Roselle mayor Christine Dansereau can be on the ballot for the June 4 primary election.

The municipal clerk rejected petitions for Dansereau and councilwoman Denise Wilkerson, saying that since the two incumbents were running for different offices, they should not have filed a joint petition.  Mayors run for four-year terms and council candidates for terms of three years.

The judge ordered tomorrow’s ballot drawing to occur as scheduled, since that doesn’t necessarily affect Dansereau and Wilkerson. Both are aligned with candidates for Union County freeholder running off the organization line.

The printing of ballots for Roselle will be delayed until after the hearing.  Briefs from both sides are due on Monday.

The Roselle Democratic organization is backing Donald Shaw, State Sen. Nick Scutari’s mayoral candidate, and his slate of council candidates over Dansereau and Archange Antoine, who has the support of Linden Mayor Derek Armstead.