The mayor of a small town in Salem County was tossed off the ballot today after a judge found that she had sought write-in votes in the Democratic primary and then filed for re-election as an independent – a violation of New Jersey’s Sore Loser Law.
Superior Court Judge Benjamin Morgan decided that Penns Grove Mayor LaDaena Thomas had sought primary votes through posts on Facebook.
That leaves the November mayoral race in the borough of 4,837 with a two-way race between Democrat John Washington, a former mayor, and Republican Louis Pasquale.
Morgan rejected claims that the challenge to Thomas’ petition was filed on August 7, after the deadline had already passed. Morgan took 37 days to move the election matter through his court.
As an independent, Thomas had unseated Washington in 2019 by 151 votes, 439-288, a margin of twenty percentage points.
Thomas said she never sought re-election as anything other than an independent.
“Campaigning for elective office in the 21st century requires a level of coordination and moderate sophistication. It generally consists of raising money, holding events, knocking on doors, and making it known that one is actively seeking the position,” said Thomas’ attorney, Timothy Downs. “ Mayor Thomas’ certification makes clear that she did not actively seek the Democratic nomination.”
Instead, Thomas argued that the write-in campaign was mounted by a resident, John Rambo.
“He did so without the direction, consent or involvement of Mayor Thomas,” Downs said. “As a well-known businessman and the proprietor of the only auto repair shop in Penns Grove, he used his network of patrons and friends to drive a write-in campaign. He did so out of his disgust with the tactics of the Washington campaign in prior elections in their attempts to smear him.”
In a certification to the court, Rambo said that Thomas did not participate in the write-in campaign.
But a Facebook post from Thomas’ account alluded to a write-in campaign.
Morgan also refused an adjournment requested by Thomas’ attorney on Tuesday after she suffered an apparent heart attack. Today’s hearing was conducted while the mayor was undergoing heart surgery.
Washington received 309 votes in the primary, with 115 votes going to some variation of Thomas’ name.
No Republicans filed in the primary, which Pasquale won with 13 votes. Thomas had received 12 write-in votes as a Republican; a 13th vote cast for Deanna Thomas, was disqualified.
“We are pleased that the Superior Court vindicated the rights of the candidates who won and the rights of Penns Grove residents who made their voices heard on Election Day,” said Samuel D. Jackson, the attorney representing Washington and Pasquale. “The court’s ruling makes clear what Mayor Thomas should have known from the start: a candidate for office in New Jersey cannot lose in the primary and then attempt, through legal gymnastics, to run again in the general election.”
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