New Jersey
Federal judge in organization line lawsuit could be the most powerful man in N.J. – New Jersey Globe
The most powerful person in New Jersey politics today might be Zahid Quraishi, the U.S. District Court Judge handling the lawsuit seeking to end organization lines.
With Andy Kim filing a lawsuit on Monday citing the exigent circumstances of his U.S. Senate primary, Quraishi is being asked to change the rules for primary elections less than a month from the filing deadline or to maintain the status quo until the four-year-old lawsuit plays out.
Kim wants the court to prospectively shut down the county line system as legal, saying he’d be irreparably harmed if they don’t.
Now the question is whether Quraishi, who was named to the bench by President Joe Biden, takes the bait. If he does, it’ll be the best signal yet of his view to outlaw lines altogether. His refusal to dismiss the case outright was a big deal.
The window to decide on Kim’s filing is extraordinarily tight. The filing deadline is March 25, the ballot drawing is April 4, and county clerks must begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots on April 20; that deadline is less flexible in federal election years under a federal law ballots sent to active U.S. military serving overseas must go out 45 days before the election.
While Quraishi can set his briefing schedule — some New Jersey Superior Court judges famously do that without regard to election deadlines – he may choose to deal with some realities; for example, a ruling as late as Friday, March 22, could help a potential candidate decide to get in the race, but with county and municipal clerks offices closed on the weekend, those candidates could lose the ability to file nominating petitions by Monday afternoon. Even still, voting could commence 29 days later, a narrow runway to raise money and conduct a campaign.
Delaying the primary until July could be problematic: New Jersey could lose its delegates to the Democratic National Convention if they don’t hold a June primary.
The Senate primary isn’t the only race potentially impacted by an order to strike lines in the June primary; it could also impact congressional, county, and municipal races.
In New Jersey’s 3rd district, Kim’s lawsuit potentially negates convention wins for Herb Conaway, Jr. in Burlington and Monmouth counties. It keeps other candidates – Carol Murphy, Joe Cohen, and Sarah Schoengood – in the race. (Schoengood is one of Kim’s co-plaintiffs, creating questions about how she and Kim formed a legal alliance.) In the 8th district, no lines in Hudson, Essex, and Union counties could be a big problem for Robert J. Menendez, a freshman congressman who faces a tough primary against Ravi Bhalla, the mayor of Hoboken.
Without organization lines, some incumbent county commissioners with low name identification could suddenly find themselves in trouble; that might be the point of the original lawsuit. One possible beneficiary of a decision to shut down lines is Jerry Speziale, who is interested in returning to his old job as Passaic County sheriff; he had $476,000 cash-on-hand at the end of 2023.
andy kim us district court
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.
The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.
Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.
“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.
The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.
School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.
A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.
For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.
RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers
New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.
The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.
In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.
“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.
“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.
The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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