"Good Sportsmanship" in CD3? Not from the "majors".

After all the negativity spouted between the Republican Candidates in the Primary race in District Three, I had hoped that Freeholder Candidate Tracy M. Caprioni and I could enjoy the summer traveling the District, meeting the constituents, sharing our views, offering our proposals, and learning how best to serve the people we would represent.  

Unfortunately, the negativity is not over.  Add a new player to the “morally disappointing bully” team in the form of Democrat, Aimee Belgard, and her advocates, the Democrat State Committee.

There are very specific Laws governing the election process – even more stringent, it would seem, for independent candidates.

Those are laws – not suggestions.

On Monday of last week – (in theory**), a Challenge was raised at the board of elections, in effort to remove my opponent, Robert Edward Forchion, aka “NJWeedman”, from the Ballot in District Three in November.

The problem with that is the challenge had to be filed by the SATURDAY before.

Why would it matter to me?  It actually “thins the herd”. 

It matters to me because the LAW matters to me – and the way the party bosses have run rough-shod over election law will become all too apparent over the next few weeks in another action I am bringing.

There is a required and specific timeline for the election process – it’s even published on the State’s web page.  It clearly gives the deadlines for petition submission for Independent Candidates.

There is also a specific period during which such submitted petitions may be filed.  That period ended days before the e-mail asking for a challenge was even received.

Aimee  went to law school, we’re told, so she can hardly contend that she didn’t know her challenge was “out of time” – or can she?

Hiding behind the skirts of the Democrat leadership, was she unaware of the three-day deadline,  (meaning her competence is questionable), or was she relying on Norcross’ undue influence on elected officials and the courts to award her a victory based on her “entitlement” as the anointed of her party? 

Is it possible she was even unaware of the challenge?  There’s no mention of it on her web-site, and she hasn’t spoken to any reporters, yet.  Again – is she hiding?  There’s nary a blog post on her web-page since June 4th’s “Aimee Belgard issues challenge to Tom MacArthur”

I say “hiding”, because she has been VERY quiet since the primary – and never did debate Kleinhendler or Todd, as promised. 

I actually took the time to reach out to both of them. 

Why?  

Their voice is representative of those who supported them in the primary – voters who will vote the candidate, not the “line”.

As Mr. Forchion is likely to siphon off voters from Ms. Belgard in November, her “strategy” was to remove him from the ballot – her presumption being that those voters would become “hers” by default.

Certainly, they wouldn’t deign to vote Republican, or, worse, (gasp!) INDEPENDENT… or would they?

I don’t know how each reader will feel, individually, but I DO know how the voters I have spoken with view this action by Belgard…”unfavorably” is as kind as I can put it.

I’m sure she’s hoping this will all be forgotten by Election Day.  Fat Chance.

As her opponent, it’s my job to keep showing you what WE are doing – not what someone else did wrong…but, as I said about MacArthur and his suing Lonegan’s STAFF in a “Slap Suit” (harassment with no merit, designed to distract and cause your opponent to spend time, money, and other resources responding to frivolous allegations)…

“I can’t abide a bully.”

The status quo can be challenged.  Aimee faces tough challenges in this race – and her toughest ain’t Tom MacArthur – not by a “long-shot”.

I’ll be in Court in Mercer County, standing for what’s right – even if it is for my opponent.

It’s called “good sportsmanship”.

“Stand for what’s right, or settle for what’s left” – Frederick John LaVergne

** As “E-mailing” is not “Filing” – and neither is “Faxing”, it can be contended that the challenge was never actually “Filed” at all, under the Statute.  “Challenges” must be filed in person, and signed in ink – funny little quirk of the law, I guess, but our Legislature took the time to codify it. -- FJL