Judge: Hoboken Freeholder Romano allowed to be on the ballot twice

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A judge ruled that Freeholder Anthony Romano (D-5), also a mayoral candidate, is allowed to appear on the November 7th ballot twice.Anthony Romano

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“This matter should be with the voters of the City of Hoboken and we still have to work hard and fight,” Romano stated over the phone. “That said, it was a vindication of the constant attacks on me.”

“We’d like to thank Stephen Edelstein from the law firm Schwartz Simon Edelstein Celso LLC and also note that special interests and backroom deals will not decide who the next mayor of Hoboken is,” added Romano’s campaign manager, Pablo Fonseca.

The matter was held in front of Hudson County Superior Court Judge Peter Bariso, whose office confirmed that he ruled against injunctive relief that would’ve prevented Romano from being part of the county’s ballot drawing tomorrow.

A law clerk for Bariso also clarified that the case was now closed.

“My client was denied temporary restraints, based upon various statutes, but this will be appealed,” said Eric Dixon, Patricia Waiters’ North Bergen attorney for the case.

“Everyone in that room, and the judge agrees, that you can’t hold two offices, so why run for two offices? What’s the point?,” questioned Dixon, who noted that the deadline to drop out of either race was September 12th.

Dixon further stated he turned down a second hearing in October since it would not prevent Romano from being on the ballot, instead opting to file an emergency appeal with the appellate division of New Jersey Superior Court.

Waiters is a longtime political rival of Romano, most recently getting trounced by the incumbent by a 4-to1 margin in the Democratic primary for freeholder on June 6th.

Last month, then representing an anonymous client, Dixon sent a letter to the office’s of the Hudson County Clerk and the state Attorney General asking them to rule if it was legal for Romano to be on the ballot twice.

Then last week, Waiters was revealed as his client, asking Hoboken City Clerk James Farina to disqualify Romano’s petitions of nomination for mayor.

Romano is currently engaged in a grudge match with 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco, also battling Council President Jen Giattino, Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla, business owner Karen Nason and activist Ronald Bautista for the mayor’s seat.

Meanwhile, Romano does have a Republican freeholder challenger in Adela Rohena.


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4 COMMENTS

  1. I highly doubt Patricia Waiters has the personal funds to hire the legal help to go to court and was just a front.
    My guess since Freeholder Romano would splinter off much of the vote Councilman Ramos, Perry Belfiore and Frank Raia could bring to Councilman DeFusco’s mayoral run much like what they did for former mayor Peter Cammarano and that is where the funding is likely sourced. The other candidates in the race who do not rely that same base would only benefit from Romano’s continued participation in the mayoral election.

  2. Actually, Ravi and Jen are fighting for votes among their base. Old Hoboken isn’t buying DeFusco, regardless of what Ruben, Pupie and Perry are doing.
    Pupie is a cancer for any campaign, so the best thing that could happen to Romano was having Pupie back De Fusco.

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