HOBOKEN AND BEYOND – Ballots will be printed shortly for the June Democratic primary election in the 33rd legislative district, despite a suit by five Hoboken residents to keep candidate Carmelo Garcia off the ballot. The residents first won their case, but their victory was overturned this week, so Garcia can now run.
They can still challenge Garcia’s victory at the appellate level in the New Jersey Supreme Court, but the appellate division overruled a stay motion on Thursday that would have blocked the ballots from being printed with Garcia’s name on them.
The lawyer for the plaintiffs, who have argued against Garcia’s candidacy because some of his salary as director of the Hoboken Housing Authority comes from federal funding, could not be reached to say whether his clients will continue to press the issue in Trenton.
Garcia is running on a Hudson County Democratic Organization-endorsed slate with Union City Mayor and State Sen. Brian Stack and Jersey City Deputy Mayor Raj Mukherji. The 33rd District includes Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken, and parts of Jersey City.
Garcia will face off against Hoboken City Councilman-at-Large Ravinder “Ravi” Bhalla and several others. – Dean DeChiaro