TOMS RIVER, NJ – Tricia Flanagan, a perennial Republican spoiler candidate in past Republican elections across New Jersey, doesn’t even live in the 4th Congressional District. She lives nearly 50 miles away in Lawrence Township, but that’s not even why she might be removed from the ballot in the upcoming CD-4 primary challenge of 41-year incumbent Chris Smith.
Flanagan is a perennial office seeker who doesn’t get many votes and received just 17% of votes in her last run for Senate in 2020, where she split Republican votes between the battle between Hirsh Singha and Rik Mehta.
Before that, she ran against the Republican line in the 2018 re-election of Senator Bob Hugin, getting just 0.5% of the votes.
Now, the Princeton resident running for office at the Jersey Shore, is being accused by her opponent of submitting invalid and bogus signature petitions. Flanagan submitted 243 signed petitions to get on the ballot, but Mike Crispi, her opponent, led by Lisa Natale-Contessa, a former candidate for Toms River School Board, says at least 100 of her signatures are bogus. Flanagan needs 200 to get on the ballot.
Flanagan lives in the 3rd Congressional District.