Bill spadea's lawfare attempt to remove opponent from election ballot fails in court

Bill Spadea’s Lawfare Attempt to Remove Opponent from Election Ballot Fails in Court

Posted by
1 min read
April 2, 2025

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Mario Kranjac will be on the June primary election ballot, and today, he’s blaming Bill Spadea for a bogus court challenge of his petitions.

Mario M. Kranjac, former mayor of Englewood Cliffs and declared “America First” Republican candidate for New Jersey governor, celebrated a court ruling Tuesday that dismissed an attempt by the campaign of rival GOP candidate Bill Spadea to block his candidacy.

The legal challenge aimed to invalidate Kranjac’s nominating petition, which was supported by nearly 100 volunteers across the state.

According to Kranjac, the petition drive faced interference, including alleged threats from party officials and police questioning of at least one volunteer.

The court’s decision to dismiss the case marks a significant procedural win for Kranjac, who cast the lawsuit as a politically motivated attack intended to silence his pro-Trump, MAGA-aligned campaign.

“I never thought ‘Republicans’ would try to use the same left-wing, lawfare tactics popularized by Adam Schiff on me and my supporters,” Kranjac said in a statement following the ruling.

Kranjac, who has centered his campaign around support for former President Donald Trump, has previously faced legal and political battles during his eight-year tenure as mayor, including multiple lawsuits and censures by local Democrats.

He claims his administration opposed high-density housing, rejected progressive education policies, and maintained fiscal conservatism without raising taxes.

With the petition challenge now dismissed, Kranjac affirmed his intent to remain in the GOP primary race and signaled continued opposition to his party rivals.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss