TRENTON, NJ – Moments ago, a New Jersey judge ruled to keep Republican gubernatorial candidate Mario Kranjac on the June 10 GOP primary ballot, rejecting a fierce legal challenge from rival Bill Spadea.
The decision by Administrative Law Judge Carl Buck III marks a significant setback for Spadea, the former NJ 101.5 radio host, who had sought to disqualify Kranjac by alleging irregularities in his nominating petitions.
Spadea, engaging in Democrat-style lawfare to keep his opponent off the ballot, came up on the losing end of the decision today.
The ruling, handed down just around noon today, upholds Kranjac’s eligibility to remain in the race for New Jersey governor, affirming that he met the state’s 2,500-signature requirement despite Spadea’s claims of fraud and ineligible signatures.
Secretary of State Tahesha Way is expected to certify the decision soon, solidifying Kranjac’s place in the increasingly contentious Republican primary.
Spadea’s campaign launched its initial lawsuit last week, asserting that Kranjac’s petitions included forged signatures, votes from Democrats, unregistered voters, and even one deceased individual.
After Judge Buck dismissed that challenge on April 9, finding insufficient evidence to remove Kranjac, Spadea quickly filed a second lawsuit on April 10.
Today’s ruling rebuffs that renewed effort, with the judge acknowledging some petition irregularities but deeming them insufficient to invalidate Kranjac’s candidacy.
Kranjac, the former mayor of Englewood Cliffs and a self-proclaimed “Trumpy Mayor,” celebrated the decision as a victory for grassroots conservatives.
“Bill Spadea tried to silence me and disenfranchise thousands of voters, but the court saw through his fake and fraudulent case,” Kranjac said in a statement minutes after the ruling. “I’m in this race to win, and this proves the establishment can’t stop us.”
Spadea, who has built his campaign on a populist, pro-Trump platform, defended his legal maneuvers as a fight for “election integrity.”
Instead he comes out of the legal matter looking like Democrats who tried to remove President Donald Trump from the ballot.
The legal battle has intensified an already heated GOP primary, where both candidates are vying for the support of New Jersey’s Trump-aligned base. Kranjac has accused Spadea of waging “lawfare” akin to Democratic efforts to keep Donald Trump off ballots, a charge that has resonated with some conservative voters. Meanwhile, Spadea’s campaign has yet to comment on today’s ruling, leaving observers to speculate on his next move with less than two months until Primary Day.
