Morris County Freeholder Removed from Office by Appellate Court

Thought the drama surrounding the Morris County GOP Freeholder candidates ended with the last court case? Think again!

Today the Appellate Division reversed the previous decision that voided Hank Lyons’ upset victory over Margaret Nordstrom and caused a last minute convention in within the Morris GOP to settle who would be the final candidate last November. In short, and unsurprisingly, the Morris GOP County Committee went with the incumbent and established candidate, and she happened to go on to win reelection.

The original court opinion found numerous illegal votes and also violations of campaign finance reporting to ELEC (Election Law Enforcement Commission). This was partially the grounds for today’s reversal. The Appellate Division found that ELEC has exclusive jurisdiction over campaign finance violations, and therefore the Law Division overstepped its bounds by reversing the primary election results.

As a result, the seat is now vacant. Nordstrom is out and the Morris GOP is going to need to scramble to find a replacement for a special election in November. Unlike with a municipal vacancy, where the County Committee would submit three names to the governing body to select from, this is a countywide freeholder position and will require a second convention.

Brian McGovern
About Brian McGovern 748 Articles
Brian McGovern wears many hats these days including Voorhees Township GOP Municipal Chairman, South Jersey attorney, and co-owner of the Republican campaign consulting firm Exit 3 Strategies, Inc.