A federal judge granted New Jersey Democratic Rep. Andy Kim's ballot design request on Friday, eroding the state's political machine.
Kim, a Senate candidate, and two House candidates sued the state's "county line." ballot design in February. In that design, county party-endorsed candidates are in a row or column, while other contenders for the same posts are off to the side.
Kim and his supporters advocated for a "office-block" ballot, grouping candidates by office, noting that the county line system favored party-backed candidates.
"The integrity of the democratic process for a primary election is at stake and the remedy Plaintiffs are seeking is extraordinary," Quraishi wrote in his 49-page order, adding that the plaintiffs had a "particularly heavy" burden to prove their case.
"Nevertheless, the Court finds, based on this record, that Plaintiffs have met their burden and that this is the rare instance when mandatory relief is warranted," Quraishi said. The lawsuit's county clerk defendants could appeal. A defense representative informed the New Jersey Globe that lawyers are "evaluating their options to appeal."
If Quraishi's ruling continues, it would cripple New Jersey's Democratic Party machine, where county party chairs have tremendous power. One party chair decides endorsements in some of the most Democratic areas. Kim and his allies called the process undemocratic.
“Today’s decision is a triumph for fairer, more democratic politics in New Jersey," Kim said Friday. "It’s a victory built from the incredible grassroots work of activists across our state who saw an undemocratic system marginalizing the voices of voters, and worked tirelessly to fix it."
Kim's lawsuit continued when first lady Tammy Murphy, his Democratic Senate primary opponent, terminated her campaign on Sunday. Kim won certain county lines where the party's endorsement was selected at conventions, but Murphy had the support of numerous party chairs who decided their counties' endorsements.
After Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was charged for federal crimes, Kim announced his Senate campaign in September. Defending his innocence, Menenedez claimed he may run for re-election as an independent if exonerated.
follow for more updates