Judge to South Jersey residents: Your votes don't count.

Open Letter to New Jersey Residents

We write to bring your immediate attention to a judicial opinion issued last week that is RADICAL and WRONG.

For the first time in the modern history of New Jersey, a Superior Court judge overturned a legislative election based on the qualifications of a South Jersey woman – Gabriella Mosquera – who already was elected and certified to serve in the General Assembly by the voters of the 4th district beginning Tuesday.

Gabby Mosquera has been a lifelong New Jerseyan. She was inspired to enter politics by her mother – a single parent, small business owner, and victim of domestic violence who raised Gabby from time to time at domestic violence shelters in New Jersey. Gabby ran for Assembly in the Fourth District in November and won in a landslide. In November 2010, Gabby – who had been working for Gloucester Township -- changed South Jersey addresses and purchased a Gloucester Township residence where she moved in the following month. Nevertheless, the Judge determined that – by a matter of days -- Gabby was not a resident of the district for a full year by the time of her election. The Judge claimed this is a strict requirement even though, ten years ago, a federal court invalidated New Jersey’s qualification -- a position consistent with other states – calling it a “stretch of the imagination” to think that this would prevent “carpetbagging.”

Consider the following. Not only did this Judge disregard a ten-year-old opinion from the United States District Court of New Jersey, the Judge also rejected the opinion of the Secretary of State, New Jersey’s top election official, and ignored New Jersey’s Attorney General that the one-year district requirement should be rejected. Both Democrats and Republicans were on Gabby’s side. In fact for ten years, State officials have given guidance to all candidates that this provision is not valid. Even New Jersey GOP Lieutenant Governor Kimberly Guadagno certified Gabby’s election as proper and valid.

A Judge should not substitute his own individual opinion for the opinion of tens of thousands of voters in Camden and Gloucester counties who went to the polls in November. The result of the judge’s stunning decision is that nearly a quarter million residents in District 4 will be deprived full representation in the State House on Tuesday when the new Legislature is sworn in. The voters have spoken, but a single judge has decided to muzzle their voices.

This is a truly horrific and anti-democratic decision that must be overturned immediately. No one – including the Christie Administration – gave the Republican lawsuit any merit until this shocking opinion was issued. An emergency appeal has been filed and on Monday it will be decided if Gabby can be sworn into office on Tuesday.

We need your help. Only 23 out of 80 members of the incoming Assembly will be women without Gabby -- we can’t afford to wait. Please join our efforts to denounce this unprecedented ruling, call for New Jersey’s appeals court to immediately overturn it & make sure we do not turn back the clock on representation in New Jersey.

Robert E. Andrews

U.S. Representative, (D-1)

Stephen M. Sweeney

Senate President, (D-3)

Fred Madden

Senator, (D-4)

Jim Beach

Senator, (D-6)

Donald Norcross

Senator, (D-5)

Jim Whelan

Senator, (D-2)

Jeff Van Drew

Senator, (D-1)

Louis Greenwald

Assemblyman, (D-6)

Pamela Lampitt

Assemblywoman, (D-6)

Herb Conaway

Assemblyman, (D-7)

Troy Singleton

Assemblyman, (D-7)

Angel Fuentes

Assemblyman, (D-5)

Gilbert “Whip” Wilson

Assemblyman, (D-5)

Paul Moriarty

Assemblyman, (D-4)

Celeste Riley

Assemblywoman, (D-3)

John Burzichelli

Assemblyman, (D-3)

Nelson Albano

Assemblyman, (D-1)

Matt Milam

Assemblyman, (D-1)

Nilsa Cruz-Perez

Former Assemblywoman (D-5)

Lou Cappelli

Freeholder Director, Camden County

Robert Damminger

Freeholder Director, Gloucester County

Edward McDonnell

Freeholder, Camden County

Jeff Nash

Freeholder, Camden County

Carmen Rodriguez

Freeholder, Camden County

Ian Leonard

Freeholder, Camden County

Rodney Greco

Freeholder, Camden County

Scot McCray

Freeholder, Camden County

Joe Chila

Freeholder, Gloucester County

Heather Simmons,

Freeholder, Gloucester County

Adam Taliaferro

Freeholder, Gloucester County

Lyman Barnes

Freeholder, Gloucester County

David Mayer

Mayor, Gloucester Township

Barbara Wallace

Mayor, Washington Township

Mike Gabbienelli

Mayor, Monroe Township

Barry Wright,

Mayor, Winslow Township

Richard Roach

Mayor, Lindenwold

Jack Severson

Mayor, Laurel Springs

Michael Blunt

Mayor, Chesilhurst

Dana Redd

Mayor, Camden

Glen Bianchini

Council President, Gloucester Twp.

Orlando Mercado

Council Vice-President, Gloucester Twp.

Dan Hutchison

Councilman, Gloucester Twp.

Michelle Gentek

Councilwoman, Gloucester Twp.

Frank Schmidt

Councilman, Gloucester Twp.

Sam Siler

Councilman, Gloucester Twp.

Tracey Trotto

Councilwoman, Gloucester Twp.

Sandi Love

Former Mayor & Assemblywoman, Gloucester Twp.

Scott Newman

Councilman, Washington Twp.

Ray MacDowell

Councilman, Washington Twp.

Matthew Lyons

Former Mayor, Washington Twp.

Robert Timmons

Former Councilman, Washington Twp.

Michelle Martin

Former Councilwoman, Washington Twp.

Frank Caligiuri

Council President, Monroe Twp.

Marvin Dilks

Councilman, Monroe Twp.

Dan Teefy

Councilman, Monroe Twp.

Walt Bryson

Councilman, Monroe Twp.

Ron Garbowski

Councilman, Monroe Twp.

Bill Sebastion

Councilman, Monroe Twp.

Rich DiLucia

Councilman, Monroe Twp.

Marie Lawrence

Committeewoman, Winslow Twp.

Charles Flamini

Committeeman, Winslow Twp.

Evelyn Leverett

Committeewoman, Winslow Twp.

Thaddeus Mackey

Committeeman, Winslow Twp.

John Wilson

Committeeman, Winslow

George Lowery

Committeeman, Winslow Twp.

Cheryle Randolph-Sharpe

Council President, Lindenwold

Joseph Strippoli

Councilman, Lindenwold

Wayne Hans

Councilman, Lindenwold

William Dougherty

Councilman, Lindenwold

Kenneth Balmer

Councilman, Lindenwold

Justin Jackson, Jr.

Councilman, Lindenwold

Carol Andrews

Council President, Clementon

Thomas Weaver

Councilman, Clementon

Doreen Closs

Councilwoman, Clementon

Kandice Wilson

Councilwoman, Clementon

Mark Armbruster

Former Mayor, Clementon

Debra Higbee

Councilwoman, Pitman

Michael Brewer

Councilman, Pitman

Alice Polocz

Former Mayor, Pitman

Steve Altamuro

Former Assemblyman & President, Washington Twp. School Board

Joyce Ellis

President, Black Horse Pike Regional School Board

Kevin Bucceroni

Vice-President Black Horse Pike Regional School Board

Jay McMullin

Member, Black Horse Pike Regional School Board

Ben Zanghi

Member, Black Horse Pike Regional School Board

Mark Schmitz

Member, Black Horse Pike Regional School Board

Linda Gilch

President, Gloucester Twp. School Board

Ellen Reese

Vice-President, Gloucester Twp. School Board

Bill Collins