• A judge has ruled that Roselle Mayor Christine Dansereau’s name will appear on the local ballot for the June primary election.
• Dansereau’s joint petition with council candidate Denise Wilkerson for re-election was initially rejected by Acting Roselle Clerk Lydia Massey.
• Massey had stated that she did not have “statutory authority” to accept joint petitions for different offices. A judge reversed this decision.

Roselle Mayor Christine Dansereau will appear on the local ballot after all, having successfully withstood a challenge to her petition signatures.

A letter earlier this month by Acting Roselle Clerk Lydia Massey to Council candidate Denise Wilkerson appeared also to doom the reelection candidacy of Dansereau, who’s preparing for a reelection battle in the June Democratic Primary with Recreation Director Donald Shaw and former School Board Member (and activist) Archange Antoine.

Massey didn’t accept the mayor’s joint petitions submitted with Wilkerson.

The acting clerk’s letter to Wilkerson reads in part:

“I am in receipt of your joint petitions for the offices of Mayor and Council-at-Large for the June 4, 2019 primary election. Please be advised that I am without statutory authority to accept these joint petitions for filing because said petitions are for different offices.”

But a judge this afternoon reversed the acting clerk’s initial ruling.

Statement from Mayor Christine Dansereau and Council President Denise Wilkerson on the court’s decision of the frivolous ballot challenge by opponents.

“We are very pleased, but not surprised, about the ruling today rightfully putting us back on the June Primary Ballot. But the real victors in this battle are the residents of Roselle who will be able to cast their vote to keep our Borough moving in the right direction.

“Our opponents know that they cannot defeat us in the voting booth. That is why they tried to throw us off the ballot through a frivolous technology. As we have shown for the last four years, and in this fight brought about by outside forces trying to take over our Borough again, we have always taken our responsibility to serve the residents of Roselle seriously and never failed to show up when the going got tough and difficult decisions needed to be made.

“We are excited for this campaign to run on our accomplishments and our vision for Roselle’s future. We have a record of fiscal responsibility and keeping Roselle affordable. We have a record of attracting new businesses and creating more opportunities for families. We have a record of cleaner parks, better streets, and safer neighborhoods. We have a record of fighting every day for Roselle residents and
standing up to those who are trying to take us back to the days of corruption and ineffectiveness. We have a record of moving Roselle in the right direction and a plan for an even better Roselle.

Together we have moved Roselle forward and together we will continue to make Roselle better for our families.”