People of means often have two homes. The problem for those seeking political office is that they really need to pick one.

That scenario is confronting Lisa Bhimani, one of two Democratic Assembly candidates in what is fast becoming a hot race in Morris County’s 25th District.

The Republican team of incumbent Anthony M. Bucco and newcomer Brian Bergen allege that Bhimani is either a tax cheat or ineligible to run. Neither is a good option for a candidate seeking to upend two Republicans in a changing, but still GOP-leaning, district.

The Republicans are zeroing in on the 2015 purchase of a residence on Park Avenue in Manhattan by Bhimani and her husband. GOP research apparently has discovered that Bhimani and her husband secured a tax abatement on the property that reduced their tax bill by 17.5 percent.

So what?

Tax abatements are not illegal.

But things are not that simple. New York City law mandates that owners can only seek tax abatements on their permanent residence. So, the Republicans are asking, if Bhimani’s permanent residence is in Manhattan, how can she run for the Legislature in New Jersey? She did precisely that in 2017 when she ran for the state Senate and is, of course, running again this year for the Assembly. Her listed address on her nominating petition is Wainwright Road in Mendham.

In response to a GOP mailer and a follow-up press release on the topic. the Bhimani campaign issued a statement:

“Neither Lisa Bhimani nor her husband, Anish, were aware that the abatement had been applied on their behalf as routine procedure by the co-op association, and steps were taken as soon as they were made aware to right the mistake and ensure that no financial benefit was accrued,” was the gist of it. It added that the Republicans have no issues to run on, so they are resorting to personal attacks and “petty grievances.”

So, the defense is blame the co-op board.

Republicans don’t buy it. They claim that the abatement wasn’t “reversed” until last November. That was before Bhimani declared her candidacy for the Assembly, but after she ran for the Senate in 2017.

In rhetoric commensurate with a high-stakes election, the Republicans ask if it was “purely coincidental”  that Bhimani rectified the problem less than two weeks prior to announcing her Assembly candidacy.  The Morris County Republican Committee isn’t letting this opportunity pass. It’s calling for a state investigation and for Bhimani to give up her candidacy.

That is unlikely to happen and Republicans probably know it.

In general, I have observed over the years that residency requirements for candidates and elected officials tend to be very loosely enforced. In short, it seems as if people live – at least officially – where they say they live.

Nonetheless, this type of news does a campaign no good.