Run, Carl, Run

If you ever wondered what exactly New Jersey's Lt. Governor does, now you know. Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno also serves as Secretary of State, a job that includes overseeing elections. In that role, Guadagno today ruled that former Olympian and fledgling Democratic pol Carl Lewis did not meet the residency requirments to run for the 8th Legislative District Senate seat.

Noting that Lewis owned residences and a business in California, paid taxes and has regularly voted there, Guadagno concluded that Lewis "was not a resident of New Jersey for the constitutionally required four years prior to the date of the election for the ofice he now seeks." Guadagno's decision overrules an administrative law judge's finding last week that Lewis should be on the ballot.

Lewis has a New Jersey drivers' license, owns a home in Medford, and volunteers as a track coach in his hometown of Willingboro. But he did not register to vote in New Jersey until April 11, the same day he filed to run for the Senate seat.

In this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer,  Lewis claimed that Gov. Christie tried to talk him out of running and threatened to pull the plug on funding a youth athletic program Lewis planned to start if he ran. Lewis refused to pull out and  the funding for the program now "is all but dead." (What next? Will the Guv withhold Asbury Park redevelopment funds unless the Boss plays one of his fundraisers?)

Lewis can appeal Guadagno's decision, according to the Inky. And I hope he does, even if his residency claims are a little ... thin. With Lewis in, the 8th LD Senate race would have it all: celebrity; a face-off of titans between the BurlCo GOP and CamCo Dems; lots of nastiness; and probably very little focus on issues. In other words, just the way we like our politics in Jersey.