Milton Street Calls Attempt to Push Him Off Primary Ballot 'Junkyard Lawyering'
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia mayoral candidate Milton Street will return to court on Wednesday in his effort to remain on the ballot for the upcoming Democratic primary.
The ongoing issue is a claim that he has not lived in Philadelphia for three years, as required by law.
A local labor leader whose union has endorsed another mayoral candidate, state senator Anthony Williams, is trying to get Street kicked off the May 19th ballot, arguing that he actually lives in Moorestown, NJ with his common-law wife.
Street, the older brother of former mayor John Street, says he lives in North Philadelphia.
"Every time I run for office, they try to plant me in another state," Milton Street said today.
Besides, Street says, New Jersey has not recognized common-law marriages since 1939: "It's junkyard lawyering."
Street, a former state senator and state representative, was able to fend off a similar challenge to his residency in 2011, when he ran against Mayor Nutter, getting 24 percent of the vote.
Street accuses Williams of orchestrating the court challenge to weed out the competition among the six candidates running for mayor.
"Senator Williams is the only one who benefits from me being off the ballot, because he's going after the black vote," Street said.