Update: Hikind Knocked Off the Republican Ballot

UPDATE 8/6: Celeste Katz posted the ruling by Justice Schmidt to remove Dov Hikind from the republican ballot. “For too long, career politicians like Dov Hikind have tried to game the system and play by their own rules. Today’s ruling serves as an important reminder that those seeking public office must strictly follow the laws governing ballot access or face the consequences”, Said Mitchell Tischler, Hikind's opponent in the democratic primary who challenged his republican petitions.

Also, Celeste cites a source that 286 invalidated Hikind signatures were collected by Storobin petitioners outside Hikind's district. Hikind is supporting Simcha Felder, Storobin's opponent, although in the past election he claimed to have votes for Storobin. Their sharing in petitioners, may be an indication that Storobin sees as a benefit to share the republican line with Hikind, as Gatemouth argues, but it may rather simply be that the petitioners had split loyalties or duplicate salaries.... Actually, Jacob Kornbluh, who reportedly headed the Storobin Petitioning, is now listed as the contact person for Hikind's Community First petitioning effort, which would indicate the latter.

Below is what I wrote Friday, 8/3: 
Supreme Court Justice David Schmidt's appointed referee found that Assemblyman Dov Hikind failed to garner the adequate number of 433 legitimate Republican signatures necessary to be placed on the Republican line for the November's election, according to a press release by Moshe Tischler, Hikind's opponent for the democratic line. Tischler filed the challenge against Hkind's republican petitions.

The Supreme Court referee established that Hikind had over 344 illegitimate signatures on the Republican line. "Assemblyman Hikind's failure to collect enough valid signatures from the people of the District to earn a spot on the Republican line demonstrates that his support is that the people are losing faith in Hikind", said Moshe Tischler. "The people of the District are sick and tired of career politicians that have lost touch with the people's concerns in the community", continued Tischler.

                                    

Mr. Tischler is also hoping to knock of Hikind from the Conservative line. Justice Shmidt still have to certify the referee's findings, which we will know on Monday if he does, and and will also have to decide if Hikind loses the conservative line as well.

Tischler is dreaming of having to face off with Hikind only once, in September, but even if he succeeds to throw him off the R and C lines, and even if Tischler wins the D line (why are you laughing?), Hikind is already collecting signatures to run on a fourth party, called Tax Cut Now. Capital Tonight is also corroborating what I reported yesterday that Simcha Felder is also collecting petitions for that line. Felder, of course, is facing off Fidler's older brother, Abraham Shlomo.

Talking of Press Releases, Ben Akselrod, who will primary Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz, sent out a press release against raising State Legislators' pay. “While our current leaders secretly debate pay increases, millions of New Yorkers are struggling to find work and pay off some of the country’s highest taxes,” he said. New York legislatures make $79,500 annually, which is 3^rd highest in the entire country.

Ben Akselrod With Consultant and Activist Joel Schnur

"I am asking my opponents Assemblyman Cymbrowitz, and Assembly Candidate Gallo to join me in opposition of any pay increase measures,” said Akselrod. “If New Yorkers were satisfied with state government, it would be a different story. But with unemployment hovering around 9%, pay increases for lawmakers is the last thing we should be talking about,” said Akselrod.

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