August 20, 2009
By CHRISTINA TATU
FRANKFORD -- While the election may be 31/2 months away, the deadline for candidates hoping to run against Mayor Paul Sutphen in the Dec. 8 special election to recall him is only days away.
Sussex County's Republican and Democratic committees have until Saturday to decide whether they will put up a candidate to run for Sutphen's seat.
Ailish Hambel, chairwoman of the Sussex County Republican Committee, and Edwin Selby, chairman of the Sussex County Democratic Committee, were notified Wednesday they needed to find candidates.
Both said they will pass the duty on to the township's local party committees.
Frankford's acting clerk, Patricia Bussow, said candidates also can file themselves by filling out an application and getting at least 100 signatures on an election petition.
According to township attorney Kevin Benbrook, those petitions also are due Saturday.
Bussow said she handed out two applications, but has yet to receive any petitions. Bussow declined to comment on who picked up those applications.
Jim Ayers, Frankford's Republican Committee representative did not return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday. Hambel said she was not sure whom Ayers was considering for the position.
"We decided to give consideration to who might be a potential candidate but we don't have anyone in particular that is in mind right now," said Martin Morrison, Frankford's Democratic Committee representative, Wednesday.
According to Marge McCabe, Sussex County Administrator of the County's Board of Elections, even though he is the subject of December's recall, Sutphen may still run as an independent candidate on the ballot.
Sutphen said he was not entirely sure whether he would petition to be on the ballot, but said it's a strong possibility.
"I am interested in completing this term that I was elected to serve," Sutphen said. "I don't know one way or the other at this point, but I guess if (I'm not elected) by nomination, then it will have to be by petition."
Officials from the committee to recall Sutphen did not return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday.
According to McCabe, the ballot will read, "Shall Paul Sutphen be recalled from the office of Mayor," and will be a majority yes or no vote. The second question of whom should succeed Sutphen will be determined by which candidate has the most number of votes.
