Olympian Lewis back on New Jersey ballot

TRENTON, N.J., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis is back on the New Jersey ballot, five months after declaring his candidacy for a state Senate seat.

A three-judge federal appeals court panel voted 2-1 Tuesday to overturn a lower court ruling upholding Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno's decision that Lewis, a Democrat, did not meet residency requirements for state Senate candidates, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported.

In its order, the panel said the state "failed to demonstrate compelling state interest in the application" of the residency requirement.

Unless Republicans or state officials successfully appeal the decision, Lewis will face off against state Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego, a Republican in the Republican-leaning 8th Legislative District.

"We won," Lewis' campaign manager, Chris Lewis, said.

Burlington County Republicans, who initiated the legal action were angry, The Star-Ledger said.

"This was a miscarriage of justice and another example of why Americans are losing faith in government institutions that are supposed to treat everyone equally," said Chris Russell, a campaign consultant for the Republicans.

Mark Sheridan, an attorney for the Burlington County Republicans, said appeal options were being considered, including a rehearing by the full 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals or a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 50-year-old track and field star grew up in New Jersey, but spent most of his adult life in Texas and California. Lewis maintains he returned to New Jersey in 2005, when he bought two condominiums for himself and his mother. He bought a home two years later.

Republicans challenged Lewis' residency soon after he announced. An administrative law judge dismissed the challenge, but Guadagno, acting as secretary of state, overturned the decision, ruling Lewis didn't meet the four-year residency requirement, based in part on his voting in California as recently as 2009.