Independent candidate for Congress back on ballot

An independent candidate for U.S. Congress will be on the ballot after all. 

Jim Foster’s nominating petitions were denied by Pennsylvania officials because there was already another candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 2nd district running with the party affiliation “independent.” Foster appealed to Commonwealth Court and his attorney Lawrence Otter says a deal was struck to give him a chance to challenge imcumbent Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Philadelphia).

“My goal was to get him on the ballot I accomplished that I need to have to have further discussions with lawyers at the Department of State,” said Otter.

Otter says he an Foster also are challenging the nominating petitions of the other candidate in the race Robert Ogborn, who was until recently a registered Democrat.

“Mr Ogborn filed 50 pages with 40 signatures on each page so he submitted 2,000 signatures a little less than three hundred over the minimum,” said Otter. “We reviewed his signatures and we found defects on over 900 signatures.”

Just over 1,700 signatures are needed to be on the ballot.