Court: Newark Mayor Cory Booker cast unauthorized to vote on N.J. council seat

A state appellate court has ruled that Newark Mayor Cory Booker was not authorized to cast a vote last year for a city council replacement candidate, a move that sparked a fracas in the city council chamber.

The opinion handed down Friday affirms a lower court ruling that Booker shouldn’t have voted.

 

 

The council was deciding who should replace Councilman Donald Payne, Jr., who resigned after being elected to Congress.

The two candidates were Shanique Davis Speight, who Booker preferred, and John Sharpe James. He’s the son of former Mayor Sharpe James, who defeated Booker for mayor in 2002.

Four council members voted for James, two voted no and two abstained. The abstaining votes were counted as a no, and Booker cast a ballot for Speight to break the tie.