Milton Street fends off residency, registration and marital-status challenges

It’s been an interesting few days for mayoral candidate T. Milton Street Sr., hasn’t it?

Since March 16, he has learned that his candidacy for mayor was challenged (and said he wouldn’t run if kicked off the ballot), fended off assertions that he’s not a duly-registered Democrat and engaged in a lively discussion about whether he is (or isn’t) common-law married.

It seemingly all came full circle on Wednesday when a Philadelphia judge decided that Street can, in fact, remain on the Democratic ballot for May’s mayoral primary.

WHYY’s Aaron Moselle was over at the County Board of Elections office at Delaware Ave. and Spring Garden St. for Wednesday’s hearing. Here’s what he saw and heard:

On Wednesday, [Common Pleas Court Judge Chris] Wogan again ruled in Street’s favor after rejecting [lawyer Kevin] Greenberg’s argument that, under a state law from the 1930s, Street should be considered a New Jersey resident, not a Philadelphian.

The law effectively defines a candidate’s residence as wherever his or her spouse lives. … Street equated the residency issue to a last ditch effort to get him off the ballot.

“He couldn’t get in through the first floor, couldn’t get in through the second floor, couldn’t get in through the third floor, so that was a desperate attempt to try and get in through the attic,” said Street with a laugh.

 And with that news, the Democratic field is seemingly set at six candidates.