Freeholder Deputy Director Dr. Warren Wallace has stepped off the campaign trail with last week’s announcement that he will not seek another term on the board.
But the news has set the Democrat party in search of a replacement for the four-term freeholder on the ballot, amid speculation by political opposition that there is more to Wallace’s retirement than an obligation to his family and career.
Wallace admitted Friday that he had been on the fence about seeking re-election for “a long time.” He called it quits last week, and will finish out his term that ends in December.
The longtime freeholder said he made a commitment to his family and will stick to it, and no one has forced his hand in the decision.
Despite Wallace dropping from the ballot, running mate Lyman Barnes said the freeholder deputy director’s decision won’t change what he and incumbent Freeholder Heather Simmons are doing for the Democrat ticket to solicit votes for November’s election.
“Heather and I have been out walking, meeting people five to six days a week, and we have been doing that since April,” said Barnes. “Warren was out doing door-knocking, too … I was just with Warren at an event a week ago that we were doing as candidates.”
Wallace’s announcement was released late Friday, after the freeholder board and Democrat party chairman Sen. Fred Madden were notified mid-week.
“It was a little bit of a surprise,” said Barnes. “But I understand it. Warren has put a lot of time into that spot, and if you’re not committed fully to it, or you think there are other things to detract from it, it’s a hard decision.”
But Gloucester County Republican party chairman William Fey thinks there is more to the veteran freeholder’s departure, despite Wallace’s formerly stated family obligations and opportunities for professional development.
“I believe his tainted record has left him vulnerable,” said Fey, noting in a press release Monday that he was “not surprised by the announcement” and that is it clear that Wallace was “pushed out by party bosses behind the scenes.”
The GOP chairman accused the Democrat party of a bait-and-switch tactic to replace Wallace with a “fresh face and fool voters into thinking they’re agents of change.”
Wallace does have a history of scandal attached to his name, including allegations that he had abused his administrative position at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He was never charged with a criminal offense.
Wallace filed a lawsuit against the Stratford-based school claiming that his 2006 firing was based on racial discrimination. UMDNJ came to a settlement last year with the freeholder.
“I have to defer to the voters who have openly judged him and he passed their judgment,” said Barnes. “I was told from Warren that he was looking at his family obligations and his professional obligations … he made the decision that he can’t devote the amount of energy to do it properly. He isn’t stepping aside in the middle of his term and deserting the voters.”
No matter the reason, Wallace will not be on the ball in November.
Now it’s time for the Democrats to find prospective candidates, vet them, and take the names to the party’s executive committee for a vote.
First, Wallace has to submit a letter of resignation to the county clerk’s office, the first step in wiping his name off the ballot, according to Gloucester County Clerk James Hogan.
As of Monday afternoon, the letter of resignation had not yet been delivered to the clerk’s office, Hogan said.
The clerk’s office is already working to meet a Sept. 14 deadline to put names on ballots and proofread each set before the pages are sent out for printing.
Democrats have just under a month to make its selection and file paperwork with the county.
“This is not holding us up at all,” said Hogan who is waiting for several towns to finalize ballot information, including Washington Township’s mayoral candidates.
“It’s relatively common. We try to keep our ear to the ground if we hear rumors of something going to happen.”
Aug 23, 2011 Comments Off admin