ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Mario Kranjac will be on the June primary election ballot, and today, he’s blaming Bill Spadea for a bogus court challenge of his petitions.
Mario M. Kranjac, former mayor of Englewood Cliffs and declared “America First” Republican candidate for New Jersey governor, celebrated a court ruling Tuesday that dismissed an attempt by the campaign of rival GOP candidate Bill Spadea to block his candidacy.
The legal challenge aimed to invalidate Kranjac’s nominating petition, which was supported by nearly 100 volunteers across the state.
According to Kranjac, the petition drive faced interference, including alleged threats from party officials and police questioning of at least one volunteer.
The court’s decision to dismiss the case marks a significant procedural win for Kranjac, who cast the lawsuit as a politically motivated attack intended to silence his pro-Trump, MAGA-aligned campaign.
“I never thought ‘Republicans’ would try to use the same left-wing, lawfare tactics popularized by Adam Schiff on me and my supporters,” Kranjac said in a statement following the ruling.
Kranjac, who has centered his campaign around support for former President Donald Trump, has previously faced legal and political battles during his eight-year tenure as mayor, including multiple lawsuits and censures by local Democrats.
He claims his administration opposed high-density housing, rejected progressive education policies, and maintained fiscal conservatism without raising taxes.
With the petition challenge now dismissed, Kranjac affirmed his intent to remain in the GOP primary race and signaled continued opposition to his party rivals.