Gold Medalist Carl Lewis Can't Run for New Jersey Senate
Nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis won't be able to run for New Jersey state senate because he hasn't lived in the state for four years, an election official has ruled. Lewis' name will be deleted from the Democratic ballot ahead of the June primary, the Associated Press' Angela Delli Santi reports. Everyone is sad about this because Olympians are cool and because sprinters make for excellent political race puns.
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Lewis (pictured above holding Olympic gymnast Nadia Comanechi) can appeal the decision, made by Secretary of State Kim Guadagno, a Republican. Lewis was registered to vote, filed taxes, and has offices in California; he also has a home in Palisades. On the other hand, the champion grew up in the Garden State and has owned homes there since 2005--and he's volunteered as a track coach in his hometown high school since 2007.
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Twitterers were quick with the track jokes. "That was fast RT @hjacksonAP: We call this a false start, right? AP: NJ election official says Olympian Carl Lewis can't run for state Sen," tweeted Politico's Jonathan Martin. But The New York Times' Nick Confessore wanted more: "Feels like these Carl Lewis-can't-run stories are missing a lot of great hed/lede opportunities."
