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Attorney For Carl Lewis Holds Out Hope For Olympian's NJ Ballot Effort

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - Olympic runner Carl Lewis is running out of legal options to get back on the ballot for a Burlington County seat in the New Jersey State Senate.

Monday's defeat before a three-judge state appelate panel leaves Lewis with one remaining legal venue within New Jersey: the state Supreme Court.

Papers have been filed in Trenton by Lewis's attorney Bill Tambussi.

"The New Jersey Constitution needs to be reviewed by the state Supreme Court to determine whether or not Carl Lewis meets the residency requirement, which we believe he does," says Tambussi.

There's also a pending constitutional appeal on that four-year-old rule with the federal Third Circuit, but Republicans who filed the original residency challenge are confident in their position.

"We don't think he has any chance of prevailing, either in the legal challenge or in the election," says attorney Mark Sheridan, who represents the Burlington County GOP.  "It's clear they view their only option for prevailing in the election as Carl Lewis."

Election clerks say they need to get proposed ballots to printers this week to be on time for next month's primary.

Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio 1060

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