Babette Josephs’ attempt to unseat Rep. Brian Sims, who ousted her two years ago, ended this week.
A Commonwealth Court judge ruled Thursday that Josephs did not have enough accurate signatures to qualify her as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for state representative in the 182nd District. Joseph needed 300 signatures from voters to appear on the ballot; she initially submitted 599 and determined 467 of them to be valid. However, 171 more signatures were dismissed this week after it was found that the man who collected that batch for the campaign listed an inaccurate address for himself.
He was going by an address at 12th and Bainbridge streets but is registered elsewhere in the city.
Sims, who is openly gay, defeated Josephs in the 2012 primary, ending her 27-year career as the 182nd District representative. He will now be unchallenged in the May 20 primary.