For some, these are challenging times

It's that time of year for citizens to fight fraudulent signatures, ferret out carpetbagger candidates, and, in general, stand up for democracy.

In reality, of course, when people challenge a candidate's nominating petitions, there's often some cynical political maneuvering.

"Heard in the Hall" is not sure which category two recent challenges fall into.

The question of where T. Milton Street Sr. lives seems to crop up every time he runs for office. The former state senator, onetime hot dog vendor, and ex-con is best known as the brother of former Mayor John F. Street.

Last year, Milton Street's effort to replace Michael Nutter as mayor ran into trouble when a legal challenge argued that Street lived not in Philadelphia but in New Jersey. In that case, Street said the Moorestown home in question belonged to a "love interest." He was allowed to stay on the ballot.

This time around, Street, who served as a state legislator from 1979 through 1984, has filed to run for state representative in the 197th District, the seat formerly held by Jewell Williams, now the city sheriff.

A legal challenge says he can't run in the 197th because he just recently moved from the 195th. The state constitution sets a one-year residency requirement.

The challenge also argues that Street is ineligible because state law prevents people convicted of certain crimes from running for state office. Street was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of failing to file tax returns.

Street could not be reached for comment late Friday.

In another challenge, lawyer Larry Otter argues that State Rep. Louise Williams Bishop should not be allowed to run because her claim that she circulated her own petitions is false. Otter says people who signed the petitions say a young woman and man gathered the signatures. Bishop is 82.

Her lawyer, Sam Stretton, said Bishop watched as people on her campaign staff gathered the signatures.

Bishop's opponent is Will Mega, a community activist who appeared on the reality TV show Big Brother. - Miriam Hill

A nerd's guide to city elections

John Kromer, a former city housing director, lost his race for sheriff last year, but he made a book of it - a just-completed Kindle-only edition titled Money, Mojo, and Votes: Political Reform and Election Reality in Philadelphia.

It's a detailed analysis of three recent citywide primary contests between Democratic candidates with strong party backing and challengers who took them on - Kromer's own campaign against Jewell Williams, Stephanie Singer's successful effort to unseat City Commissioner Marge Tartaglione, and the three-way battle for city controller in 2009, with incumbent Alan Butkovitz and opponents Brett Mandel and John Braxton.

With coauthors Andy Denison and Julie Proulx, Kromer explores the use of computerized mapping tools and past election results to identify and target progressive voters. But it's no page-turner - it's available only electronically, at $3.99 per download. - Bob Warner