Recount coming for Atlantic City Democratic mayoral primary

Atlantic City's Democratic mayoral primary will get a recount and recheck on Monday. Atlantic City Council President Marty Small contested the election in court Friday, questioning the mail-in ballots that gave opponent Frank Gilliam a 372-count victory. That came despite Small winning by 100 votes at the polls and having 13 more provisional ballots cast for him over fellow Councilman Gilliam. Small argued that the mail-in vote should generally follow the poll totals. But Gilliam took the paper ballots by more than a 3 to 1 margin. The recount is set to begin at 9 a.m. Monday, Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez ruled. "I respect the judge's decision to allow the legal process to manifest itself so that we can put closure to this and move forward," Gilliam said. "We remain ever so ready to put Atlantic City first." Small has charged that Gilliam's camp paid people $30 to vote, playing on people's sicknesses. He claims alcoholics were paid in alcohol and drug addicts given drugs. Gilliam has said that Small is just being a sore loser. "Listen, I know how to lose," Small said. "But we are going to make sure it was fair and square."