TRENTON — In a ruling that outraged Democrats and prompted accusations of a conflict of interest, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno today threw Olympic track-and-field champion Carl Lewis, a Democrat, off the ballot for state Senate. "I find that respondent was not a resident of New Jersey for the constitutionally required four years prior to the date of the election for the office he now seeks," Guadagno said at the end of a 15-page opinion. "(Lewis) did not yet own his home in New Jersey, did not otherwise live in New Jersey, did not file his taxes in New Jersey, was not registered to vote in New Jersey and did not have his business in New Jersey," she wrote. Administrative Law Judge John Schuster last week ruled that even though Lewis had admitted voting in California in 2009, he did not think the Republicans had proved that Lewis was not a New Jersey resident. An attorney for Lewis, William Tambussi, immediately filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the residency requirement and claiming Lewis’s civil rights were violated. A separate appeal of the decision will be filed Wednesday in state Appellate Court. "It’s clear the administration will do anything to keep Carl Lewis off the ballot," Tambussi said. Carl Lewis is and has been a legal resident of New Jersey and it is unconstitutional to declare him otherwise." The decision by Guadagno — who is the first to serve in the newly created position of lieutenant governor — is likely to reignite the debate about whether Gov. Guadagno rejected an administrative law judge's recommendation that Lewis be allowed to stay in the race to represent the 8th Legislative District in the state's south-central region. Carl Lewis, Olympic gold medalist, announces his plans to run for N.J. Senate The nine-time Olympic gold-medal winner also accused Gov. Chris Christie tried to talk him out of running and threatened to cut an athletic program Lewis wanted to start. "Basically he called and it was pretty clear to me he did not want me to run, and the things he was talking about were to get me to not run," Lewis said in a phone interview yesterday. Christie's press secretary, Michael Drewniak, confirmed the basic facts but disputed Lewis' interpretation. "I don’t know why he’s inflating what was a friendly conversation, a casual conversation," Drewniak added. Republicans argued that Lewis could not have lived in New Jersey long enough to fulfill the state’s residency requirements for seeking office, partly because he voted in California as recently as 2009 and paid income taxes there until at least 2008. Democrats countered that Lewis bought his first home in New Jersey in 2005, has been a volunteer track coach at Willingboro High School since 2007 and has had a New Jersey driver’s license since 2006. Lewis lawyer Bill Tambussi said the decision by Guadagno, a Republican, will be appealed. Lewis testified at the residency hearing that he intended to make New Jersey his home when he purchased a condo in Mount Laurel in 2005. He bought another home in Medford in November 2007. Guadagno waits to decide if Carl Lewis meets residency requirements to run for N.J. Senate 
 
 • Judge dismisses Republican attempt to block Senate ballot of Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis 
 
 • Carl Lewis testifies at NJ residency challenge 
 
 • Republicans challenge N.J. Senate candidacy of Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis 
 
 • Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis announces plans to run for N.J. Senate 
 
 • Democrats in talks with Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis for legislative run
– New Jersey won't let a favorite son run for state office. The lieutenant governor ruled today that Carl Lewis, who has nine Olympic gold medals on his mantle, doesn't meet the four-year residency requirement to run for a state Senate seat, reports the Star-Ledger. The 49-year-old Lewis plans to appeal. "The lieutenant governor has her facts wrong," says his attorney. Lewis grew up in Jersey and has owned homes there since 2005, reports AP. He also has a state driver's license and volunteers as a track coach in his hometown of Willingboro. But he also has a home and business offices in California, and he voted there as recently as 2009, prompting Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno to declare that state to be his legal home. Guadagno is a Republican, and Lewis a Democrat. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer this week that Gov. Chris Christie tried to bully him out of running by threatening to cut a physical fitness program Lewis wants to start. Christie's office called Lewis accusation "silly."