GENERAL ELECTION 2021 - Insider NJ
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GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Message from the Editor
GENERAL ELECTION 2021
STORMY TIMES & STATIC POLITICS
T empestuous times that include a fatal
pandemic, the storming of the U.S.
Capitol by right-wing insurrectionists,
and a tropical storm that killed 30 New
Jerseyans have contributed little appar-
P.O. Box 66 ently in the end to galvanize the 2021
Verona, NJ 07044 election cycle.
insidernj@gmail.com
www.InsiderNJ.com On one level it feels odd, this disconnect
between real terrors on the ground and a
languid political environment, but people
truly seem exhausted by it all.
It’s understandable.
The back-to-back demagogic eras of out placating extremist devotees of for-
Chris Christie and Donald Trump con- mer President Donald J. Trump.
tributed to a weakening of the NJGOP, It adds up to a kind of perfect storm of
Max Pizarro culminating this year with the retirement
Editor-in-Chief cynicism and complacency, assisted by a
from state government of Senator Tom substantially depleted media in this state
Max@InsiderNJ.com
Kean, Jr., Senator Kip Bateman, and Sen- since the last highly contested guberna-
ator Chris Brown. The last report from torial contest in 2009, which starkly
the state Election Law Enforcement threatens our representative democracy.
Commission (ELEC) shows incumbent Regardless of whom you support in this
Democratic Governor Phil Murphy with election cycle, Democrat or Republican,
a 7-1 cash advantage over Republican or a third-party candidate, the time has
challenger Jack Ciattarelli ($7.3 million come to take our primary documents in
to $1.2 million). hand as citizens, and ensure, each in his
Pete Oneglia own way, a contribution of substance and
General Manager We have gone through so much lately thoughtfulness.
Pete@InsiderNJ.com that the typically lurid and petty strains
of politics fail to penetrate with any kind Let us commit to restoring our civic dis-
of motivating meaning. course; only then can we ensure an intel-
Michael Graham lectual rigor in our public square now
CEO absent, and a future now so gravely un-
Incumbents and their highly paid con-
sultants will say the mood has to do with certain.
John F.X. Graham
Publisher a job well done – nothing need change
Max Pizarro
with so much going right. Such a state-
Ryan Graham
Associate Publisher
ment seems preposterous until one exam-
ines those pandering forces on the Max Pizarro
opposing side, seldom able to move with- Editor, InsiderNJ
2
3
GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Ten Main 2021 Torque Points
LD8 Party ally Vince Mazzeo as the re- here. Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker
Confident of two more years on the placement for retired Republican (D-16) faces former U.S. Rep. Mike
leadership throne, state Senate Pres- Senator Chris Brown. Mazzeo’s rival Pappas (R) in the battle to succeed
ident Steve Sweeney wants to protect Vince Polistina, an engineer with Bateman. Zwicker has already gone
state Senator Dawn Addiego in bat- public contracts, presents a bigger on record in support of reupping
tleground LD8 (57K registered target for Sweeney and company Senate President Sweeney, but if a fu-
Democrats to 48K registered Repub- than Addiego’s opponent, former ture regional caucus fight develops
licans) as a way of ensuring the ap- BurlCo Sheriff Jean Stanfield. More- he will side with home county Mid-
pearance of South Jersey robustness. over, Democrats comprise a bigger dlesex.
Of course, if she loses, he will also share of registered voters than Re-
have the assurance of being able to publicans (57,280 to 39,745). Statewide
blame incumbent Governor Phil Significant turbulence in the lives of
Murphy, who occupies the top of the LD16 regular New Jerseyans contributes to
Democratic ticket this year. Still, The retirement this year of incum- a sense of the unknown heading to-
battleground senate contests ulti- bent Republican state Senator Kip ward the Nov. 2nd general election,
mately fall on Sweeney’s shoulders. Bateman and trending demograph- but most polls show Governor Phil
ics (LD16 now has nearly 20K more Murphy winning reelection without
LD2 registered Democrats than Republi- too much trouble (just look at the
If Sweeney loses Addiego, he can cans – 60K to 41K) give Democrats cash on hand advantage for the du-
save face by picking up Democratic a shot at picking up another seat ration, not to mention the registra-
4
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GENERAL ELECTION 2021
tion advantage for Democrats). Cer- the state Election Law Enforcement party and aborted his own Trump-
tainly, it comes down to turnout, Commission (ELEC). His selection flavored run for governor.
and Democrats shudder (only of former Senator Diane Allen – her-
slightly) at the prospect of voters self a raging moderate – said as
falling asleep and giving Republican much. If Murphy buries Ciattarelli,
Somerset
challenger Jack Ciattarelli a chance the Republican will animate those Over a decade ago, Somerset County
to claw some votes. If Murphy wins, Republican allies of Trump who will Democratic Committee Chairman
as most suspect he will, the margin find a way to say he wasn’t tough Zenon Christodoulou put his car in
of victory will say a lot about the enough and lacked the capacity to gear in a Manville parking lot and
condition of the minority party in provide sufficient contrast with the said, “We need a freeholder seat.”
this state. While he occupies the un- incumbent. A double-digit lose by They didn’t have one back then.
enviable position of trying to nego- Ciattarelli will no doubt reawaken Now, Christodoulou and Chair Peg
tiate a party split by Republicans the backers of Phil Rizzo and Hirsh Schaffer and their party have all five
who back Trump and those of Singh (both defeated in the GOP of them, though we no longer call
Bateman-Bramnick disgusted by the Primary). Depending on how redis- them “freeholder” seats. In 2021,
former President, the former Assem- tricting goes for Republicans, look Democratic Party running mates
blyman has mostly tried to package for a potential return too by former Commissioner Shanel Robinson and
himself as a pragmatic moderate. To Republicans State Committee Sarah Sooy will attempt to defend
date, he has spent $8.9 million to Chairman Doug Steinhardt, who against Republican challengers Mike
Murphy’s $5.6 million, according to made the redistricting picks for his
Kirsh (a Bridgewater Councilman)
EXPERTISE. SERVICE. RESULTS.
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154 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608
609 392 7070 • www.katzgov.com
Carol R. Katz, Principal
Adam S. Guziejewski, Senior Director, Government Affairs
Mark T. Connelly, Policy Advisor
YOUR VOICE IN NEW JERSEY.
6
GENERAL ELECTION 2021
and Amber Murad (a Watchung pleted, but intent on taking advan- the GOP to get back in gear here? It
Board of Education member). If tage of missteps at the federal level, will be tough. The trendlines, num-
both or one were to lose, Democrats some buyers’ remorse over the Mur- bers and overall energy remain on
would still maintain a 3-2 or 4-1 phy Administration, by Kirsh’s reck- the Democrats’ side in a county
edge on the commission. But times oning, and the home county where Democrats now dominate –
have changed since Schaffer and candidacy of former Assemblyman enough to send a force like Bateman
Christodoulou initially occupied Jack Ciattarelli. Will it be enough for into 2021 retirement.
leadership positions in the county
once dominated by the Batemans
and Frelinghuysens. They enjoy an
85.5K to 60K registration advantage
over their Republican rivals in a
county where liberal Phil Murphy
defeated Kim Guadagno in 2017 by
two percentage points, and where
Democrat Tom Malinowski in 2018
beat incumbent Republican U.S.
Rep. Leonard Lance 55K to 46K and
then, as the incumbent in 2020, beat
Republican challenger Tom Kean
73K to 65K. In 2016, Lance had
beaten challenger Peter Jacob, who
lacked Malinowski’s resources and
the runway provided by the Trump
midterm by 59K to 50K in Somer-
set, and Janice Kovach by a margin
of 34K to 22K). Daunting territory
for Dems as recently as 2009, when
GOP challenger Chris Christie beat
incumbent Democratic Governor
Jon Corzine 57K to 35K in Somer-
set, those numbers have been vigor-
ously sliding in the Democrats’
direction going back at least to
Christie’s second term, the Bridge-
gate scandal, and Trump’s demagogic
tour of the White House. This is the
first true test of the party’s defensive
strength here, with Republicans
downcast by recent years and de-
7
8
GENERAL ELECTION 2021
LD25 have a slight edge in registration here friendly rivalry buzz.
Past recent close contests and shift- (50K to 48K) but unaffiliated and
ing demographics in Morris County independent voters lean R. Like Consider this from InsiderNJ
Gopal, Shepisi is seen as a star in her columnist Carl Golden:
(the GOP still maintains an edge on
paper: 53K to 50K) during the party and a future candidate for
statewide office. “Murphy appears better positioned
Trump era make this contest one to
than McAuliffe, holding a lead rang-
watch as state Senator Tony Bucco ing from nine points to 13 points
(R-25) expects to stare down Dem- LD21
over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a
ocratic challenger Jeff Grayzel. The The retirement of state Senate Mi-
narrowing of his margin but, at the
trend suggests LD26 could be the nority Leader Tom Kean, Jr., creates
moment, a fairly comfortable edge.
new LD16, as long as the specter of an opening in the district for long-
Trump threatens to hijack utterly the serving Assembly Republican Leader “While a McAuliffe loss would de-
Republican brand. But Bucco is a Jon Bramnick (R-21) to go to the liver a body blow to Democrats, a
strong name in LD25. senate, while opening the possibility Murphy defeat would be seismic, ir-
of new leadership in both the senate refutable proof that Biden’s perceived
LD11 and assembly Republican caucuses missteps, blunders and faulty mes-
Democrat Vin Gopal retired Repub- (see Players). This is not a cakewalk saging runs so deep that voters took
lican incumbent Senator Jen Beck in for Bramnick, where damage during out their displeasure and frustrations
2017, and now looks to hold onto the Trump years could put the 21st on the closest Democratic target.
his seat here to maintain the Democ- in play (the GOP lags 45K to 50K
to Democrats in raw registered vot- “Even a split outcome —a McAuliffe
rats’ grip on a Monmouth senate
ers) for Democratic Party challenger defeat and a Murphy victory —
seat. A party builder and former
Roselle Park Mayor Joe Signorello. bodes ill for Democrats.
Monmouth County Democratic
Party chairman, Gopal is also viewed But the incumbent fairly inoculated
himself from splash by opposing the “Republicans will blame a Demo-
as a future statewide candidate. If he cratic loss in Virginia as an unmis-
can hold onto his battleground seat president during Trump’s tenure,
takable sign that the Biden
(he and his running mates made the and – based on his 2019 reelection
Administration has lost the trust and
11th a Democratic-leaning district – performance – seems to have scared
confidence of the American people.
53K to 38K) – and do it in style – away more seasoned challengers this It is, they’ll argue, a repudiation of
he strengthens the case for future de- year. the Biden record of the debacle of
ployment in tougher, bigger con- the military withdrawal from
tests. MURPHY VERSUS Afghanistan, its stunning inept han-
MCAULIFFE dling of the unprecedented immi-
LD39 grant surge at the southern border,
The statewide races in New Jersey
Having assumed the seat this year of and most recently his surrendering
and Virginia provide a gauge for
the late Gerald Cardinale, Senator to the far-left progressives in Con-
President Joe Biden heading toward
Holly Schepisi (R-39) looks to gal- gress in the dispute over his $4.5 tril-
the 2022 midterm election. Both
lion infrastructure package.”
vanize Republicans in a district al- Democratic governors in those states
ways eyeballed as undiscovered are also auditioning for national of-
country by Democrats. Democrats fice, thereby unavoidably generating
9
10
GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Sweeney’s Main Battlefronts
Diving into LD2 & LD8 So, what does it mean for legislative Steve Sweeney (D-3), who does not
A lack of drama pervades the legisla- contests this year? want to appear to lose ground in
tive races, where Republicans occupy South Jersey, the key to his statewide
There are really only two of them on power.
too distant a position behind their
the senate side (there are arguably a
Democratic rivals to do anything
few others, LD16 among them, see Republicans want to rattle LD11
relevant let alone significant. The
Torque Points, but in terms of true, enough to make Democrats there
gaps in both houses – 25-15 in the
go-for-broke competitiveness, there nervous enough to prevail on
state senate and 52-28 in the assem-
are two). Sweeney if it begins to look rough;
bly – put majority Democrats out
of danger. while Republicans maintain an eye
Two out of 40 districts. on LD39 in the event of a Demo-
As much as Republicans want to be- cratic sneak attack.
The third or fourth represent head
lieve incumbent Democratic Gover- fakes by one party to get the other to
nor Phil Murphy will drag on commit resources and thereby dis- But these theaters represent dummy
down-ballot allies, no evidence tract the opponent from the main parachute landings behind enemy
jumps out to confirm this. In fact, all theater of operations. lines.
polling of the top-of-the-ticket con-
test between Murphy and his oppo- Legislative districts 2 and 8 represent The real contests fall within 2 and 8,
nent, former Assemblyman Jack the main battlegrounds this year, and between the two of them right
Ciattarelli, shows a double-digit lead both of them seats that fall within now, eight carries the most compet-
for the Democrat. the domain of state Senate President itive weight.
11GENERAL ELECTION 2021
LD2 mated. Not the most articulate Mazzeo, of course, could always
The contest features a fight for the politician, he nonetheless built sig- open his mouth at the wrong mo-
open seat created by the retirement nificant goodwill as an authentic At- ment and emit another disastrous
of state Senator Chris Brown (R-2), lantic County character: as the “white out” comment, but remem-
and pits Assemblyman Vince mayor of Northfield, and as a grocer ber: he survived the year he made
Mazzeo (D-2) against former Assem- and routine deliverer of fruit baskets. that stumbling gaffe, and his allies
blyman Vince Polistina (R-2). will all but bubble-wrap him for the
Republicans see him as a tool of the duration of this cycle.
Camden County Democratic Or-
Polistina ran for the senate seat once
ganization, and no doubt before the Advantage: Mazzeo.
before, back in 2011, against the late
end of the contest, Polistina will find
state Senator Jim Whelan (D-2),
a way to level the same charge LD8
who beat him 53-47%. Mobilizing
against his Democratic opponent. This contest represents Sweeney’s
substantial amounts of money be-
The engineer’s allies want him to riff other priority this campaign season.
hind Whelan, Democrats painted
more steadily on the plight of out-
Polistina, of Egg Harbor Township,
of-work casino workers in Atlantic State Senator Dawn Addiego (D-8)
as a public dime engineer with few
City. wants to win reelection against Re-
distinguishing marks on his public
service record. So far, in their effort publican challenger Assembly-
Perhaps he will as the race tightens
to elect Mazzeo, Democrats have woman Jean Stanfield (R-8).
in the closing days, but right now
employed the same messaging sources in both parties say Mazzeo
against their perennial foe. Despite the fact that Sweeney and
leads his rival, in part on the strength
company will drop substantial re-
of incumbent Atlantic City Mayor
Polistina, for his part, objected to sources in here to protect her and in-
Marty Small’s local effort, and owing
Sweeney’s decision not to seat him in sulate the organization from the
to the absence from the contest of
the vacant senate seat, arguing that humiliation of a loss, Addiego has
opportunistic organizer Craig Call-
constituents in the 2nd should have significant trouble here.
away, who last year helped Republi-
the benefit of a seated replacement can Congressman Jeff Van Drew
for Brown. Critics in his own party A former sheriff, Stanfield also offers
(R-2) defeat Democrat Amy
say he spent too much time irritated voters the consistency of serving her
Kennedy with a pinpointed GOTV
by the senate president’s Machiavel- career in the same party.
effort.
lian moves at the statehouse, and not
enough early precision aggression on The dynamic could change if Addiego is a former Republican who
rival Mazzeo. Polistina animates his campaign, but changed from “R” to “D” around
given the paucity of real contests the time Van Drew changed from
Long seen as a GOP star, book smart anywhere else, and the significance “D” to “R”.
Polistina may find a tougher and of the outcome for Sweeney, De-
slipperier foe in Mazzeo than a single mocrats will likely deploy a cyclone Never underestimate the political
appalling debate performance by the of negative ads to swamp the Repub- sorcery of the South Jersey establish-
Democrat suggests. Mazzeo, say lican before he can make himself ment.
sources, shouldn’t be underesti- heard.
12New Jersey Education Association:
200,000 proud advocates for members,
students, and great public schools.
ENTER
-C
ED
STICE
®
UNIO
JU
N
A
Sean M. Spiller Steve Beatty Petal Robertson
President Vice President Secretary-Treasurer
Steve Swetsky Kevin Kelleher
Executive Director Deputy Executive Director
13GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Republicans know their best shot of legislative power, Allen’s BurlCo their families less safe — all to try to
picking up a seat this year rides on presence on the ballot this year could appease their national party bosses,”
the candidacy of Stanfield. help Stanfield down ballot. said RSLC Deputy Director Edith
Jorge-Tuñón. “The hardworking
They are in the middle of an effort The bottom line is Republicans will people of New Jersey know they de-
to depict the incumbent as a flip- be motivated to seek revenge on Ad- serve better, and will vote this No-
flopper with no principles. diego for abandoning them, while vember to reject the failed policies of
Democrats don’t enjoy any deep loy- the Democrat-controlled Trenton
“Who is the real Dawn Addiego?” alty from the senator. and instead choose commonsense-
reads a piece of mail that hit the dis- conservative leadership being offered
trict last week. Against a candidate of the quality of by the strong Republican candidates
Stanfield, who weathered the worst in these key districts.”
“Switched political parties and sold attacks in 2019, it adds up to trouble
out to the Camden power bosses for Democrats here. The RSLC’s new campaign will tar-
funding her campaign; accepted over get the Assembly seats in LD-2, As-
350 lavish gifts and meals from lob- Advantage: Stanfield. sembly seats in LD-11, and the
byists seeking to influence her vote. Senate seat in LD-8. It comes as in-
It’s time for Dawn to Addie-Go.” LD11 and LD39 ternal statewide polling in New Jer-
The Republican State Leadership sey shows President Biden five points
Democrats will just as vigorously Committee (RSLC) last week an- underwater, that the majority of
and viciously attempt to brand Stan- nounced a new six-figure paid media New Jerseyans believe the state is on
field a tool of former President Don- campaign in what it described as the wrong track, and that 70 percent
ald Trump. “key legislative races ahead of New of New Jerseyeans have thought
Jersey’s November elections.” about moving outside of the state for
But Stanfield, who has countywide a lower tax burden.
bonafides, stood up to that cam- According to a press release, the new
paign two years ago when she se- ads highlight “the stark contrast” be- Sources in both parties describe the
cured her assembly seat. tween radical Democrats who will GOP move as a way to get Sweeney,
keep New Jersey the most taxed state and presumably state Senator Vin
Former LD7 Senator Diane Allen in the nation by following the failed Gopal (D-11) substantially shaken
offers another weapon to the cam- playbook of the extreme liberals in to spend more money so the GOP
paign. Washington, and the common-sense can focus everything on LD8.
conservatives running against them
Democrats could never beat Allen. to put families first once again. The That said, all these districts in ques-
committee’s total investment in the tion are competitive on paper, and
When she retired, they finally picked Garden State in 2021, inclusive of will require substantial resources, in-
up her senate seat. this new advertising blitz, is now deed almost the entire concentration
nearly $700,000. of resources in this legislative cam-
But this year she returned as the run- paign cycle, to either hold or deny.
ning mate of Republican gubernato- “New Jerseyans are tired of seeing ex-
rial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, and if treme liberal politicians go to Tren-
the establishment anticipates little to ton election after election to hike
no disturbance in the formation of their taxes, kill their jobs, and make
14THE MEMBERS OF SEIU 32BJ ANNOUNCE THEIR
ENDORSEMENTS FOR THE NOVEMBER 2021 ELECTIONS:
GOVERNOR: Allison Eckel – LD 8 Shama Haider – LD 37
Phil Murphy Joann Downey – LD 11 Ellen Park – LD 37
Eric Houghtaling – LD 11 Lisa Swain – LD 38
NEW JERSEY SENATE: Daniel R. Benson – LD 14 P. Christopher Tuly – LD 38
Stephen Sweeney – LD3 Wayne P. DeAngelo – LD 14
Fred H. Madden Jr. – LD 4 Verlina Reynolds-Jackson – LD 15 JERSEY CITY:
Nilsa Cruz Perez – LD 5 Anthony S. Verelli – LD 15 Mayor: Steven Fulop
Troy Singleton – LD 7 Roy Freiman – LD 16 Council at Large: Amy Degise, Rolando Lavarro,
Dawn Marie Addiego – LD 8 Sadaf Jaffer – LD 16 Joyce Watterman
Vin Gopal – LD 11 Joe Danielsen – LD 17 Jersey City Council – Ward A – Denise Ridley
Linda R. Greenstein – LD 14 Joseph V. Egan – LD 17 Jersey City Council – Ward B – Mira Prinz-Arey
Andrew Zwicker –LD 16 Robert J. Karabinchak – LD 18 Jersey City Council – Ward C – Rich Bogiano
Bob Smith – LD 17 Sterley Stanley – LD 18 Jersey City Council – Ward D – Yousef Saleh
Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. – LD 18 Craig J. Coughlin – LD 19 Jersey City Council – Ward E – James Solomon
Joseph F. Vitale – LD 19 Yvonne Lopez – LD 19 Jersey City Council – Ward F – Jermain Robinson
Joseph P. Cryan – LD 20 Annette Quijano – LD 20
Joe Signorello III – LD 21 Reverend Reginald Atkins – LD 20 HOBOKEN:
Nicholas P. Scutari – LD 22 Elizabeth A. Graner - LD 21 Mayor: Ravi S. Bhalla
Christine Clarke – LD 26 Anjali Mehrotra – LD 21 Hoboken City Council: Jim Doyle, Emily Jabbour,
Richard Codey – LD 27 Linda Carter – LD 22 Joe Quintero
M. Teresa Ruiz – LD 29 James J. Kennedy – LD 22
Sandra B. Cunningham – LD 31 Melissa Brown Blaeuer – LD 26 HILLSIDE:
Nicholas J. Sacco – LD 32 Pamela Fadden – LD 26 Mayor: Dhalia Vertreese
Brian P. Stack – LD 33 Mila M. Jasey – LD 27 Hillside Council: Lisa Bonnano, Craig Epps,
Nia H. Gill – LD 34 John F. McKeon – LD 27 Robert Rios
Nellie Pou – LD 35 Ralph F. Caputo – LD 28
Paul A. Sarlo – LD 36 Cleopatra G. Tucker – LD 28
PARSIPPANY:
Gordon M. Johnson – LD 37 Eliana Pintor Marin – LD 29
Mayor: Michael Soriano
Joseph A. Lagana – LD 38 Shanique Speight – LD 29
Parsippany Council: Cori Herbig, Judy
Angela V. McKnight – LD 31
Hernandez
NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY: Angelica M. Jimenez – LD 32
John J. Buzichelli – LD 3 Pedro Mejia – LD 32
Annette Chaparro – LD 33
MORRISTOWN:
Adam J. Taliaferro – LD 3 Mayor: Timothy Dougherty
Gabriela M. Mosquera – LD 4 Raj Mukherji – LD 33
Morristown Council: Toshiba Foster, Nathan
William F. Moen Jr. – LD 5 Thomas P. Giblin – LD 34
Umbriac, David Silva
William W. Spearman – LD 5 Britnee N. Timberlake – LD 34
Herb Conaway Jr. – LD 7 Shavonda E. Sumter – LD 35
Carol Murphy – LD 7 Benjie E. Wimberly – LD 35
Gary S. Schaer – LD 36
Mark Natale – LD 8 @32BJSEIU
15GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Zwicker v. Pappas: The Fight for
Bateman’s LD16 Senate Seat
LD-16 in central Zwicker brings uncommon credentials vaccine mandates is precisely the po-
to Trenton, he is a physicist at the sition of Kip Bateman.
Jersey is a bit unusual. Princeton Plasma Physics Lab.
It’s one of the few split districts in Zwicker is a fan of Kip Bateman as
the state. The two assembly mem- The Republican candidate, Michael well.
bers are Democrats and the senator Pappas, also has an interesting back-
is a Republican. ground. He served two years in Con- “He showed what thoughtful and bi-
gress in the late 1990’s. Former partisan legislation and politics
Whether that breakdown remains members of Congress don’t always looked like,” he said of the retiring
will be determined Nov. 2. run for state Legislative seats. senator.
The intriguing race is for the Senate, The Bateman name is held in high That type of thinking probably
where Republican Kip Bateman is esteem in the district thanks to both helped Bateman survive in a district
retiring. the retiring incumbent, Kip, and his that is growing more Democratic.
late father, Ray Bateman. Republicans are now outnumbered
Democrat Andrew Zwicker (pictured, by about 21,000 voters in a district
top), who is now in the Assembly, At a Sept. 22 debate, Pappas said his that includes parts of Hunterdon
wants to “move up” and replace him. support for a religious exemption to and Somerset counties and one town
16GENERAL ELECTION 2021
each in Mercer (Princeton) and Mid- in New Jersey and this debate was no untary, not compelled by the state.
dlesex (South Brunswick). exception. Time for some cynicism. Without
the state forcing the hands of
All things being equal, the Demo- Pappas asserted that Zwicker is re- school districts to merge, nothing
cratic registration seems to make sponsible for increasing property will happen.
Zwicker the favorite. taxes. This really is a hard argument
to make, considering that property There were no sharp, or passionate,
And that’s probably why the debate taxes are levied by local govern- disagreements during the debate.
between the two unfolded with ments, not the state. But there was a minor dustup.
Zwicker avoiding attacks and Pappas
being the aggressor. Pappas explained that Zwicker’s sup- Zwicker was stressing the need to
port for such “unfunded mandates” respect each other’s views when it
Zwicker’s opening statement stressed as body cameras for police officers came to the pandemic.
his support for clean air and water contribute to rising property taxes.
and for preserving open space. Noth- Pappas vowed to support no un- “We have to do what’s right for
ing controversial about that. funded mandates. each other – stop politicizing
masks and vaccines,” he said.
Pappas took a different approach,
School taxes make up the biggest
talking about how the pandemic has Pappas quickly responded that
chunk of property taxes throughout
devastated New Jersey and how Zwicker fails to do that himself. He
the state.
Zwicker by his silence has done asserted that Zwicker gave a dis-
nothing to oversee the broad powers missive gesture to people demon-
So, how about consolidating dis-
of the governor. strating in Trenton because he
tricts?
disagreed with them.
As Republicans are wont to do, Pap-
pas brought up the thousands of Zwicker said he wants to “incen-
tivize” districts to merge. He said Zwicker’s “attitude was not
New Jerseyans who have died in
one of a leader.”
nursing homes. He said an investiga-
tion is definitely needed by the state. Pappas didn’t disagree, but stressed
that any such mergers have to be vol- Zwicker let the comment pass.
The federal government, in fact, has
an ongoing investigation into nurs-
ing home deaths.
Zwicker agreed that an investigation
is needed, but stressed that nothing
about dealing with a pandemic that
last occurred 100 years ago is easy.
“The governor had to make some
very difficult decisions,” he said.
Property taxes are always a hot topic
17YOUR VOTE
is
YOUR VOICE
MAKE SURE
IT IS HEARD!
CHICAGO MIAMI NEW JERSEY NEW YORK WASHINGTON, D.C.
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312. 664. 0153 305. 964. 8035 732. 280. 9600 212. 929. 0669 202. 331. 1002
18GENERAL ELECTION 2021
LD25 Flashpoint: Trying to Find
Drama without a Debate
Scan the events calendar of the New Last year, it was a borough council The local league began working on
Jersey League of Women Voters debate that never happened; this the debate in August, but things
these days and you’ll see myriad de- year it’s a LD-25 faceoff. never came together.
bates scheduled throughout the
state. This is a traditionally-Republican When I ran into Bucco at a recent
district, but voter registration num- event, he said he had no intention of
Over the next two weeks, for exam- bers are getting closer, which makes doing a league debate.
ple, the league is sponsoring debates it an intriguing legislative race to He did one last year, and there was a
for county commissioner in Mon- watch. problem. Bucco said he was told his
mouth, township committee in name tag – this was a virtual debate
Chatham Township, school board in The GOP incumbents are Sen. An- – could not include the title “sena-
Fair Lawn and state legislators in thony M. Bucco and Assembly tor.” That does seem odd. Being a
LD-11. members Aura Dunn and Brian senator is a public position and it’s
Bergen. certainly one all voters should be re-
But for the second year in a row, a minded of.
debate in Morris County involving The Democrats are Jeff Grayzel for
the league’s Mountain Lakes chapter senate and Lauren Barnett and Patri- Bucco’s reluctance ended any possi-
will not occur. cia Veres for assembly. ble senate debate this year.
19GENERAL ELECTION 2021
As for the assembly, Dunn said it was Democrats in the district reacted the can’t defend their extreme record of
a scheduling issue more than any- way you’d expect. putting children’s health and safety
thing else. She said one date sug- at risk by protesting COVID safety
gested by the league, Oct. 5, Sarah Carlson, the campaign man- measures in schools, failing to con-
coincided with the lieutenant gover- ager for the Democrats’ LD-25 demn Trump for provoking insur-
nor’s debate. Who would want to team, fired off the following. rectionists that resulted in the deaths
miss that? of police officers, and voting to take
“It’s disappointing to hear that away a woman’s right to choose.”
More seriously and more generally, Trump’s team in Trenton, Senator
many Republicans see the officially Bucco and Assembly Members Linking all Republicans to Trump
non-partisan League of Women Voters Bergen and Dunn, can’t be bothered is standard Democratic fare these
as leaning left. So, it’s no real surprise to give voters a chance to hear from days, but you wonder if the former
that some Republicans may not be them before the election. It’s clear that president is really going to have any
anxious to take part in a league debate. they are hiding from the fact that they impact on a legislative race.
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u
BerkeleyCollege.edu/publications.GENERAL ELECTION 2021
The just-concluded weekend brought they could make “no time” for the for office is providing the public
some traditional campaigning with debate. Incumbent candidate An- with an opportunity to compare
Bucco and the GOP team visiting thony Bucco has declined to debate their elected officials to those who
street fairs and festivals. his challenger, Jeffrey Grayzel for the are challenging their positions. Vot-
position of Senate in LD 25. Incum- ers deserve to see their candidates in
Democrats had an event with Rep. bent candidates Aura Dunn and action and to hear all sides of an
Mikie Sherrill on Saturday and one Brian Bergen have declined to de- issue before casting a ballot.
with fellow Rep. Tom Malinowski bate their challengers Lauren Barnett
on Sunday. Democratic congress and Patricia Veres for their positions Whenever candidates decline an in-
members representing the district is in the Assembly in LD 25. The can- vitation to a debate on the issues, the
a sure sign things have changed. didates and their campaign man- voters lose and democracy suffers.
agers were given an 8-week window The League of Women Voters has
At the same time, the change is not in which to choose a date. Republi- hosted free and fair, nonpartisan de-
complete. can candidates did not refuse imme- bates in LD 25 for more than 50
diately; they gave the condition of years. Incumbent candidates Aura
Malinowski on Sunday launched a having the debate in-person rather Dunn, Anthony Bucco and Brian
canvassing effort in Roxbury, a town than via Zoom. Their Democratic Bergen all participated in League of
that remains a strong Republican challengers met this condition, how- Women Voters debates in LD 25 in
bastion. Two years ago, Republicans ever the incumbents then claimed the very recent past, yet this year
won the LD-25 race there by about they had no time in their busy cal- they are declining to debate. The
1,300 votes. So the Dems have a lot endars for a debate. Leagues of LD 25 are imploring the
of canvassing to do. incumbent candidates of LD 25 to
Fair and unbiased debates are pivotal reconsider their decision and put
The statement of the combined to the functioning of our democracy. their voters first by finding a date to
Leagues of LD 25: Morristown, An essential component to running debate.
West Morris, Warren and Mountain
Lakes:
REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT
CANDIDATES FOR
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
DECLINE TO DEBATE
CHALLENGERS IN LD 25.
The West Morris, Warren, Morris-
town and Mountain Lakes League of
Women Voters are disappointed to
announce that every incumbent Re-
publican candidate in LD 25 has de-
clined to debate this 2021 election
season. The reason given was that
2122
GENERAL ELECTION 2021
ELECTION 2021: Ongoing Troubled Times
for the New Jersey Republican Party
When Governor Phil Murphy spoke during lockdowns, failures on the parking lots. Resistance to mask
at the two-hour Asbury Park pool- state level to get money to those who mandates and misinformation,
side speech-fest for the installation of needed it, whether as small business propaganda, and politicization of
the new Democratic State Chair- loans, unemployment funds, and vaccinations set New Jersey’s recov-
man, LeRoy Jones, he said that he other state services put New Jer- ery process back, and the long hot
was going to run his campaign as seyans in a hard place. Many busi- summer of 2020, marked by protests
though he was ten points behind nesses, especially those in the dining for racial justice and gym guys kick-
until the polls closed on election day. and hospitality industries, simply ing down doors to reopen their busi-
could not survive. A haphazard and nesses, Murphy be damned, left a
A Monmouth poll in May said that confusing application process often torrent of uncertainty and turmoil.
the Governor had a 57% approval eluded the small businesses in need
rating with 35% disapproving, a fall who were too busy trying to get by What Governor Murphy had going
of 14% from 2020 when the pan- week to week than to untangle Tren- for him in 2020, politically, was that
demic began. The pandemic, too, ton’s cumbersome machinery. All he was free of an election year and
may well be the key to the entire gu- the while, infection rates soared, par- able to govern as he saw necessary
bernatorial election. ents had to adjust to virtual learning and fit. This earned him the nick-
for their children, and refrigerator name “King Phil” from his detrac-
With businesses struggling to survive trucks appeared in funeral home tors, mostly Republicans but
23GENERAL ELECTION 2021
certainly plenty of Democrats, who signs of a fourth wave, particularly sage with the voters as to why he
objected to his extension of emer- among the unvaccinated, the pan- would be a better choice than Mur-
gency powers and endless issuance of demic will, once again, take center phy. Simply not-being-the-other-
executive orders. stage in the weeks and months to guy may have been enough for many
come leading up to Election Day. voters to cast their ballots for Joe
It is not the place here to assess the Biden, but in New Jersey messaging
full political impact of 2020, but as Governor Murphy has been making is critical.
numbers began to decline, as vacci- his rounds and enjoys the advantage
nation efforts were generally success- of the incumbency and a record to When InsiderNJ spoke to state-sen-
ful, Governor Murphy was able to stand on. Historically, Democratic ate hopeful Dan Cruz, a Latino Re-
fight back against what Ciattarelli governors have not been re-elected publican running against Senator
and Republicans had been picking since Governor Brendan Byrne 44 Oroho, he said he respected
at: interfering in business, interfering years ago. Republicans can and have Ciattarelli but, at the time, was back-
in schools, mandating masks, etc. made gains in a heavily Democratic ing the more Trumpian Hirsh Singh.
With the approach of summer in state, but the nationalization of party One of his key criticisms? He said
2021, it became a priority to get politics in the Trump and post- that he did not see the GOP making
New Jersey open and back to busi- Trump era has created an ideological efforts in the urban areas and that
ness. The 2020 shore season was lost minefield for both parties to contend Democrats were winning the num-
and another year might well seal the with, but none more so than the bers game. Ciattarelli did make a re-
fates of those hardy seasonal busi- GOP. cent stop in Elizabeth, knocking on
nesses that did manage to survive. doors and talking about Republican-
Fortunately for the governor, infec- With former State Democratic safe issues like property taxes, but a
tion rates began declining and things Chairman John Currie, Phil Murphy city like Elizabeth remains solidly
rapidly began to reopen. The emer- had an unshakable ally. It remains blue, even if residents complain
gency was ended, the executive or- to be seen the extent to which the about the status quo. In this case,
ders stopped, people could take off Essex-county power base, embodied Ciattarelli demonstrated he was will-
their masks if they got their shots. by the new Chairman LeRoy Jones, ing to do what men like Cruz said
Those who didn’t get their shots and will play ball with the governor, but the GOP would not, but the effect
would likely never get vaccinated leading up to election day, the party was, for insiders, fundamentally op-
were no longer visually identifiable leadership has rallied the rank and tical. The GOP doesn’t make strong
as non-compliant. New Jerseyans file behind the incumbent. Few De- GOTV efforts in urban areas be-
could breathe a sigh of relief and the mocrats see a Murphy alignment as cause they need to focus their re-
Murphy-Ciattarelli race would start a liability in the state, but the Re- sources where it can be viable.
to take on more traditional forms publicans have stormier seas to nav-
once again. igate, and Jack Ciattarelli is faced Ciattarelli continues to lack name
with charting a navigable course to a recognition statewide, which will be
That is, of course, until the Delta safe port as well as captaining a crew problematic for the 37% of New Jer-
variant began to roar its ugly micro- which is far from wholly united. sey voters who are unaffiliated. The
scopic head. Democrats have 38% of the voters
Ciattarelli has put out the message while just over one-fifth of New Jer-
With the COVID infection rates ap- that Murphy will be “one and done seyans are registered Republicans.
pearing on the Department of in Twenty-One” but has yet to com- Singh had encouraged people in his
Health’s blue curve starting to show municate a clear and resonating mes- mailers to “join the Republican Civil
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25GENERAL ELECTION 2021
War”—obviously putting himself registered Republicans) and power- Donald Trump. Ciattarelli himself
forward as the most Trump-like can- ing along to Election Day. Without rarely mentions the former presi-
didate while casting Ciattarelli as an a clear and easily communicated dent, which, to be fair, he should not
“establishment” type. In other message, Ciattarelli’s campaign lacks have to, but this demonstrates the
words, Ciattarelli actually held office the ability to focus on being much influence the former president has
and served the public in the Assem- more than the Not Murphy. Mod- over the party, even in New Jersey.
bly, whereas Singh, who has never erate Republicans and conservative Attempting to win the base means
won office, would bring a fresh, out- Democrats have respected the for- shifting to the right, but Ciattarelli
sider perspective. mer Assemblyman as a public ser- and the State GOP know the base
vant and also for being a voice of isn’t enough. By asking for “wiggle
Trump did not win New Jersey and reason and civility in a time of shrill, room” from the base so that he can
Singh did not win the GOP primary, incoherent chest thumping, tribal- attempt to gain some of the crucial
this much is evident. But it puts ism, finger pointing, and name-call- independent voters, Ciattarelli had
Ciattarelli in the unenviable position ing that spread from DC to state to admit to abdicating some auton-
of trying to formulate a winning capitals to town halls. omy in his own campaign’s direc-
message and he is staring at a Gor- tion. To the outsider, then,
dian Knot. Unlike Alexander, The likes of Phil Rizzo (styled “Jer- Ciattarelli appears to be a reluctant
Ciattarelli has no way of effectually sey” Rizzo, to avoid association with right-winger.
and literally cutting through it (be it the governor) and Hirsh Singh made
huge sums of campaign money, or no secret in exploiting Ciattarelli’s It is a telling sign of the troubled
more importantly, huge numbers of past criticisms of then-candidate times for the Republican Party when
26GENERAL ELECTION 2021
former Governor Christine Todd into the Republican while progres- fectively took away the most coher-
Whitman, the first female governor sive groups like Garden State Equal- ent cudgel Ciattarelli had to swing
of New Jersey, endorsed Joe Biden ity lost no time in condemning with. With rising case numbers, es-
and said the current GOP would be Ciattarelli as dangerous and bigoted. pecially among the unvaccinated
unrecognizable to her parents--she But the move would score points who tend to be, although are not by
said it had become a cult of person- with the Republican base and, per- any means universally, right-leaning,
ality and lost sight of its core values. haps, warm up some apathetic Ciattarelli could be given that
Former Lieutenant Governor Kim Trumpists who wished someone like weapon back once more.
Guadagno joined the ranks of the Singh or Pastor Phil had won the
unaffiliated voters as a result of po- nomination back in June. Particularly dire for Murphy is that
litical struggles closer to home in the will to return to the lockdowns
Monmouth County. She is also So, where does this leave Ciattarelli? is low among the business commu-
known to be less than a fan of The best thing that can happen to nity. With the food industry espe-
Ciattarelli who ran against her in the his campaign would also be a cata- cially suffering—one is hard-pressed
2017 primary. strophic reversal for the health of to pass a diner, restaurant, or pizzeria
New Jersey, and it seems that the without a Help Wanted sign in the
With respect to the lieutenant gov- course of events might be turning in window—to step back to 2020
ernorship, Phil Murphy has Sheila that direction. could mean an inescapable fate. The
Oliver, the second person to occupy Murphy campaign knows this, and
that post, the second woman to do With the rising number of Delta- the Ciattarelli campaign knows this
so, and the first African-American. variant cases and the reduced efficacy as well.
As of this writing, Ciattarelli has yet of the vaccines against this particular
to announce who would be his lieu- strain, it is likely that further restric- As both the incumbent and the chal-
tenant governor candidate, a deci- tions will need to be reimposed to lenger spar over topics that would be
sion which has been put off for “crush the curve” as the governor conventionally safe for political de-
weeks. It is likely that whoever said repeatedly. Masks are now bate, such as taxation, perhaps to the
Ciattarelli picks would be female being recommended for both vacci- relief of both, the exceptionally non-
(and consequently continuing a New nated and unvaccinated people in in- partisan coronavirus will force the
Jersey tradition of having women as door settings where there is a campaigns to realign and possibly re-
lieutenant governors and lieutenant potential for high transmission. This fight old battles. In such an in-
governor candidates) but speculation is admittedly vague, and also an in- stance, Ciattarelli has the best chance
still swirls. Additionally, whoever evitable consequence of policy trying to make his case and take some of
Ciattarelli picks is unlikely to bring to catch up to data. During the the wind out of the governor’s sails.
much star power if simply by virtue height of the pandemic, the Repub- Depending on how the summer un-
of how long it has been taking to licans could make the case that indi- folds and the economic effects there-
choose a running mate. viduals should choose how to handle after will determine whether or not
their health, and that the govern- Governor Murphy will be compelled
Recent remarks by Ciattarelli about ment did not have the right to im- to return to 2020 tactics in a 2021
LGBTQ curricula being purged pose mask mandates on schools and battlefield. This time, however, with-
from schools, and that sixth graders businesses. Instead, the average per- out the shielding of a non-election
would not be taught “sodomy,” was son should be free to decide. When year.
red meat for the Murphy campaign. the governor rolled back most re-
They were quick to sink their teeth strictions in the Spring, Murphy ef-
2728
GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Debate 2021: Murphy and Ciattarelli Go
After Each Other, Jersey Style
Seldom does substance align with The debate showed two candidates reluctance to talk about property
politics in today’s era of anonymous equally possessed of a tough and ed- taxes and noted the state’s inflated
Facebook posting and virtual anger, ucated New Jersey style, clearly de- budget, an $11 billion jump from
where ugliness prevails as constituen- lineating their views in unsparing the years of former Republican Gov-
cies dissolve into complacency and fashion, clashing throughout but in ernor Chris Christie.
elected officials run from real rheto- a civil, thoughtful and well-spoken
ric, or run to concocted slogans in vein. Both candidates’ views or records on
the 11th hour to spare themselves a New Jersey’s most vulnerable popu-
defining and well-considered stance. Each tried to depict the other as an lations jumped right to the fore of
But after a quietly nasty, empty sea- extremist, as Democratic incumbent the discussion, as Ciattarelli criti-
son of YouTube ads and TV mud- Governor Phil Murphy seized on Re- cized Murphy for his handing of the
slinging, substance and politics publican challenger Jack Ciattarelli’s pandemic, specifically pointing to
strangely merged against the back- speaking role at a “Stop the Steal” 8,000 nursing home deaths our a
drop of enduring crisis as the 2021 rally to tie his rival to President Don- third of all COVID-19 casualties,
Gubernatorial Contest came alive in ald J. Trump and an insurrectionary and Murphy objected to the Repub-
a hard-hitting, raucous first debate right-wing mob. For his part, lican’s comments about children not
on ABC News. Ciattarelli hammered at Murphy’s being vulnerable to the virus.
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We don’t just talk strategy, we deliver results!
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INSIGHT I INTEGRITY I INFLUENCE
30GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Ciattarelli said he didn’t quite express The men disagreed too on law en- “I didn’t see those signs; I can’t be
himself clearly when he spoke on the forcement, with the challenger using held responsible,” he said.
topic, and clarified that the delta the Police Benevolent Association’s
variant is indeed different from decision to forgo a gubernatorial en- When the Republican challenger
COVID, but Murphy throughout dorsement this year to skewer the in- said he never held Murphy responsi-
strove to underscore Ciattarelli’s cumbent as anti-cop; while Murphy ble for marching or appearing at ral-
propensity to have it both ways on talked about the delicate balance be- lies where signs like “No Justice, No
COVID-19: publicly professing sup- tween individual rights and public Peace” appear, Murphy pounced.
port for the vaccine, but also cam- safety and said Ciattarelli, the self- “When did no justice no peace be-
paigning without a mask at GOP professed law and order candidate, come controversial?” the governor
primary events. should have snagged the endorse- wanted to know. “Your picture and
ment. Murphy noted that he had name were on the invitation.”
On another occasion, as Ciattarelli two other police endorsements, even
sought to depict Murphy as anti- if he lacked backing from the PBA. Tangled up with his rival, Ciattarelli
women, based in part on the Katie umped on the occasion to pivot to
Brennan scandal, Murphy said he “Demoralized cops with curfews at his favorite issue.
had apologized to Brennan and did the Jersey Shore,” bewailed
so again tonight. The subject came Ciattarelli. Murphy said if taxes are not your
up repeatedly during the hour-long issue, “New Jersey’s probably not
debate, as Murphy brought up As an assemblyman in the Christie your state,” and again dug the in-
Ciattarelli votes in the assembly n years, Ciattarelli “rubber stamped cumbent.
opposition to Planned Parenthood Chris Christie’s agenda,” the gover-
funding, and Ciattarelli noting Mur- nor said. The final stretch of the debate fea-
phy’s backing for a bill that would tured some more defining moments
allow legal abortions at seven In a clash on property taxes, for both men as Ciattarelli objected
months. Ciattarelli said people would never to teaching children that white peo-
hear Murphy talk about property ple perpetuate systemic racism and
“This has been the most anti-woman taxes and bemoaned an existing pressed for more consideration of the
governor we’ve had,” Ciattarelli said. schools funding formula that sends golden rule as a core lesson, and
Abbot aid to towns like Hoboken at Murphy advocating for the whole
“A guy who votes to defund planned the expense of other had-working, grim truth in classrooms. Murphy
Parenthood ain’t a governor for cash-strapped New Jersey communi- zinged his opponent hard when
women, period,” Murphy shot back. ties. Ciattarelli tried to explain his cam-
paign trail comments about not
The men disagreed on Tropical Murphy – who already secured a wanting “sodomy” taught to chil-
Storm Ida, which claimed the lives millionaire’s tax during his tenure – dren in schools – a subject better left
of 30 New Jerseyans last month. pledged not to raise taxes over the to “kitchen tables.”
Murphy took the occasion to speak course of the next four years should
about climate change and brand voters return him to office. “There’s a lot going on at your
Ciattarelli as late to the game on the As the sparred over their respective kitchen table,” Murphy grinned,
subject; while Ciattarelli expressed baggage, real and otherwise, then grew grim as he chastised the
his dismay over the governor’s spe- Ciattarelli defended his presence at Republican for using “sodomy” as a
cific crisis response to Ida. the Stop the Steal rally. dog whistle.
31GENERAL ELECTION 2021
Ciattarelli toward the finale criticized rammed legalization through has At the end of the clash (they will meet
the governor’s support for recre- created buyer’s remorse in the state, again on Oct. 12th in their second and
ational marijuana legalization, and as evidenced by many municipalities final on-stage collision), Ciattarelli
reiterated his own support for de- passing ordinances banning the sit- crossed the stage to shake hands with
criminalization. The way Democrats ing of marijuana dispensaries in their Murphy, who greeted him warmly.
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32
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