Custodio would be a home run recruit for GOP

Republicans could be looking at a major candidate recruitment coup in the fourth district, where John Custodio says he is mulling a run for the State Senate or Assembly next year. Custodio, well known in Trenton from his years as a Vice President of Fleet Bank, also has a significant base in Gloucester Township, where he has been a strong votegetter in his races for the Black Horse Pike Regional School District.

Custodio says he has been asked to run by local and state Republicans, and wants to get a handle on how much money he can raise before he takes on the Camden County Democratic machine. He did indicate that he might need less money if the Democrats fail to deliver on their pledge to cut property taxes by 20%.

One local Republican leader called Custodio an "intriguing" candidate, suggesting that he is exactly the kind of candidate his party needs to unseat the Democratic incumbents -- State Senator Frederick Madden and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty and David Mayer. The Republican said that locally, Custodio has demonsrated an ability to remain above any partisan frays.

Other possible candidates include Gloucester Township Councilman Daniel Hutchison and Washington Township Councilman Stephen Altamuro. Gloucester Township (Population: 64,350) is the largest municipality in the fourth district, and Washington Township (Population: 47,114) is the second largest. Madden and Moriarty are from Washington (where Moriarty is Mayor) and Mayer was a Gloucester Township Councilman before his election to the Assembly in 2003.

Custodio is a former Vice President and Comptroller of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, served as a Trustee and Treasurer of the State Police Memorial Association, and spent fifteen years as Chairman of the Mercer County Employer Legislative Committee. He was a key fundraiser for Republican Cindy Rau-Hutton, who was elected Gloucester Township Mayor in a non-partisan contest last May.