There were a few jabs in the 39th district Assembly debate this evening at Bergen County Community College, but it was positively civil compared to what turned out to be a row between Democratic State Senate candidate Joe Ariyan and incumbent Sen. Gerald Cardindale.

The two Senate candidates sparred about what it means to be friends with Dick Codey, corruption, stem cell research, wheeling of campaign funds, and accepting trips to Florida paid for by the banking industry.

In his opening statement, Ariyan said that the 39th district had gone too long without proper representation in Trenton, and promised to work with Codey to relieve property taxes, set aside open space, and pledged his support for the stem cell research initiative.

“All of these goals can be achieved without mindless sniping and partisan personal attacks,” said Ariyan in his opening statement.

Cardinale began his opening statement with the call for a new school funding formula to bring more tax money to the suburbs.

“District 39 needs a Senator with the courage and stature to stand up to the Democrats, not a hand-picked puppet bought and paid for with pay-to-play legal fees.”

Though not in the room, Dick Codey (who Ariyan holds up as his political mentor) was very present in the conversation. However, Cardinale seemed un-phased by Ariyan’s ties to the most popular politician in New Jersey.

For instance, when the moderator asked about whether voters should rethink voting for Democrats in light of the recent corruption busts, Ariyan said that it’s a personal, not political issue, and that he doesn’t associate with corrupt people.

“You don’t associate with them, huh?,” challenged Cardinale. “Well Dick Codey you just said was your friend…. Dick Codey has kept Sharpe James on as vice-chair of the appropriations committee…. He’s an enabler of the corruption.”

The Record columnist Charles Stile, a panelist at the debate, brought up an ethics complaint that was filed against Cardinale on Friday for accepting a trip paid for by the banking industry lobbyists while he sat on the commerce committee. Cardinale said that he went along with a Democratic member of the committee to speak at an event, and that he “can’t be bought with a trip.” He added that he owns a home in the Carribean and would prefer to be there than Florida or any of the places he was sent by lobbyists.

“I wonder if those people who are struggling to pay their property taxes know that Senator Cardinale has a Carribbean home,” said Ariyan.

Compared to the State Senate debate, the Assembly portion of the program was practically a model of civil discourse. In fact, the four candidates all managed to agree on one thing: that civil unions should provide for the exact same rights as marriage, but without going so far as calling them that.

“To me, philosophically and religiously, marriage is a sacrament between a man and a woman,” said Democratic Assembly candidate Carl Manna.

Republican incumbent John Rooney came out as the night’s most fierce opponent of embryonic stem cell research, arguing that embryonic stem cells have not had proven to have any beneficial effects.

“What’s the definition of insanity – keep doing the same thing over and over again with the same results? The same results have been negative for embryonic stem cells,” said Rooney.

Rooney also used his mayoral term in Northvale, during which municipal taxes did not rise above 2 percent per year, to show his conservative tax credentials, calling himself the “exception” to the Bergen County Rule.

Democratic Assembly candidate Esther Fletcher often worked personal stories into her responses, citing a boy she knows with juvenile diabetes to illustrate her support for stem cell research.

“My opponent does not support stem cell research and that’s his choice,” said Fletcher of Rooney. “But he also voted against bringing it to the voters and that’s their choice.”

Fletcher was the arguably the most aggressive of the four Assembly candidates, saying she will resign her seat on the River Edge Council if she’s elected to the Assembly, and calling out Rooney for serving as Northvale mayor while concurrently serving in the Assembly.

The Democrats both criticize the Republicans for not advocating the district and “railing against the system” instead. But Republican incumbent Charlotte Vandervalk said that, in order to get anything done in Trenton, a Republican has to throw a fit.

“Nothing happens until the minority party yells and screams and says ‘This is wrong and we must correct it,” said Vandervalk. “We embarrass the Democrats because we’ve made so many pitches, if you will, to correct the problems we have with ethics.”

Matt Friedman can be reached at matt-at-politicsnj.com.