Tom Fitszimmons, campaign manager for Republican Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, describes the ground game as part of his candiate's GOTV effort.

A Zogby poll conducted for the Press of Atlantic City and Richard Stockton State College shows Democrat James Whelan leading GOP State Sen. Sonny McCullough by a 50%-37% margin, and the race between Republican State Sen. Nicholas Asselta and Democrat Jeff Van Drew to be a statistical dead heat.

Van Drew, a three-term Assemblyman, leads Asselta by a 45%-42% margin. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 5%.

State Senate President Richard Codey reminded seniorsSen. President Richard Codey in East Windsor at the East Windsor Senior Center today that his protégé in the senate, district 12 Sen. Ellen Karcher, fought corruption in her hometown and persisted in the face of applications for burial plots sent to her by men who are now in jail.

"That’s the kind of person you want representing you in the state senate," said Codey, who insisted he’s not a boss, just a guy who’s always disliked bullies and who’s willing to put money down on a candidate he believes is a good public servant - and a good Democrat.

All week long the insider talk was Codey versus Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whom Karcher’s opponent, Republican Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, welcomed to Manalapan yesterday to bang the party tom toms of small government and property tax relief.