In District 14, a Republican mess

Mercer County and state Republicans are hell-bent on not allowing 21-year-old Brian Hackett, who was chosen by the Middlesex Republican Party to run in District 14, to walk away with the party's nomination for the general election.

But Sidna Mitchell, the Middlesex County resident who Republicans recruited to bracket with Hamilton restaurant owner Rob Calabro against Hackett in the June primary, has decided not to run despite filing her petition signatures on Monday.

It's the latest development of the GOP's candidate recruitment mess in this central Jersey swing district, which just months ago was expected to host one of the two most competitive legislative races in the state.

"I am sorry that Sidna Mitchell has decided not to run for the Assembly in the 14th LD.  She would have been a great candidate and a great Assemblywoman.  However, the race remains winnable with the right Republican candidate, because of the failure of the Corzine Democrats to control spending and reduce property taxes," said Mercer County Republican Chairman Roy Wesley.  "We, as a party, have an obligation to continue to look for a candidate, like Sidna Mitchell, who can address those issues convincingly, because it is in the best interest of both the Republican Party and the voting public to do so.  We, in Mercer County, remain unconvinced that Brian Hackett is that person."

At their convention last month, Mercer County Republicans unanimously picked Calabro, who ran for freeholder in 2007, as their candidate after Hamilton Council President Kelly Yaede - who they had spent months courting to run and who sent signals that she would - abruptly changed her mind.  Although Republicans said Calabro was not merely a placeholder candidate, he did not attend the convention at which he was nominated, has not done any visible campaigning and has not talked to the press.  Phone messages left at his place of work were not returned today.

A few days later, Middlesex Republicans, who typically get to select one of the district's two assembly candidates, picked Hackett.

Mitchell, a former newspaper editor and deputy director of the Council on Affordable Housing who narrowly lost a 2003 race for assembly, did not compete during the screening process or even express any interest in it.

Republicans express reservations about how Hackett's fresh face will appeal to voters in the district's most important town: Hamilton.  They worry that those working class residents will scoff at being asked to vote for a college junior who has never paid property taxes or dealt with the bread-and-butter issues facing the district.

"Brian Hackett is a smart and dedicated Republican," said political consultant Mark Duffy, who's heading up the Assembly Republicans' recruitment efforts.  But, he added, "It is important for candidates vying for public office to be able to relate to voters, and vice-versa."

With Mitchell withdrawing from the race today, her three-member committee on vacancies -- Duffy, Wesley and Wesley's wife, Nancy - have until April 15th to find a candidate to fill the spot.  They are actively searching for a willing candidate.

Hackett, who when selected said that he would not be a placeholder candidate, could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Middlesex County Republican Chairman Joe Leo finds himself in a tough position.  He does not want to fight a primary against a neighboring Republican organization, but he cannot turn his back on Hackett, who his own party selected to run.

Leo has not yet discussed the matter with Hackett.

"We had hundreds of people that selected him as the candidate.  He has to determine himself whether he wants to be the candidate or go in some other direction... That's his call" said Leo.  "We have a process, and the process has to mean something or what's the point of it?"

:The Republican candidate selection process in the 14th  is a bizarro-world three card monte game," said Mercer County Democratic Chairman Richard McClellan. "They're shuffling candidates around like a New York street hustler but they don't seem to understand that all three choices they're offering are Jokers.  It's a game that no one wins."