Franklin Mayor Brian D. Levine

PRINCETON - Running a campaign with a solid working idea of what government does best and what the private sector does best and dedicated to preserving the integrity of both, Franklin Twp. Mayor Brian D. Levine plans on Wednesday afternoon to formally enter the Republican Primary for governor. 

He will kick off his underdog, grassroots campaign at the Quality Inn in his hometown.

"As Republicans we have to remember our basic philosophy, which is smaller and more efficient government," Levine told PolitickerNJ.com as he made his way to a candidates' forum at the Hyatt Regency sponsored by the Republican county chair people.

"The basic idea is how do we run a government, not whether someone is or is not for stem cell research," he said. "We can debate those issues and should, of course, but small and efficient government is the starting point."

A CPA by trade who won election and re-election in Democratically-controlled Franklin, Levine says he’s used to going door-to-door and generating old fashioned face-to-face political support. 

Currently serving his second term in this Somerset County town of 60,000 residents, Levine, 50, became mayor in a 2003 upset election. A Republican where registered Democrats have the numbers, he put an exclamation point on his local victory when he won re-election in 2007.

“Money and fundraising are considerations, but no one should be turned away by the money factor,” said the GOP moderate who ran his first race for mayor with $30,000 against $150,000. 

Levine's economic plan focuses on growing a manufacturing economy, eliminating the 2.5 percent tax on new business construction, incentivizing jobs growth through loan guarantees and tax credits to build business and give priorities to New Jersey college graduates, and using federal assistance to obtain and develop foreclosed properties as affordable housing.   

A pro-choice manager who will emphasize what he sees as his across-the-aisle record of efificiency in Franklin, the mayor projects no ideology other than striving to maintain good government. 

“My philosophy is I don’t like code people imposing fines unless it’s as a last resort,” Levine told PolitickerNJ.com a month ago. “Fines are last. Education and getting people up to speed are first. I want to help create a friendly environment for business. …On the budget side, we have made very few additional hires in local government. We’ve kept it flat, with the exception of the police department. We have our challenges. Healthcare costs are increasing by ten percent. Pension costs are rising. And in this bad economy, our construction fees will go down. We have to make the necessary adjustments.” 

On Wednesday, Levine will be the third of four GOP primary candidates to formally enter the race for governor. The two already in are former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan and Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham). Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie willl formally launch his campaign for governor next week.