Adam Bushman

Republicans in the 14th  Legislative District will have to pull together a slate of challengers without former Mercer County GOP Chair Cathy Tramontana, the niece of former Hamilton Mayor Jack Rafferty. 

“I’m absolutely not running for the Assembly,” Tramontana, the Director of Health and Recreation in Hamilton Township,  told PolitickerNJ.com. 

Hamilton Township Councilman Tom Goodwin and Ewing businessman Adam Bushman have already said they don’t intend to run again against Assemblyman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) and Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton).

Hamilton Township Councilman Tom Goodwin sent out a release today announcing he intends to seek re-election to the Hamilton Township Council in 2009, and therefore will not pursue another run for the Assembly in the 14th Legislative District. 

“It has been both flattering and humbling to have received sincere encouragement from present and former elected officials, state political leaders and so many friends and colleagues,” said Goodwin. “But four years ago we set out on a mission to improve Hamilton government and restore stability in our municipal business and that job is not yet completed. 

Goodwin ran on a Republican Assembly ticket with Jamesburg software engineer Adam Goodwin. Both men lost to the Democratic team of Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Monroe) and former Hamilton Councilman Wayne DeAngelo. At the top of the ticket, Goodwin and Bushman’s running mate, state Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer) defeated former ratepayer advocate Seema Singh. 

Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) knows that Republicans have him in their sights for next year, but says that this time is different: he’s a known commodity.

“Being in District 14 and in Hamilton Township where politics is very much independent minded individuals, I expect all races to be close,” he said. 

Close, but not like last year, when DeAngelo edged out Republican Tom Goodwin by about 700 votes, while his entrenched running mate, Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro), ran 3,000 votes ahead of him. 

Assemblyman Bill Baroni won big in the 14th district state Senate race, blowing out Democrat Seema Singh with 62% of the vote.  He won Hamilton Township with 76%.

But the politically competitive district remains split, with two Democrats capturing seats in the State Assembly.

Incumbent Linda Greenstein prevailed in her bid for a fifth term, and her running mate, labor leader Wayne DeAngelo, outpaced Baroni’s running mates, Tom Goodwin and Adam Bushman.  Greenstein received 28,172 votes; DeAngelo, 25,037; Goodwin, 24,245; and Bushman, 23,663.

Steve Quain, campaign spokesman for state senate candidate Assemblyman Bill Baroni and Assembly candidates Adam Bushman and Tom Goodwin, goes over the ground game in Republican Party HQ in Hamilton.

Republican mayoral candidate John Bencivengo peruses the town's financial assessment statement in Hamilton.

It’s all politics in Hamilton a day before Election Day as Republican mayoral candidate John Bencivengo climbs out of his sport utility vehicle and walks into the office of Council President Dave Kenny.

Kenny and the Republican Council have been fighting with Democratic Mayor Glen Gilmore over the town’s budget and pressuring the mayor through the courts to release details of Hamilton’s financial health before, and not after, the mayoral election.

Moments earlier, the appellate division of the state Superior Court upheld Kenny’s appeal, and denied Gilmore’s motion to issue a stay in the release of the town’s annual financial statement. Now Bencivengo watches as Kenny receives by fax the financial statement from Bowman and Company, the company charged with preparing the information.

District 13 Sen. Joseph Kyrillos huddles with Assemblyman Sam Thompson.Stumping throughout central Jersey on Sunday, Gov. Jon Corzine dismissed the recently formed Common Sense America as a closeted anti-gay group masquerading as a champion of fiscal conservatism.

In defiance of Fair and Clean Elections in the 14th district, the Princeton-based outfit has spent an estimated $450,000-worth of ads against Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein and by extension, her running mate, labor leader Wayne DeAngelo.

"It’s not going to end up having a major impact," said Corzine, with Greenstein, DeAngelo and state Senate candidate Seema Singh, at his side in Hamilton’s Golden Dawn Diner.

The Trenton Times has endorsed Republican Bill Baroni for State Senate, Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein for a fifth term, and Republican Tom Goodwin for Baroni's open Assembly seat.  READ

Republican Assembly candidates Tom Goodwin and Adam Bushman have called on Democratic incumbent Linda Greenstein to distance herself from Seema Singh's "dishonest: campaign.  That shouldn't be a problem for Greenstein -- she distanced herself from Singh a long time ago.  Singh for Senate and Greenstein have separate consultants and Greenstein, worried that a huge plurality for hometown candidates Wayne D'Angelo and Goodwin in Hamilton Township could leave her seatless, is doing her own thing.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg in Monroe today

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg today stood with the district 14 Democratic Assembly candidates in Monroe Township and lambasted a hard right group for continuing to run ads against Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein.

"I talk to John Kerry all the time, and he wishes he fought back harder," Lautenberg said of the failed 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee, who was Swift-boated by a right wing attack machine.