Anthony Bucco

State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen)

TRENTON - At a Senate Budget hearing here moments ago, state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) defended the working $28.6 billion budget as a well-prioritized document fashioned in hard times, while state Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton) denounced it as the worst he's seen in 14 years.

Buono put the work in context, noting California's continuing financial meltdown, by contrast, and what she described as the New Jersey Legislature's pro-active efforts to head off a national economic crisis.  

"We responded with an economic stimulus (earlier this year)," said the Senate Budget chair. "Our plan, the first in the nation, was emulated not just by other states, but by the Obama administration. The fiscal discipline in last year's budget has spared the people of New Jersey even more pain."

Buono laid out the nightmare.

"The budget has $4.8 billion in cuts," she said, 55% achieved through spending cuts and reductions in growth, 26% attributable to federal stiumlus dollars, and the rest attained through tax increases and revenue transfers. 

An early prediction for the best primary of 2011: the Republican contest for State Senator in District 25, assuming that State Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton) retires.  Possible candidate include: his son, Anthony Bucco, Jr., who is heavily favored to win a State Assembly seat in November after defeating his brother-in-law, Morris County Freeholder Douglas Cabana on Tuesday; Morris County Freeholder John Murphy, who won a big plurality in Morris County when he ran for Governor four years ago, and who ran several thousand votes ahead of his running mates in the 2006 and 2009 Freeholder primaries; and Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Twp.), who has consistently demonstrated considerable vote getting prowess without spending large sums on his campaigns.

Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Twp.), left, and Tony Bucco, Jr.

Aside from the House of Atreus implications of Tony Bucco and Doug Cabana being brothers'-in-law and a family health scare, this three-men for two-seats 25th Legislative District contest hasn't devolved into the awful bloodbath of, for example, the 40th Legislative District race one county removed in this mountain country terrain.  

In the Morris County-based 25th district, Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Township), Freeholder Douglas Cabana, and Anthony Bucco, Jr., the son of a popular State Senator, are seeking the GOP nod for two Assembly seats.  Assemblyman Rick Merkt (R-Mendham) is giving up his seat to seek the Republican nomination for Governor.

Carroll, one of the most conservative members of the Legislature, was first elected in 1995.  Carroll and then-Assemblyman (now State Senator) Anthony Bucco defeated Merkt and then-Morris County Freeholder Christopher Christie in the GOP primary.  Carroll has never been much of a fundraiser and doesn't always enjoy establishment political support, but his base has carried him through in Republican primaries.  Carroll won by 1,923 votes when Cabana challenged him in the 2003 primary.

Tony Bucco campaigns in Mount Arlington

An internal poll from the District 25 Assembly campaign of Tony Bucco reveals a sizable lead for the Boonton Twp. attorney, but at least one rival campaign said the polling is based on name ID and the obvious recognition enjoyed by the candidate’s father, state Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton).

Bucco released the results of the May 19-21 poll conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research, which shows him leading his nearest competitor  by 22 points in the June 2nd Republican Primary.   

The poll finds Bucco – identified in the poll simply as Anthony Bucco - receiving 40% of the vote, compared to 18% for Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Twp.) and 14% for Freeholder Doug Cabana at 14%. Twenty-eight percent of voters described themselves as undecided.

The Donald DiFrancesco State Senate sweater vest sold on E-Bay for $51.69.  Now the same seller, asportschick of Chatham, is selling a New Jersey Senate long sleeve sweater.  "This is an extra large, brand new, navy blue knit long sleeve crew neck sweater with the New Jersey state seal and New Jersey Senate stitched in gold and white on the left side." 

"There were several different sweaters, vests, bags, hats etc. that were made with the State Seal during the many years DiFrancesco was Senate President and I will be listing a few more of those items for purchase," the seller wrote.

State Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton) suffered a mild heart attack while vacationing in Massachusetts on Sunday.  He was airlifted to a hospital in Boston, and is expected to be released for a return to New Jersey in a few days.

Bucco, 71, has served in the Senate since 1997.  His son, Anthony Bucco, is a candidate for the Republican nomination for State Assembly in the 25th district, where Rick Merkt (R-Mendham) is giving up his seat to run for Governor.

Very little money is is being spent in Republican legislative primaries this year, according to reports filed on May 5 with the Election Law Enforcement Commission.

In terms of cash, the most competitive primary is in District 40, where incumbent Assemblymen Scott Rumana (R-Wayne) and Dave Russo (R-Ridgewood) face businessmen Joseph Caruso and Anthony Rottino.

Including funds left over from their previous campaign balances, Rumana has raised a total of $189,200 and has $78,888 on hand, while Russo has raised $181,375 and has $39,925 on hand.  Their joint account raised a total of $99,428 and has $13,254 in cash.

That puts the incumbents at a significant but not overwhelming fundraising advantage over Caruso and Rottino, who did not have previous campaign balances to draw from but wound up out-raising Rumana and Russo during the last fundraising cycle.  Caruso raised $64,550 and has $37,175 on hand, while Rottino raised $42,825 and has $32,715 on hand.  The joint account for the challengers raised $28,843 and has $5,341 on hand.

In the three man 25th District contest, the two non-incumbents are by far the bigger fundraisers.  Tony Bucco, Jr., whose father occupies that district's state Senate seat, raised a total of $58,550 and has the most cash with $27,086.  Morris County Freeholder Cabana raised $55,344 in total, but does not have the most cash on hand of any candidate, with $17,300 left over.  The lone incumbent in the race, Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Township), has the least money. He raised $20,119 - most of which came from left over funds -- and has $5,214 in cash.

The lone incumbent in the race, Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Township), has the least money. He raised $20,119 - most of which came from left over funds -- and has $5,214 in cash.

Tony Bucco, Jr.: ready to receive Schundler endorsement

Former Republican gubernatorial nominee Bret Schundler on Monday will formally endorse Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Twp.) and Tony Bucco, Jr., in the District 25 Assembly race, bringing two rivals into alignment behind the same backer.

No one runs as part of a team in this three-man contest, and yet to date, much of the GOP establishment has announced support for Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana and Bucco, a trend epitomized by Morris County GOP Chair John Sette’s endorsement of the two Assembly candidates, in addition to other Trenton and Morris County electeds throwing their fundraising powers or simple goodwill behind the pair.   

Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana

The three remaining competitors in the 25th Legislative District GOP Primary deny that the absence of Randolph Councilman Gary Algeier from the race will significantly alter their battlefield strategies.

Algeier, a Morristown-based attorney, dropped his Assembly bid this week.

“The decision is based upon a significant change in my professional life which renders it impractical to continue this candidacy,” he said in a statement. “The decision was most difficult, not because of my own personal situation, but more because of all the work and commitment that my supporters have provided to the campaign for the Assembly Seat.