Blondell Spellman

Assemblyman Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor Township) felt the target slapped on his forehead by Democrats the day after he was elected in the 2nd Legislative District in 2007.

"They'll start spending a fortune and putting us on network TV - more of the same as what we saw in 2007," he said. 

Yesterday, Polistina and his running mate, Assemblyman John Amodeo (R-Margate) kicked off their reelection campaign at a firehouse in Egg Harbor Township.  Just as Republicans will likely sink many of their limited resources into recapturing assembly seats in neighboring District 1, Democrats are expected to pour considerable funds into this Atlantic County dominated district, where state Sen. James Whelan (D-Atlantic City) pulled off a solid victory over Republican Sonny McCullough in 2007, but didn't pull his running mates, Joe Wilkins and Blondell Spellman, across the finish line. 

Polistina said that he's been made to feel unwelcome by Democrats in Trenton, and said that his reception by the party in power has been a disappointing experience. 

"Thy don't want us there, they don't want to talk to us if they don't have to, and they would like nothing more than to get us out of the General Assembly," he said.

South Jersey Democrats are actively courting two former Republican legislators to challenge freshmen GOP Assemblyman John Amodeo and Vincent Polistina in the Atlantic County-based second district next year: Paul D'Amato, a former Linwood Mayor who served in the Assembly from 2002 to 2003, and Frank Blee, who retired last year after seven terms in the Assembly. D'Amato left the Legislature after feuding with then-State Sen. Bill Gormley, and switched parties in 2006.  Blee broke with local Republicans in 2007 after losing a special election convention for State Senate to Sonny McCullough and backed Democrat James Whelan in the general election.

The new class of legislators isn’t even seated yet, but that won’t stop us from speculating about the Assembly election in 2009.

Granted, two years is a political eternity, and which party will hold an advantage in that time depends most heavily on who’s at the top of the ticket. But when the new Assemblymen and women take their places in Trenton early next year, there will be 25 freshmen – several from competitive districts. Those represent the best opportunity for each party to knock off some incumbents.

Right now, however, from this great distance, it doesn’t appear as though any new districts will come into the fold, or that control of either legislative body is likely to shift. Indeed, it’s more likely that 2009 will see a smaller number of districts in play.

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%.

WHELAN, WILKINS & SPELLMAN LAUNCH

'LEAVE NO VOTER BEHIND' TOUR

Gov. Jon Corzine campaigns in Atlantic City for Team Whelan on Sunday.

The Absecon Channel separates Brigantine from Atlantic City in this world of salt water and low-slung housing broken up by tragicomic human silos with names like Taj and Showboat.

But it’s all the same battlefield here in the 2nd district, where forces are mobilizing for Sen. (and Egg Harbor Township Mayor) James "Sonny" McCullough or Assemblyman James Whelan.

In Atlantic City, a second tall and bearded politician joins Team Whelan today in a senior citizens complex on Atlantic Avenue. It’s Gov. Jon Corzine, who knows seniors are a critical voting block, particularly in an off-election year like this, and he’s working the older crowd overtime with his best up-close-and-personal demeanor.

Driving in the rain in Atlantic County, Democratic Assemblyman Jim Whelan says he knows it’s going to be close on Election Day when all these long months of arguing and talking and walking and pounding and fund-raising and driving come to a head in his challenge of GOP Sen. James "Sonny" McCullough.

"A win by one point is still a win," says Whelan. "Boston won the first game of the World Series the other night, 13-1. They won the second game, 2-1. The result of the second game is still the same as the first. They won."

Whelan has the strong arm reliever coming into the game in the form of Senate President Richard Codey, who’s got an $800,000 fast ball, and on Sunday, Gov. Jon Corzine will campaign with Whelan.

District 2 Assembly candidate Blondell Spellman, part of the Whelan Team, says if elected she will be a voice for the disenfranchised.

Atlantic City attorney Blondell Spellman vows to stand up for the underprivileged.

Atlantic City attorney Blondell Spellman vows to stand up for the underprivileged.