The Courier News has endorsed Republicans Bo Vastine and Marty Marks over incumbent Democrats Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) and Assemblyman Jerry Green (R-Plainfield) in the 22nd Legislative District race.

"Marks in particular offers a valuable perspective on how the state's policy mistakes translate into additional problems on the local level," the editorial noted of the former Scotch Plains mayor. "His service in the Scotch Plains government includes years of frustration over the effects of Civil Service regulations, arbitration rules and union excesses on local budgets. He would bring to Trenton the proper sense of urgency in correcting systemic flaws that drive up the costs of government in the state."

A group of forty candidates for the State Assembly gathered on the statehouse steps to announce "Citizens for Assembly," a statewide group of legislative candidates formed by District 27 Republican Barry Funt to "return the Legislature to regular citizens."

The group have signed a ten-point platform, the "Common Sense Pledge.

"If elected, the citizen candidates on these steps would constitute a majority in the State Assembly; providing the leadership we need to change New Jersey," said Funt, who is challenging Democratic incumbents John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Mila Jasey (D-South Orange).  "Citizens for Assembly is an effort to remind New Jersey how important it is to elect legislators who represent regular citizens."

Funt called on voters to "to "become comfortable with the idea of voting differently than you may have in the past."

"You should know that supporting this group of candidates is not moving from one group of insiders to another. An overwhelming majority of the people up here with me are running for office for the very first time," Funt said.

NORTH PLAINFIELD - Marty Marks, former mayor of Scotch Plains and an Assembly candidate in the 22nd Legislative District, has seen polling in Union County that puts that much more spring in the stride of he and his running mate, businessman Bo Vastine, candidates who raised more than $25,000 at a well-attended fundraiser Sept. 12th at Marks' home.

The Republican running mates are challenging longtime incumbent Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield) and Green's running mate, former two-time Congressional candidate Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood), in a 2-1 Democratic district where Green and Stender will have more money to fight their challengers and who in normal circumstances should be fine - but where an intensely contested gubernatorial race at the top-of-the-ticket heartens the GOP opposition.

"We're satisfied that statewide issues are penetrating in our district," said Marks, going door-to-door on a Monday afternoon, whose fundraising guests included U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), state Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield), Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany), Assembly Minority Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) and Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit).

Republicans waging a longshot challenge in Legislative District 22 seized on Assemblywoman Linda Stender's 7th Congressional District campaign finances, which include contributions made by three men stung in last week's federal corruption probe. 

Martin Marks and Bo Vastine want Stender to return campaign contributions she received last year from Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, former Assemblyman Lou Manzo and his brother Ronald Manzo, a suggestion the Stender camp calls ridiculous since the account is already closed.

“I spent 9 years as the Mayor of Scotch Plains and the thought of any elected official accepting a bribe makes me sick," said Marks. "Linda Stender should immediately return the almost $4,000 in campaign contributions she received from Mayor Peter Cammarano and the Manzo brothers. These men are alleged to have accepted cash bribes in an attempt to peddle their political influence, and that should have no place here in the 22nd District."

There are not many legislative districts that are expected to be competitive this year, but Republicans think they might have a sleeper in District 22.

Former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks, a dentist who ran for state Senate in the district in 2003 and for the Republican 7th District congressional nomination in 2008, is running for state Assembly with political newcomer Bo Vastine against incumbents Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) and Jerry Green (D-Plainfield).

It's a traditionally safe Democratic district, containing cities like Plainfield and Linden that help give the party a registration advantage of more than two to one over Republicans.  But with an unpopular Democratic governor at the top of the ticket, and with Stender having been bloodied by two back-to-back congressional race defeats, state Republican officials are paying attention.

"I think we've got great candidates there. I think Marty Marks and Bo Vastine are putting together a nice campaign in a district that has some local issues at play in a year that will be Republican," said Republican State Chairman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), who's also an assemblyman.  "I think it is a race to watch."

Republicans also like the fact that there are no competitive municipal races in Democratic strongholds to help turn out their base there.

They also have a ready-made campaign issue: the closure of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield, in part due to lack of state aid.

Two Republicans seeking to unseat Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) thought it was an April fool's day joke when they heard she won a seat on the Assembly Appropriations Committee.   This marks the fourth consecutive year Republicans are running a campaign that calls the incumbent "Stender the Spender."  Stender is 1-2 in those races.

Stender lost a close race for Congress in 2006 against incumbent Michael Ferguson, losing by just one percentage point.  She was re-elected to the Assembly in 2007, comfortably but not impressively.  When Ferguson retired in 2008, she was the favorite to win his House seat, but she wound up losing to Republican Leonard Lance (R-Clinton) by seven points.

PLAINFIELD – Running as the New Democrat successor of the late Mayor Al McWilliams, 3rd Ward Councilman Adrian Mapp opened his campaign headquarters on Watchung Avenue Saturday and promised to end what he described as “a dictatorial form of government” in Union County’s Queen City, and to fairly represent all four wards.

“I will create an economic development plan that is not developer-driven, and develop an aggressive marketing plan to enhance Plainfield’s image,” said Mapp, standing at a podium in front of an American Flag hung from the ceiling. “With a transit village tax credit, the train station can be our linch pin for  revitalization. I would also like to undertake a study of all brownfield structures and create retail store ratables where possible.”

A large concentration of those old structures stands in the 4th Ward, the city’s longtime poorest residential district and the epicenter of the 1967 Plainfield riots. When she first won election nearly four years ago with the establishment backing of Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield) , Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs defeated then-incumbent Mayor Al McWilliams in the 4th, 868 to 698 votes. 

Former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks and newcomer Bo Vastine are seeking State Assembly seats in a district that trends Democratic. But they must smell an opportunity because they've hired Jamestown Associates, a GOP political consulting firm, which has made something of a cottage industry out of beating up Linda Stender.  Stender, a four-term Assemblywoman, came close to beating U.S. Rep. Michael Ferguson in 2006 when Jamestown labeled her as “Stender the Spender” and helped Ferguson eke out a one percent victory.  Last year, Jamestown (working for Leonard Lance), beat Stender by nine points, despite being outspent by a 3-1 margin.

MANVILLE – Running again in the 22nd District, Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) said one of her prospective Republican challengers blundered badly in his 7th District Congressional primary run last year as he positioned himself to the right of the rest of his party’s candidates.

Pro-life and pro-gun, former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks ran as “your across the board conservative Republican candidate for Congress.” 

“That won’t play well in the district,” said Stender, shortly after receiving the support of the Somerset County Democratic Committee at the Manville VFW Hall on Saturday. “He’s too conservative for the 22nd District, particularly when you consider his views on abortion. It didn't work for him when he ran before (in 2003).”

Marks, who along with his running mate, Scotch Plains resident Bo Vastine, simultaneously received the endorsement of the Middlesex County Republican Party on Saturday, retaliated.  

Former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks will challenge Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield) and Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) as a Republican candidate for the Assembly in District 22, he told PolitickerNJ.com.

“We haven’t made a formal announcement, but there will be a campaign this year,” said Marks, a dentist, who will run on a GOP ticket with Scotch Plains resident Bo Vastine, formerly of Plainfield.

“I have been meeting with quite a few people, and this time out the Republican Party asked me to run,” said Marks, who scrapped with his party in years past over ideological commitment.

A conservative, Marks ran unsuccessfully for the Assembly in 2003 and for Congress last year.