One recurring theme in newspaper endorsements from across the state: some candidates don't properly prepare for editorial board meetings.  In several cases during this cycle, newspapers said they were reluctant to endorse incumbents, but had no choice after challengers were either ill-equipped to answer public policy questions, or simply did not respond to invitations to participate.  Newspapers wouldn't have necessarily endorsed the challengers if they met them, or if they were not competent, but incumbents are favored when the challengers don't even show up.

The Record and the Herald News still endorsed Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), likely to be the next Assembly Speaker, even though they were "skeptical, given the heavy influence of New Jersey's political machinery," of her claim to be an independent thinker - and despite her possession of another full-time government job. Oliver's GOP opponents did not meet with the newspaper's editorial board: "We have no sense of whether they can back up their promises."

In the neighboring 35th district, the Record and the Herald News lamented over their choices when they endorsed incumbents Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) and Elease Evans (D-Paterson).

"It is possible the Republicans would make excellent members of the Assembly, yet they did not meet with The Herald News' editorial board. Their positions on issues important to the state and to the district are less clear to us.  While we are not comfortable, given these difficult times, with two incumbents who hold close ties to the state's powerful unions, we cannot endorse challengers whose positions and allegiances are largely unknown," the editorials said.  "It would be better if voters in the 35th had a greater choice for Assembly. As it is, the choices are few, and from here, the known is a step above the unknown."

The Courier Post complained that two of the three Republican candidates for Camden County Freeholder wouldn't take their calls, and the third candidate was not even remotely ready for public office.  Brian Kluchnick, a GOP Assembly candidate in the fifth district, also didn't return phone calls.  The Courier-Post has surely shown a willingness to endorse Republican candidates.

Assemby Speaker Joseph Roberts (C-Camden), above, is not seeking re-election to the State Assembly. South Jersey Democrats picked labor leader Donald Norcross to replace him.

Southern Jersey AFL-CIO President Donald Norcross, the brother of one of the state's most powerful political insiders, won the Democratic nomination for State Assembly in the fifth district today.  He ran unopposed at a special convention of Camden County Democrats to replace Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden), who announced last month that he would not seek re-election.

"I believe we must change the way business is done in Trenton," Norcross told Democrats today.  "We must put our partisan differences and the special interests aside to do what is best for the ordinary, hard-working taxpayers of this state. The status quo is not working. The state government is wasting too much of our money."
 
Norcross, the Camden County Democratic Co-Chairman and the brother of George Norcross III, called for a state-government spending freeze and a moratorium on tax increases.

Lonegan to Camden County Supporters:
You're On Your Own

Lonegan campaign hangs their
supporters in Camden County out to dry;
Republicans also beat back Democrats' attempt
to disenfranchise qualified voters in 5th District

HADDON HEIGHTS -- The Camden County Republican Committee fought successfully two petition challenges, exposing the truth about Steve Lonegan's campaign in Camden County as well as beating back an attempt by the Trenton Democrats to disenfranchise qualified voters in the 5th Legislative District.

Joseph L. Welsh, a confirmed Lonegan supporter, was removed from the ballot following a petition challenge filed by the Camden County Republican Committee.

After the Lonegan campaign made a desperate, impassioned plea at the end of March to find supporters who were willing to run in order to help Steve Lonegan in his campaign for Governor, Mr. Welsh stepped up to the plate and circulated petitions to run for State Senate in the 6th Legislative District.

But when Mr. Welsh's petitions were challenged due to defective signatures, the Lonegan campaign hung Mr. Welsh out to dry, refusing to provide any counsel, campaign staff, or even a volunteer to assist Mr. Welsh.

This proves once and for all that the Steve Lonegan campaign is about one thing and one thing only: advancing the personal political career of Steve Lonegan. When Lonegan's supporters -- who have donated their time, energy, and money to his campaign -- need help, he turns his back on them and walks away.

At the same time, the Democratic State Committee attempted to have Republican candidates Brian Kluchnick and Stepfanie Velez-Gentry, running for General Assembly in the 5th Legislative District, removed from the ballot.

However, the Trenton Democrats' attempt to disenfranchise qualified voters in the district failed, and the Republican candidates will remain on the ballot for the June primary.

That makes the Camden County Republicans two-for-two in our fight to preserve the democratic process in South Jersey, despite the attempts by Steve Lonegan and the Democrats to compromise it for their own personal political gain.

Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean), who is running for re-election to a second term, will be unopposed in the Republican primary

Establishment political parties have successfully challenged several rebel primary candidates, removing them from the primary ballot.

Casualties

In the 6th District, the Camden County Regular Republican Party found enough problems with the petition signatures of state Senate candidate Joseph Welsh, a Haddonfield resident who was running on gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan's rival slate, to get him kicked off the ballot, clearing the way for Republican Joseph Adolf to take on newly elected state Sen. James Beach (D-Voorhees) in a special election. 

Also in District 6, the Democratic State Committee successfully challenged the petition signatures of Democratic primary challenger Michael Stevenson, a Voorhees resident who was running under the slogan "Bringing the Process Home."

Steve Lonegan's slate also lost a candidate in District 9, where Republican State Committee Counsel Mark Sheridan got William Maxwell, of Beachwood, ruled ineligible.  That clears the way for incumbents Daniel Van Pelt (R-Waretown) and Brian Rumpf (R-Little Egg Harbor) in the primary.

Up in the 39th District, Bergen County Republicans successfully challenged the petition signatures of college student William Fenwick, a Republican who filed to run against incumbent Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Hillsdale) and Washington Township Councilman Bob Schroeder, who won the party nod to replace retiring Assemblyman John Rooney (R-Northvale) at the Northeast Republican Organization (NERO) convention.

Eight Assembly candidates left little room for error on their nominating petitions, and could be subject to a challenge if they fail to have the 100 valid signatures necessary to secure a place on the June primary ballot: