Caroline Casagrande

Friendly rivals: Manalapan Township Committeewoman Michelle Roth and Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon (R-Little Silver)

MARLBORO – In this Monmouth County political hotbed where officials now shoulder a new era and try to salvage their town from those years that left several real estate finagling electeds behind bars and a built-out wreck in the wake of their corrupt handiwork, Gov. Jon Corzine this evening supported Mayor Jon Hornik’s efforts to create a coalition of 22 local suburban governments dedicated to pursuing tax saving shared services.

Here to kick off the formation of the Central Jersey Council of Governments (CJCOG), there festered, of course, some pent up party rivalry in an ostensibly smiling and bipartisan Town Hall crowd, which included Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver) and Manalapan Township Committeewoman Michelle Roth. 

O’Scanlon and his Republican running mate, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-Colts Neck), intend to fend off a 12th District Democratic challenge from Roth and her running mate, teacher John Amberg of Tinton Falls.

John Amberg of Tinton Falls

UPDATED 

RED BANK - Middletown Committeeman Sean Byrnes will run against former Pallone State Director Mike Beson of Ocean for the Monmouth County Democratic Party's backing to run for freeholder this year.

The Democrats appear to have settled on a 12th Legislative District team consisting of Manalapan Committeewoman (and former Mayor) Michelle Roth and Tinton Falls resident John Amberg, a teacher in the Irvington Public Schools system. Roth isn't here. Amberg is mixing.

The pair will run against Republican incumbents Assemblyman Caroline Casagrande (R-Colts Neck) and Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon (R-Little Silver).

The mini-convention is almost underaway here at Local Union Hall 2250.

Gov. Jon Corzine and Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro)

Amid fullblown intrigue elsewhere, Nutley businessman Carmen Pio Costa and Carlstadt School Board member Don Diorio will formally announce their Republican candidacies in Rutherford Thursday evening, and few doubt the battleground, gauntlet-down implications of their challenge to Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley).

But if the 36th Legislative District remains a decided field of contention this cycle (as is the 1st District in New Jersey’s deep south), two other districts – the 2nd and the 14th – early identified by operatives in both parties as potential battlegrounds in their own right,  at least for the moment do not appear to be marquee headline races.

Certainly that opens up the possibility for North Country Democrats and Republicans to expend more resources in the 36th, where Democrats enjoy a 2-1 edge but where the Dems must run with an unpopular leading man in Gov. Jon Corzine. 

Yet it could also open up other regions, other terrain, formerly classified as green zones. Arguably chief among these, particularly given its bordering proximity to the 14th, is the 12th District, where Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver) and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-Colts Neck) seek reelection, and last night double-teamed at a town hall meeting in Manalapan.

The 12th District Legislators are pleased to announce the legislation sponsored by them to broaden protection for stalking victims was today signed into law by the Governor.

“This is a good day for women throughout the state who have been victims of stalking,” said Senator Jennifer Beck, a member of the State Senate Judiciary Committee. “As technology advances, so do the tools stalkers use to keep track of their victims. The new law is keeping in step with technology such as GPS and hidden cameras. I am proud to have sponsored it, alongside my colleague Senator Buono.”

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Manalapan Mayor Michelle Roth has decided to seek the Democratic nomination for State Assembly in the 12th district, where freshmen Republicans Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande.  Democrats, sources say, have not yet secured a second Assembly candidate, and the state Democratic Party is -- at least at this point -- not planning to target the 12th.  This Monmouth-Mercer district was represented by a Democratic Senator and Assemblyman as recently as January 2008.

Chris Christie

After leaving Essex County on Tuesday night, GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie drove to Monmouth County, where he stood beside Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-Colts Neck) at a private home fundraiser in Colts Neck.

About 100 people attended the event.

Casagrande’s running mate, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver) had a fundraiser of his own last week as the two 12th District Republican lawmakers prepare for the possibility of Democrats running candidates against them in the 2009 general election. 

So far, the Democrats do not appear to have coalesced around a pair of challengers here in the 12th – a battleground in the 2007 election as state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank) toppled Dick Codey-backed Democrat Ellen Karcher despite being outspent over 5-1. 

Manalapan Mayor Michelle Roth

Democratic Party sources say one possible candidate for the Assembly in the 12th District is Manalapan Mayor Michelle Roth.

At this point, she’s not revealing her plans.

“No comment,” said Roth, when contacted today by PolitickerNJ.com.

A Wall Street veteran, Roth started a local investor relations consulting firm in 1987, a year after moving to Manalapan. First elected to a three-year term on the Manalapan Township Committee in 2005, Roth won reelection last year. 

Up for reelection this year in the 12th are two freshmen Republicans, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver) and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-Colts Neck).

East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov

Democratic Party members have approached veteran East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov about the possibility of her running for the Assembly in the 12th District this year, Mironov confirmed to PolitickerNJ.com.

But, “I don’t have any plans to do that,” said Mironov, who has served 14 years as mayor of the east side Mercer County town.

“I love being mayor,” she added. “I never close any doors. Nobody does that. But I have no plans at this point. My residents have been very good to me.”

12TH District legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande today urged the legislature to pass A-1444 and S-686, which would change current law by forcing any public official convicted of corruption to forfeit all their public pensions and applying to all public officials, regardless of when their crimes took place.

MARLBORO – Mayor Jon Hornik and his Republican guests from the 12th Legislative District look like old pals at this charity ball the mayor throws on a Saturday night, as revelers groove on the dance floor at the Battleground Country Club.

The cover band strains of “You’re just too good to be true” sweep through the ballroom and the mayor floats happily among guests, including state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver) and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-Colts Neck).

“Come on, that’s over,” a smiling Hornik ribs O’Scanlon about the Nov. 4th presidential election between Democratic frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain.