Mike Premo, campaign manager for Democratic Sen. Ellen Karcher, describes the ground game as part of his candidate's GOTV effort.

Tom Fitszimmons, campaign manager for Republican Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, describes the ground game as part of his candiate's GOTV effort.

"Are you all from Brooklyn? Then you're all Democrats, right?"

State Senate President Richard Codey reminded seniorsSen. President Richard Codey in East Windsor at the East Windsor Senior Center today that his protégé in the senate, district 12 Sen. Ellen Karcher, fought corruption in her hometown and persisted in the face of applications for burial plots sent to her by men who are now in jail.

"That’s the kind of person you want representing you in the state senate," said Codey, who insisted he’s not a boss, just a guy who’s always disliked bullies and who’s willing to put money down on a candidate he believes is a good public servant - and a good Democrat.

All week long the insider talk was Codey versus Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whom Karcher’s opponent, Republican Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, welcomed to Manalapan yesterday to bang the party tom toms of small government and property tax relief.

I’m scratching my head as I read the Star Ledger’s editorial endorsement of Jennifer Beck over Ellen Karcher for state senate in the 12th Legislative District.

With only a pair of sitting legislators to choose from, the editors had a tough pick when selecting from two qualified and accomplished lawmakers.

What’s troubling is the Ledger's posture this election season to limit their endorsements to just a few races – one so far – despite the fact that all 120 seats are up for grabs.

The Trenton Times today endorsed Republican Jennifer Beck for State Senate in the hotly contested 12th district race, saying she was "the more persistent voice in fighting for change."  Beck has also been endorsed by the Asbury Park Press and the Star-Ledger in her bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Ellen Karcher.

"Could Ms. Karcher have been more forceful in prying more reforms out of the Democratic-controlled Legislature? It's hard to say, but clearly this last session was full of half-measures and some outright failures," the editorial said.  READ

Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck and her running mates welcome Giuliani

The water towers jut against the skyline over the billboards here, part of that sprawl of roadway called Route 9 crammed between the Shore and the Raritan, a battered lifeline to a gas station culture of blimped-up commercial ratables and fading blue collar towns turned service sector central.
 

In Old Bridge a billboard says "Kyrillos 2007," and farther south of the river there’s "Hornik for Mayor" and car dealership ads - over 76% of the people here drive to work alone each day - and restaurant shacks and "Re-elect Kleinberg," and what appear to be undocumented workers and others stranded on bus stops looking at the drivers in the cars backed bumper-to-bumper, who look back and wait for the colors to change.

Amid the slogans of all sizes Thursday, a low-lying phalanx of lawn signs jumped into view in Manalapan in front of the Excelsior catering hall: Rudy. Rudy. Rudy. Rudy. Rudy. Rudy. Yes, he was here, here to support the district 12 GOP ticket of Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck and her running mates, Declan O’Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande.

Senator Karcher today released the fifth day agenda of her “Wire to the Wire” campaign schedule for the week leading up to Election Day.  From wearing a wire for the FBI to fighting corruption in her hometown to coming down to the wire in her re-election campaign, Ellen Karcher continues to fight for the people she represents.

From Governor Jon Corzine's press release announcing that he has "ceremonially signed five pieces of legislation appropriating a total of $137 million dollars from the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund for open space, farmland and soil and water preservation and protection:

“I am proud to sponsor legislation that will provide the necessary funds to protect farmland from being destroyed by overdevelopment," said Senator Ellen Karcher (D-Mercer, Monmouth), a Senate sponsor of A-4261/S-2741.