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.

State Hands Towns Another Bill

U.S. Senate candidate Joseph Pennacchio has been endorsed by four key Atlantic County GOP leaders: Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince Polistina; former State Sen. Sonny McCullough, the Mayor of Egg Harbor Township; and Folsom Mayor Thomas Ballistreri. 

It is possible that the only real contests in the 2009 State Assembly races will be the four seats in the first and second districts, where three freshmen who won competitive ’07 races will presumably be seeking re-election.

In District 1, Nelson Albano, re-elected to a second term last month, and freshman Matthew Milam, will compete in this politically competitive district without the benefit of newly-elected State Senator Jeff Van Drew at the top of the ticket.  If Nicholas Asselta, who lost his Senate seat to Van Drew, would be an extremely formidable candidate if he seeks a comeback as an Assembly candidate in 2009 – and could help bring in a second Republican.

Michael K. Maloney, president of the Mercer County Labor Union council, gave the troops their marching orders in the Colonial Firehouse in Hamilton on Election Day.

"Do not come back till after six o'clock," he told the 300 union workers representing 22 locals who packed the tables in the hall and prepared to hit the streets to canvass for labor candidates here.
 
A few minutes later Maloney introduced Charlie Wowkanech, president of the state AFL-CIO, who jumped up onto the makeshift stage next to Maloney and stood above the workers.

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%.

(ALONG THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY, November 2) – First District Senator Nick Asselta and his Assembly running mates Norris Clark and Mike Donohue today joined Senate Republican Leader Leonard Lance and Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, and Second District Senator Sonny McCullough and his Assembly running mates John Amodeo and Vince Polistina at a press conference off the Garden State Parkway to declare their opposition to any consideration of the Democrats’ plan to sell New Jersey’s toll roads during a lame duck session of the legislature.

AMODEO: IF THE FACTS DON'T ADD UP, JUST MAKE IT UP

Second District Republicans Take a Page out of the Bush-Cheney Playbook

(EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ) – In a campaign dirty trick that would make George W. Bush proud, 2nd District Republican Assembly candidate John Amodeo is bankrolling a TV ad that distorts a newspaper editorial and smears Democratic Assembly candidate Joe Wilkins

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ATLANTIC COUNTY SCHOOLS LOST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SCHOOL AID UNDER WHELAN & DEMOCRATS 

Amodeo & Polistina Say Loss Forced School Taxes to Jump

 Citing a Rutgers study, Republican Assembly candidates John Amodeo and Vince Polistina say there can be no doubt that property taxes for schools have soared and public education has suffered in Atlantic County during the two years Democrat Jim Whelan has been in the Assembly.