Linda Stender

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany), buoyed by polling that shows Republican Christopher Christie leading Gov. Jon Corzine in some key Democratic legislative districts, held a conference call with Assembly GOP leaders yesterday to review potential pickup opportunities in the fall Assembly elections.  Republicans need to win nine more seats to wrestle control of the lower house from Democrats, who have seen their numbers grow since they took the majority eight years ago.

DeCroce now has a poll showing Christie ahead of Corzine in the Democratic 22nd district by two points, 40%-38%.  The poll shows Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) running first among the four legislative candidates, but also has Republican challenger Martin Marks, the former Scotch Plains mayor, narrowly leading nine-term Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield).

District 22 GOP Assembly candidate Martin Marks this afternoon doubled down on his criticism of Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) for accepting campaign contributions from three men charged last Thursday with corruption.

During her failed District 7 Congressional run last year, Stender received money from Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, former Assemblyman Lou Manzo, and Manzo's brother, Ronald, all of whom were charged in federal court last week with taking cash bribes related to their own 2009 campaign bids.

"Linda Stender cites technicalities in explaining why she should not
return nearly $4000 in dirty money donated to her by three machine Democrats now under indictment," fumed Marks.

Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood)

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."

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STENDER/SCUTARI PROMOTE ADOPTION OF SAFER TECH FOR USE BY GOVERNMENTS AND UTILITIES

(LINDEN) - Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Senator Nicholas P. Scutari (both D-Union) today issued a multimedia package on their legislation (ACR-239) to urge governments, water utilities and chemical companies to use inherently safer technologies in their daily operations.

According to Scutari and Stender, the hazardous materials currently used by these entities represent one of the largest threats to public safety in the state, as hazardous chemicals - like chlorine - often are shipped in vulnerable, conspicuously marked containers and rail cars.

STENDER & SCUTARI UNVEIL MEASURE URGING GOVERNMENTS, UTILITIES TO USE SAFER TECH TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY

Resolution Aims to Reduce Chances of Unintended Hazardous Substance Release

(SCOTCH PLAINS) – Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Senator Nicholas Scutari today unveiled legislation urging governments, water utilities and chemical companies to use safer technologies to mitigate risks of terrorist attacks or the unintended release of hazardous substances.

Such hazardous substances often travel in vulnerable, conspicuously marked rail cars, and Stender described that practice as arguably one of the largest threats to public safety. Chemicals such as chlorine are purchased by governments and utilities for water purification.

“Transporting dangerous chemicals by rail when alternate solutions exist is a catastrophe waiting to happen,” said Stender (D-Union). “Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, there has been growing concern regarding the transport of chemicals by rail and the security of our rail cars. If a graffiti artist can get to a railcar carrying toxic chemicals, what is to stop a terrorist from doing much worse as the railcar travels past our homes, schools and hospitals?”

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.

Democratic sources say that Gov. Jon Corzine will reappoint Frederick Butler to the Board of Public Utilities and that Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) will seek re-election to a fifth term in the State Assembly.  There had been speculation that Butler would be replaced with Stender, who has been pushing for a state post following her second defeat in a race for Congress last November.

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ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS WELCOME HOME THE 50TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Jack Conners, Annette Quijano, Upendra J. Chivukula, Linda Stender, Wayne P. DeAngelo and Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman today issued a multimedia package expressing their warm welcome home to the New Jersey National Guard members of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (50th IBCT).

The nearly 3,000 soldiers who volunteered to serve in Iraq were honored today during ceremonies in Trenton.

The return of the 50th IBCT marks the end of a one-year deployment to Iraq - the largest New Jersey National Guard deployment since World War II.  While deployed, the unit played a pivotal role in transferring authority of Baghdad's "Green Zone" back to Iraqi forces and were responsible for the humane treatment of more than 20,000 detainees throughout Iraq.

STENDER / WISNIEWSKI / RAMOS / GIBLIN PEDESTRIAN SAFETY LEGISLATION CONTINUES ADVANCING

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly members Linda Stender, John S. Wisniewski, Ruben J. Ramos, Jr., and Thomas P. Giblin sponsored to enhance pedestrian safety throughout New Jersey continues advancing toward law.

The bill recently passed the Assembly 76-0 and has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.

“The number of pedestrian deaths in our state has been increasing instead of decreasing despite our best efforts in recent years,” said Stender (D-Union), vice chairwoman of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee. “This measure will clearly give pedestrians the right of way so that school children and people on foot can safely walk to their destinations.”

Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield)

PLAINFIELD – The Women for Progress in Plainfield event was advertised as a mayoral forum and as such the candidates in the mayor’s race occupied their seats behind their name plates on the dais at the front of the room in the basement of the Plainfield Public Library when Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-Plainfield) appeared.

“At this point, Linda Stender has told me she’s running with me, but meanwhile, I can’t afford to be taken for granted,” he would explain later to PolitickerNJ.com. “The people need to hear what I have to say.”

For the moment, there were some stunned looks exchanged as the veteran legislator went to the front of the room – and sat down beside the mayoral candidates wearing an unruffled expression, as though nothing were amiss, as though ready for the questions coming his way.