Martin Marks

The Courier News is recommending the election of two Republicans seeking to unseat incumbents Linda Stender and Gerald Green in the 22nd district Assembly race.  The endorsement went to former Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks and first-time candidate Bo Vastine.

The Press of Atlantic City and the Asbury Park Press have endorsed Republicans Brian Rumpf and DiAnne Gove for State Assembly in District 9.  Rumpf is seeking his third term and Gove won a special election following the arrest and resignation of Daniel Van Pelt and his waiting to be sworn in. 

The Asbury Park Press is backing the re-election of freshman GOP incumbents Mary Pat Angelini and David Rible for State Assembly.

A group of forty candidates for the State Assembly gathered on the statehouse steps to announce "Citizens for Assembly," a statewide group of legislative candidates formed by District 27 Republican Barry Funt to "return the Legislature to regular citizens."

The group have signed a ten-point platform, the "Common Sense Pledge.

"If elected, the citizen candidates on these steps would constitute a majority in the State Assembly; providing the leadership we need to change New Jersey," said Funt, who is challenging Democratic incumbents John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Mila Jasey (D-South Orange).  "Citizens for Assembly is an effort to remind New Jersey how important it is to elect legislators who represent regular citizens."

Funt called on voters to "to "become comfortable with the idea of voting differently than you may have in the past."

"You should know that supporting this group of candidates is not moving from one group of insiders to another. An overwhelming majority of the people up here with me are running for office for the very first time," Funt said.

GREEN AND STENDER: IS THERE A TAX YOU DON'T LIKE?

Marks and Vastine Call on Jon Corzine to Answer Questions Related to His Investment in New Jersey's Casino Industry

Marks and Vastine Stage Successful Gala Event in Scotch Plains

Marks and Vastine Call on Jerry Green and Linda Stender to Answer for NJ's Highest Unemployment Rate Since They Were Elected to the Assembly

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."

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.