Michael Donohue

If there was one bright spot for New Jersey Democrats last night, it was in District 1.

In this southernmost district in the state, incumbents Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) and Matt Milam (D-Vineland) held on against Republicans Michael Donohue and John McCann by a relatively comfortable margin.

The two were thought to be the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents this year, since they represent a traditionally Republican district that is dominated by Cape May County - where Christopher Christie did especially well.  Perhaps considered most damning for their chances was the absence of state Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis), whose coattails helped get Albano elected in 2005 and Milam in 2007, from the ballot. 

But Van Drew was anything but absent from the campaign.  He played a crucial role in it, folding his two running mates into his independent brand and campaigning as if he were on the ballot himself. 

"Do I feel like I was on the ballot in a way?  Yes, because I have a commitment to them and the people in this district that we'll stand up and continue to do what is right regardless of party politics," he said, adding that the candidates still had to win on their own merits "regardless of how much help they had."

The Press of Atlantic City has endorsed Democratic Assemblyman Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) for re-election to a third term, and is backing GOP challenger Michael Donohue in his bid to unseat freshman Assemblyman Matthew Milam (D-Vineland).

"This has been a disappointing race. All four candidates rely far too much on vague generalities about state spending. And all four are united in their apparent belief that the state Department of Environmental Protection is the biggest problem in the state - an odd view for candidates who want to represent a district with so many environmental treasures that need protecting," the editorial said.  "But Albano and Donohue are the best of the group."

Milam seems to have lost his chance at an endorsement when he told the newspaper that he "does not mind being called (State Sen. Jeff) Van Drew's ‘puppet'"

Normal.dotm 0 0 1 50 244 The Foundation for American Freedom 4 1 355 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}

(OCEAN CITY, October 13) – First Legislative District GOP Assembly nominees Mike Donohue and John McCann – responding to Jon Corzine’s admission before the editorial board of The Record of Hackensack that he will consider raising the gas tax – today declared that they would not support a gas tax increase.

In the district Republicans believe they have the best chance of turning over this year, the two GOP Assembly candidates have raised about half of what the two Democratic incumbents have.  

In District 1, Assemblymen Matt Milam (D-Vineland) and Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) have raised $555,723* and spent $521,122.  Republican Michael Donohue – who narrowly lost to the two Democrats in 2007 -- and running mate John McCann have raised $199,206 in their joint account and spent $150,558.  Donohue and McCann each have individual campaign accounts with a little bit of additional money in them -- $9,500 additional on hand for Donohue and $1,400 more on hand for McCann.  

Milam and Albano have $34,601 on hand (they finished up an uncontested primary with $83,040 on hand), while Donohue and McCann have $48,647 left over.

Fundraising numbers for the two Assembly leadership committees, which are expected to play heavily in District 1, have not yet been released. 

Candidates in the state’s most hotly competitive legislative district will participate in a radio debate next month.

District 1 Democratic Assemblymen Matt Milam (D-Vineland) and Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) will debate Republican challengers Michael Donohue and John McCann at 7pm on Wednesday, October 14 at the Old Historic Court House Building in Cape May Court House.  

The event is organized by the League of Women Voters and will air live on WCZT 98.7 FM.  

Republicans view the 1st District – where Albano and Milam won on the coattails of state Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis) in 2007 --  as their best pickup opportunity in the state. 

Two '09 State Assembly races are pivotal for Republicans as they seek to win back control of the State Senate in 2011.  The GOP needs to oust Democratic Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam in the first district, with the hope that one of the newly-elected Republican legislators, perhaps Michael Donohue or John McCann, will challenge freshman Democratic State Sen. Jefferson Van Drew.  Van Drew, who runs well in GOP-dominated Cape May County, unseated Republican State Sen. Nicholas Asselta in 2007.

Republicans still see Freeholder Leonard Desiderio, the Mayor of Sea Isle, as a strong contender for the Senate.  Desiderio declined to run for the Assembly this year.  Another possible candidate is U.S. Marshal James Plousis, who is a former Cape May County Sheriff.  Plousis is currently on holdover status while U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg consider possible candidates.

The other seat the GOP wants back is in the second district, where Democrat James Whelan unseated incumbent James "Sonny" McCullough in 2007.  McCullough had won a special election convention earlier that year when Bill Gormley retired after 25 years in the Senate.  Republicans need to make sure their two freshmen Assemblymen, Vincent Polistina and John Amodeo, win re-election (they are favored), so that one of them is positioned to take on Whelan in two years.

Former assembly candidate Norris Clark has not completely ruled out running to fill a vacancy in the 1st Legislative District, but he acknowledged facing several serious obstacles to making another go for it.

Citing business obligations, Upper Township Committeeman Frank Conrad dropped out of the race over the weekend, leaving Dennis Township attorney Michael Donohue, who ran with Clark in 2007, as the only remaining candidate in what is expected to be the most competitive district in the state.  Although Clark talked to Cape May County Republican Chairman David Von Savage about running after hearing of the vacancy, Ocean City GOP Chair John McCann had already started rolling up support and important endorsements.  

“I have never stopped considering another run for Assembly, as I am very interested in public service, and I believe the Democrats are taking us in the wrong direction at the state level,” said Clark, who had set up an exploratory committee leading up to the election.

Clark said that there are four factors that tend against him mounting an internal campaign: his own work commitments; the lack of interest shown by Donohue in running with him again; that McCann is already “in sync” with Donohue’s campaign; and that he is interested in running for Cape May County freeholder the next time the all-Republican board has a vacancy.

First district Republicans have set a deadline of 4:30 PM on Friday for Assembly candidates to file a letter of intent to seek the GOP nomination to take Frank Conrad's place on the ticket.  Conrad has dropped out of the race to challenge incumbents Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) and Matthew Milam (D-Vineland).  Republican County Committee members will vote on a replacement candidate by 4:30 PM on Wednesday, July 1.  So far, only Ocean City GOP Municipal Chairman John McCann has entered the race, and sources say he has commitments for a huge block of votes. 

Former Assembly candidate Frank Conrad says he dropped out of the race for business reasons, and not because of a conflict with his running mate's campaign manager, Peg Emberger.  Conrad's complete e-mail is printed below:

Upper Township Committeeman Frank Conrad will enter the competitive county committee process for the party nod in the 1st Legislative District.

“It is my pleasure to ask for your endorsement as a Republican Candidate for the General Assembly Seat representing District 1 in the November 2009 general election,” Conrad wrote in a letter of intent to the Republican parties of the district’s 3 counties: Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic.