Nicholas Asselta

Cumberland County Freeholder Douglas Rainear will give up his seat to become Surrogate in January. He defeated GOP incumbent Arthur Marchand

Democratic sources say that the front runner to win a special election convention for Cumberland County Freeholder is Nelson Thompson, a leader of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (District Council 711) who has run unsuccessfully for the post in recent years. The Cumberland County Democratic Committee is expected to meet in January to replace Freeholder Douglas Rainear, who was elected Surrogate last week.

Jeff Van Drew insists he won’t be a late entrant into the second district House race against Republican U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a district where Democrats think Joe Biden’s presence at the top of the ticket could help a congressional candidate in Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem counties – where some residents watch Delaware TV.  

South Jersey Republican leaders seem to think that by the time the general election ballots are printed, Cape May City Councilman David Kurkowski won’t be the Democratic candidate for Congress against Frank LoBiondo in the second district.  And LoBiondo, insiders say, seems almost obsessed with the idea that State Sen. Jeff Van Drew will enter the race against him. 

BPU Commissioner Christine Bator was dumped by Gov. Jon CorzineGov. Jon Corzine has appointed former Assemblywoman Elizabeth Randall to hold one of the Republican seats on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and has reappointed BPU President Jeanne Fox to another term.

Maybe Brad Abelow was telling the truth this week when he told the Star-Ledger that he was “not aware” of any link between Nicholas Asselta’s vote for Governor Jon Corzine’s school funding bill and his appointment to the state Board of Public Utilities.  Sources say that Abelow was not in that loop, and that Corzine dealt with his politically savvy Deputy Chief of Staff, Patti Nelson McGuire, on that deal. 

Former Republican State Senator Nicholas Asselta’s appointment to the state Board of Public Utilities effectively takes him out of the race for State Assembly in the first district next year – something that substantially boosts the Democrats prospects for re-electing incumbents Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam.  Asselta, who hinted he might consider a 2009 Assembly bid following his loss to Jefferson Van Drew last November, would have been an extremely formidable challenger against Albano and Milam, and might have helped bring in a second Assembly seat.

Brad Abelow may have a bridge to sell youFormer State Senator Nicholas Asselta’s vote for Governor Jon Corzine’s school funding plan Monday night and his appointment to a $125,000-a-year position on the state Board of Public Utilities on Tuesday are unrelated, says Corzine’s Chief of Staff, Bradley Abelow.

Abelow told The Star-Ledger that he was “not aware of” and link between the vote and the appointment.

Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli took on vacation to Italy with State Senator Joseph Coniglio, the target of a federal corruption probe, and Dennis Oury, the lawyer for the Bergen County Democratic Organization.

Jon Corzine decided to take a quick trip to Portugal to attend a global warming conference seven days before the mid-term elections. And for writing a personal check to Rocco Ricco, Carla Katz’s ‘ner do well brother-in-law.

Atlantic County Sheriff Jim McGettigan, in his dismal race for County Executive, criticized the county for hiring porn industry lawyer Eric Bernstein (he calls himself a first amendment attorney) as a labor counsel – without revealing that Bernstein represented McGettigan.
And then, after attacking him, he wrote asking for a campaign contribution.

Assemblyman Gordon Johnson gave $1,850 of his own money to a group run by Lyndon LaRouche. Dumber move: he said he didn’t know LaRouche was a racist.

Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow faced assault charges after allegedly shoving a Republican Committeewoman during a rancorous Hunterdon primary.

Toms River Council President Greg McGuckin owed the IRS over $100k, and he didn’t think his opponents in the race for Mayor would find out.

Even though she knew he had been convicted of sexually assaultin  a 13-year-old girl, State Senator-elect Sandra Bolden Cunningham allowed 45-year-old Russell Wallace to work on her campaign.

Republican State Senator Nicholas Asselta spent 39 months of his life believing that Democratic Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew would no  run against him. He lost by 5,000 votes.

Perennial candidate Todd Caliguire designed a mailer that called his Senate primary opponent Kevin O’Toole “the Republican Al Sharpton” —saying that O’Toole’s “Asian/Korean” heritage gave him protection in redistricting.

Prudential executive Gabriella Morris to fill a vacant Republican seat on the Election Law Enforcement Commission. She last a couple of days before Gov Jon Corzine realized he couldn’t name a government affairs executive to regulate lobbyists.

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.