Nicholas Asselta

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.

The new class of legislators isn’t even seated yet, but that won’t stop us from speculating about the Assembly election in 2009.

Granted, two years is a political eternity, and which party will hold an advantage in that time depends most heavily on who’s at the top of the ticket. But when the new Assemblymen and women take their places in Trenton early next year, there will be 25 freshmen – several from competitive districts. Those represent the best opportunity for each party to knock off some incumbents.

Right now, however, from this great distance, it doesn’t appear as though any new districts will come into the fold, or that control of either legislative body is likely to shift. Indeed, it’s more likely that 2009 will see a smaller number of districts in play.

Insiders from both parties seem to agree on one thing: the only candidate who can beat Frank LoBiondo is Jeff Van Drew.  If Van Drew runs, he’ll have strong party support in a race that will still be difficult – and if he doesn’t, it is possible that the Democrats don’t have anyone else who can beat LoBiondo.

It’s no secret that Van Drew wants to be a Congressman: he went to Washington earlier this year to talk to the DCCC about a race, even when his election to the State Senate was not yet locked in.  But now he’s having some second thoughts – perhaps realizing that taking on LoBiondo isn’t the same as a race against Nicholas Asselta.

In his concession speech, State Senator Nicholas Asselta said that he would be back.  People who know him aren’t surprised by such a pledge; Asselta, his friends say, will be miserable when he’s out of office.  Don’t be surprised to see Asselta run for his old Assembly seat in 2009, when Jeff Van Drew isn’t on the ballot – he’d be a fairly formidable candidate against newly-elected Democrat Matthew Milam. Asselta could position himself for a Senate comeback if Van Drew falters – or moves on. 

He wouldn’t be the first politician to be forced to be happy with a consolation prize.

A Zogby poll conducted for the Press of Atlantic City and Richard Stockton State College was right on the money in the second district State Senate race.  The poll had Democrat James Whelan leading GOP State Sen. Sonny McCullough by a 50%-37% margin, a thirteen point margin.  On Election Day, Whelan won 57%-43% - a margin of fourteen points.

But the Zogby poll in the 1st district Senate -- a statistical dead heat between Jeff Van Drew (45%) and Nicholas Asselta (42%) -- turned into a Van Drew romp: 56%-44%, a twelve-point win for Van Drew.

2007 was a Republican year in New Jersey, thanks to some significant local gains, a well played game of defense, the defeat of two ballot referendums, and the growing insignificance of Governor Jon “Hold Me Accountable” Corzine. It is arguably the first Republican year in New Jersey, albeit marginally, since 1997.

Republicans ousted State Senator Ellen Karcher in the 12th, has a net gain of two Assembly seats – defeating two-term Democrat Michael Panter in Monmouth County and winning back the 8th district seat they lost earlier this year when Francis Bodine switched parties to run for the Senate. The GOP won both Assembly seats in District 2, holding Frank Blee’s seat and picking up the one Jim Whelan vacated.

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.