Nicholas Asselta

ASSELTA: VAN DREW STILL NOT TELLING THE TRUTH

(VINELAND, July 11) –- First District Senator Nick Asselta and his Republican Assembly running mates Norris Clark and Michael Donohue –- taking the lead in the First District in coordinating opposition to the fiscally hare-brained scheme of selling, leasing, or “monetizing” New Jersey’s toll roads -– last night asked the Vineland City Council to adopt a resolution of opposition to the plan.

This morning, the Republican trio followed up by sending a cover letter to each of the 21 other municipal governing bodies in the First District, along with a copy of the draft resolution of opposition.

Jefferson Van Drew, the Democratic candidate for State Senate in the first district, is not happy that the AFL-CIO endorsed his opponent, Republican State Senator Nicholas Asselta.  Speaking to the Southern New Jersey Central Labor Council -- a pro-Van Drew group run by Camden County Democratic Co-Chairman (and South Jersey AFL-CIO President) Donald Norcross, Van Drew made it clear that if he wins, he'll be sure to remember who was with him and who was not.  In context, Van Drew was not as much showing gratitude to the CLC as he was expressing anger with Charlie Wowkanech's union.

They both have their troubles.

Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew denied that he went underground last year in the midst of the public service employee debate. That was the hard charge Sen. Nicholas Asselta made today moments before Asselta received the support of the state AFL-CIO in his re-election bid.

Acknowledging the bitterness out there in the rows of delegates in the events center of the Borgata Casino Wednesday, Monsignor John Gilchrist told the union they have to be a union, and forgive.

"The last thing that dies is the Irish grudge," said the old Newark Archdiocese priest. "Join together. I’ve been with the unions since 1962. You join together, and 20 years from now people will sit in those chairs and they will bless you for what you’ve done and what you’ve been."

The New Jersey AFL-CIO today voted to endorse Republican State Sen. Nicholas Asselta for re-election in the first district, and after some debate, also endorsed Democratic State Sen. Steve Sweeney, a longtime labor leader, for re-election in District 3. 

Sweeney and other Democratic leaders sought to deliver the major union endorsement to Asselta's opponent, Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew.

A critical vote is set for tomorrow as the New Jersey AFL-CIO must decide on an endorsement in the hotly contested 1st district State Senate race.

State Sen. Nicholas Asselta has run with labor support in the past, and his close friend, AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech, wants his union to endorse the Cumberland County Republican again.  But a group of South Jersey labor leaders, led by State Sen. Stephen Sweeney, are pushing hard for Democrat Jeff Van Drew to receive the AFL-CIO endorsement. 

The state’s most competitive legislative race is in the twelfth district, where Democratic State Senator Ellen Karcher faces a challenge from GOP Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck.  Karcher has $41,077 cash-on-hand, while Beck has $16,636.  Democratic Assemblyman Michael Panter has $98,251 in his account, while Republican challengers Declan O’Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande have just a little more than $10,000 combined.

In the first district State Senate race, Republican incumbent Nicholas Asselta has $255,256 cash-on-hand.  His opponent, Democratic Assemblyman Jefferson Van Drew, has $89,098 in his account.  Van Drew has an additional $59,767 in a joint account with the Democratic Assembly candidates.

In District 2, incumbent James “Sonny” McCullough, a Republican who won a Special Election Convention last February, has $115,665 in his account.  His Democratic rival, Assemblyman James Whelan, has just $7,460 in a joint account with his running mates.

In the 39th district, first-time candidate Joseph Ariyan has raised $140,981 against veteran GOP Senator Gerald Cardinale, and has $133,329 in his account.  Cardinale has $242,245 in his warchest.

Bernard Kenny can have a cabinet post if he wants it, according to administration sources. But some Democrats close to the outgoing Senate Majority Leader say that Kenny may not care to be Commissioner of Community Affairs.

There are a few Democratic insiders who wouldn't mind Governor Jon Corzine naming a Republican DCA Commissioner -- if his choice is State Senator Nicholas Assleta. That would increase the already strong chance that Democrats would pick up the first district Senate seat. Both parties have internal polling that shows Democratic Assembyman Jefferson Van Drew with a double digit lead over Asselta -- a point that could make Asselta want Susan Bass Levin's job.