Sandra Love

Camden County Republicans plan to unveil an assembly candidate in the 4th Legislative District next Thursday, but they’re keeping the identity under wraps until then. The party’s executive director, Tim Saler, hyped the candidate as a “game changer” and would not say any more, although he did unintentionally identify the candidate’s gender.

“We have a very, very good candidate. We’re very excited about him and everyone will be excited when they find out who it is,” Saler told PolitickerNJ.com’s Matt Friedman.

The 4th District is considered a possible pickup for Republicans.  Democrats have a nearly 2-1 registration edge, but the GOP held legislative seats there as recently as 2003.  Last week, freshman Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Twp.) announced that she will not seek reelection, increasing Republican hopes of making headway in the district.

Unless former State Sen. George Geist is resigning his judgeship to run for his old Assembly seat, or if Gloucester Township Mayor Cindy Rau Hatton will run for the Legislature instead of re-election to a second term, the short list of game changers may be limited.

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Democratic sources say that South Jersey Democratic leaders have not yet decided upon a replacement for retiring Assemblywoman Sandra Love, other than geography: the new fourth district candidate will come from Camden County, and very likely from Gloucester Township. 

A major focus of Camden County Democrats will be the race for Gloucester Township Mayor, where a new law has replaced May non-partisan local elections with a partisan contest in November.  Former Assemblyman David Mayer announced last month that he will challenge the Republican incumbent, Cindy Rau-Hatton.

Gloucester Township, with a population of 64,300, is the 18th largest municipality in the state.  Of the state's 25 biggest towns, only seven have Republican mayors: Toms River, Hamilton, Clifton, Brick, Middletown, Franklin, and Gloucester Township.  The mayor of Franklin, Brian Levine, is seeking the 2009 Republican nomination for Governor.

A long list of possible candidates to succeed Love include: Camden County Freeholder Rodney Greco (D-Gloucester Township); former Gloucester Township mayoral candidate Bill Collins; former Acting Camden County Sheriff William Fontanez; Lindenwold Mayor Frank DeLucca; and Gloucester Township Councilmembers Glen Bianchini, Orlando Mercado, Crystal Evans and Ken Garbowski.  Sources say that the four local officials are not likely contenders for the Assembly.

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The surprise retirement of freshman Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Township) means that the fourth district, which had a Republican Senator and a Republican Assemblyman as recently as 2003, will get its fourth new legislator in four consecutive cycles. 

Traditionally, one Assembly seat goes to Washington Township (population 51,827) and the other to Gloucester Township (pop. 65,687) in this Gloucester-Camden district.  Paul Moriarty, a former Washington Township Mayor, won the other seat in 2005.

Love, who was Mayor of Gloucester Township for twelve years, was the top vote-getter in her 2007 race, edging out Moriarty by 62 votes.  She outpolled Republican Patricia Fratticcioli by nearly 4,000 votes.

The district was solidly Democratic until the Republican landslide of 1991, when Republican John Matheussen beat Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Marsella for an open Senate seat, and Republicans George Geist and Mary Virginia Weber won the two Assembly seats. 

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Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Township) said today that she will not seek re-election to a second term in the Legislature, saying a recent health issue has promoted her retirement.

Love, 63, served as Mayor of Gloucester Township from 1994 to 2006.  She won an Assembly seat in 2007 – on her second try – after Democrat David Mayer opted not to run again.  Mayer is now a candidate for Mayor.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity the voters gave me to represent them in Trenton," Love said. "It has been a wonderful and challenging experience, and there is still a great deal I want to accomplish in the year remaining on my term. However, I feel it's time to give someone else the chance to work on the very important issues our state faces in the years ahead."

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Gloucester Township Mayor Cindy Rau-Hatton, the highest-ranking Republican elected official in Camden County, is expected to pass on a chance to run for the State Assembly in 2009 and instead will seek re-election to a second term as Mayor.  Insiders had viewed Rau-Hatton as the only significant potential challenger against the Democratic incumbents, Paul Moriarty and Sandra Love.

Possible GOP Assembly candidates include Gloucester Township Councilwoman Shelley Lovett, ’01 candidate Cherie Jenkins, and Black Horse Pike Regional Board of Education member John Custodio.  Custodio, well known in Trenton from his years as a Vice President of Fleet Bank, was courted by the GOP in 2007, but declined to run.

Rau-Hatton was elected in 2006, winning a May non-partisan election.  Voters subsequently approved a referendum that made Gloucester Township municipal elections partisan, so the mayoral post is now up in November 2009, instead of May 2010.

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ASSEMBLY PASSES MORIARTY/LOVE BILL TO PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM CRIMINAL ID THEFT

Measure Would Require State Attorney General to Develop Guidelines for Police to Positively Identify Suspects Prior to Release

(TRENTON) - The General Assembly today passed legislation Assembly members Paul Moriarty and Sandi Love sponsored to require the state Attorney General to augment procedures used by local police when identifying suspects prior to release to ensure they are not stealing another resident's identity.

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The Courier-Post has endorsed Shelley Lovett for state Senate, and Agnes Gardiner and Patricia Fratticcioli for Assembly in District 4, against incumbents Fred Madden and Paul Moriarty, and Democrat Sandra Love.  READ

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Washington Township – 4th District Republican Assembly Candidate Agnes Gardiner joined over 500 Sportsmen and Sportswomen who attended Tuesday October 9th rally in Mullica Hill. Gardiner attended the rally in support of her fellow Sportsmen and Sportswomen to stop Legislation bills A-3275 and S-2041.

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There will be no Democratic Primary for two Assembly seats in district 4, according to Gloucester County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Angelini.

Independent Democrat John Caramanna is no longer in the primary race with incumbent Assemblyman Paul Moriarty of Washington Township and Sandra Love of Gloucester Township, the two organization-endorsed candidates. Read More >