Sean Kean

The Monmouth University/Gannet New Jersey poll released this morning seems to have turned the conventional wisdom of New Jersey presidential politics on its head, especially on the Republican side, where John McCain has pulled even with Rudy Giuliani. But none of the state’s most prominent presidential candidate backers expressed much surprise today.

The most shocking number in the poll put John McCain leading 29-25% -- within the 4.5% margin of error. Just one month ago, according to a Quinnipiac poll, Giuliani had a 22 point lead over McCain, while three months ago that lead was 36 points. And in a Bergen Record poll published Sunday, Giuliani led McCain by 16 points.

Asw. Beck and Asm. Kean call on Corzine to release secret asset monetization report

Assemblyman Sean T. Kean and Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck today expressed deep concern that a report published in the Asbury Park Press this morning indicates that Governor Jon S. Corzine intends to disregard the will of New Jersey voters and forge ahead with his plan to sell New Jersey’s most valuable roads.

The Republican Party on Thursday united behind state Sen. Thomas Kean, Jr., as its new Senate Minority Leader, while state Sen. Leonard Lance stepped aside in the face of a torrent of young blood.

Descendent of the state's first governor, son of a former two-term governor, and with a failed U.S. Senate run behind him and still only in his late 30s, Kean sees last Tuesday's election results as a rejection of Democratic leadership over the course of the last six years.

"Today there are more Republicans in the State Legislature, more Republican freeholders than before, more mayors than there were and more council seats," says Kean.

In district 11, a last minute shot by the Democrats to make the Assembly contest competitive with a six-figure check translated in part into an attack ad targeting Republican David Rible of Wall Township.

Rible is running for the Assembly with Mary Pat Angelini of Ocean against Democrats John Napolitani of Interlaken and John Pirnat of Belmar.

Democrats will spend about $300,000 over the next ten days on television commercials supporting Assembly candidates John Napolitani and John Pimat in the eleventh district, according to state Democratic sources.  John Villapiano, the Democratic Senate candidate, will not be included in the ads funded primarily by the Assembly Democratic leadership PAC. 

On Sunday, after attending a service at St. Stephen AME Zion Church in Asbury Park, the men went to the brick wall of a convenience store in Asbury, and acknowledged the name of Justin Johnson.

Johnson, 19, a resident of Atlantic Avenue, died of a gunshot wound last Thursday in Old Village, and now his name is scrawled on a piece of cardboard taped with a balloon to that wall with others who were the victims of gang shootings.

A woman stopped by to look at the messages for the dead left on the wall. Her brother was also killed and his picture is there, and the men listened to her story in this campaign season, in this town devastated by gang violence.

Democrats John Villapiano, John Napolitani and John Pirnat - the three Johns, as they call themselves - are not the favorites in this seaside legislative race. The senate candidate Villipiano is up against a popular legislator in Assemblyman Sean Kean, and lacks significant financial support from the state committee.

For more 11th district campaign videos, visit Max Pizarro's Video Blog

11th district Democratic state Senate candidate John Villapiano is an underdog in his race against GOP Assemblyman Sean Kean.

The problem is the state is spending too much, says Assemblyman Sean Kean, Republican candidate for the state Senate in district 11.

Running for the state Senate, Republican Assemblyman Sean Kean targets the Abbott schools, particularly Newark and Camden.

Republican Assemblyman Sean Kean, candidate for state Senate in the 11th district, campaigns at the GOP's Octoberfest at the South Wall Firehouse.