Sean Kean

KEAN: WHO IS REALLY PUSHING THIS TURNPIKE SALE?

WITH MANY IN THE GOVERNOR'S OWN PARTY ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL, IT IS FAIR TO ASK WHO IS PUSHING THE SALE

Republicans have a bonafide corruption fighter seeking an open Assembly seat in the 11th district: Kim Guadagno, a Monmouth Beach Borough Commissioner anda former Assistant U.S. Attorney who served as the Deputy Director of the state Division of Criminal Justice.

As a federal prosecutor, she won convictions against Essex County Executive Thomas D'Alessio and Somerset County Prosecutor Nicholas Bissell. A Rutgers Law Professor, Guadagno is married to Superior Court Judge Michael Guadagno.

Guadagno will face Ocean Township Mayor William Larkin, Neptune Committeeman Thomas Catley,and former Wall PBA President David Rible in the race for the two Assembly seats being vacated by Sean Kean and Steven Corodemus.

SEAN KEAN FOR SENATE
PO BOX 605
BELMAR, NJ 07719

January 29, 2007
Contact: Sean Kean (732) 663-1920

ASSEMBLYMAN SEAN KEAN ANNOUNCES SENATE RUN

(Wall, NJ) - Assemblyman Sean T. Kean has announced that he will seek his party's nomination to run for the 11th District State Senate seat that is being vacated by Palaia.

"The people of the 11th District have been blessed to have had Senator Palaia representing them for many years," said Kean (R-Wall). "I would consider it a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to continue the legacy that Joe Palaia has crafted in Trenton and here in Monmouth County."

Kean said that as a Senator he would continue his efforts to make more New Jersey affordable by reducing spending and cutting taxes.

Assemblyman Samuel Thompson is testing the waters to see if he has enough support with in the Republican caucus to run for Minority Whip. The post is expected to become vacant next month, assuming Frank Blee prevails at a Special Election Convention to succeed Bill Gormley in the State Senate. Statehouse insiders say that Assemblyman Jon Bramnick has emerged as the leading candidate for the #3 GOP leadership post.

If Bramnick wins Blee's job, Republicans will then need another election to replace Bramnick as the Assistant Minority Whip. There will be several leadership posts available if the Republicans retain the minority in the 2007 mid-term election. Policy Committee Chairman Steve Corodemus is not seeing re-election, and Assistant Minority Whip Sean Kean and Republican Appropriations Officer Joseph Pennacchio are running for the State Senate.

To put contested legislative leadership contests into a proper context, it should be noted that fourteen of the 31 Republicans in the State Assembly are in leadership. 26 of 49 Assembly Democrats are in leadership.

KEAN SAYS PROPOSED NJ TRANSIT FARE HIKE
YET ANOTHER HIT ON RESIDENT'S WALLETS

With the head of New Jersey Transit calling for a 10 percent fare hike for both bus and rail transportation, Assemblyman Sean Kean said today it's unfathomable that another state agency is looking to pick the pockets of New Jersey residents.

KEAN: CORZINE'S STATE OF THE STATE FAILED TO ADDRESS STATE'S FAST-SINKING ECONOMY

NEW JERSEY'S GROWTH AT SLOWEST RATE IN FIVE YEARS

Responding to news that New Jersey's economic growth rate continues to barely register and that the state is creating one-tenth the jobs of several other states, Assemblyman Sean Kean today said he is disappointed that Governor Corzine did not speak about this problem in his State of the State address on Tuesday.

BECK RENEWS CALL FOR GOVERNOR TO RELEASE REPORT ON PROPOSED TURNPIKE SALE

MAKES SECOND REQUEST FOR REPORT AS PROPOSED SALE/LEASE OF TURNPIKE GAINS STEAM

With news reports indicating that Governor Corzine sees the sale or lease of the New Jersey Turnpike as a key revenue source for next year's budget, Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck today reiterated her request that the administration of Governor Corzine release a report studying the impact of the proposed sale.

At least two candidates are actively seeking support for the Republican nomination for State Assembly in the eleventh district, where an open seat is likely. Former Wall Township PBA President David Rible and Neptune Township Mayor Thomas Catley both want to run if incumbents Sean Kean and/or Steve Corodemus run for the State Senate, where Joseph Palaia is not seeking re-election to a seventh term.

Other possible candidates include Long Branch Councilman Anthony Giordano (who lost a 2002 Special Election Convention to Kean for the late Thomas Smith's Assembly seat), former Monmouth County Freeholder Edward Stominski, Spring Lake Council President Walter Kimm, and West Long Branch Mayor Janet Tucci. Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo, and Belmar Councilman-elect Matt Moran are possible candidates on the Democratic side.

The two Republican Assemblymen from the eleventh district have never been very close -- Steve Corodemus worked fairly hard to defeat Sean Kean in a 2002 Special Election Convention after the death of Thomas Smith -- and the relationship became even more competitive in September 2004, when longtime State Senator Joseph Palaia announced that he would not seek re-election in 2007. Palaia's early announcement created a three-year contest for an open Senate seat that by all accounts created some internal problems in running a competitive re-election campaign in 2005.

There is little chance of a Corodemus vs. Kean primary; party insiders say the contest will be decided at an open GOP convention -- if it goes that far -- and that the loser will keep his Assembly seat. And several Republican insiders with an ability to count County Committee votes say that Kean seems to have become the front runner over Corodemus, who was first elected in 1991. Kean seems to have been more aggressive in courting potential delegates -- and filling County Committee seats -- over the past three years, and appears to have a fundraising edge. One state Republican leader told PoliticsNJ.com that Kean, who won several key labor endorsements in his last re-election campaign, seems to be a safer bet for the GOP in a district where Democrats have pledged to spend money next year.

Possible Democratic candidates for Palaia's seat include former Assemblyman John Villapiano, who lost to Corodemus in the 1991 GOP landslide, and '05 Assembly candidate Matthew Doherty, now a candidate for Belmar Councilman.

In the 37th District, State Senator Loretta Weinberg had $87,365 cash-on-hand as of the last ELEC filing in July. Her possible Democratic primary opponent, former Assemblyman Charles "Ken" Zisa, has a warchest of $74,745.

In the 11th district, where Republican Assemblymen Steve Corodemus and Sean Kean are both considering a bid for the seat of retiring GOP Senator Joseph Palaia, Corodemus has $32,147 in his account, while Kean has a $68,842 warchest.