Sonny McCullough

Two '09 State Assembly races are pivotal for Republicans as they seek to win back control of the State Senate in 2011.  The GOP needs to oust Democratic Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam in the first district, with the hope that one of the newly-elected Republican legislators, perhaps Michael Donohue or John McCann, will challenge freshman Democratic State Sen. Jefferson Van Drew.  Van Drew, who runs well in GOP-dominated Cape May County, unseated Republican State Sen. Nicholas Asselta in 2007.

Republicans still see Freeholder Leonard Desiderio, the Mayor of Sea Isle, as a strong contender for the Senate.  Desiderio declined to run for the Assembly this year.  Another possible candidate is U.S. Marshal James Plousis, who is a former Cape May County Sheriff.  Plousis is currently on holdover status while U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg consider possible candidates.

The other seat the GOP wants back is in the second district, where Democrat James Whelan unseated incumbent James "Sonny" McCullough in 2007.  McCullough had won a special election convention earlier that year when Bill Gormley retired after 25 years in the Senate.  Republicans need to make sure their two freshmen Assemblymen, Vincent Polistina and John Amodeo, win re-election (they are favored), so that one of them is positioned to take on Whelan in two years.

A Republican has already emerged to replace Atlantic County Freeholder Tom Russo, who announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of his current term.

Frank Formica, a Margate resident who runs the Formica Brothers Bakery in the Ducktown section of Atlantic City, announced his candidacy with fanfare today at a ceremony presided over by Egg Harbor Township Mayor/former state Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough.  

In attendance were most of Atlantic County’s Republican power players, including County Executive Dennis Levinson; Assemblymen Vince Polistina and John Amodeo; and Atlantic County Republican Chairman Keith Davis.

Assemblyman Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor Township) felt the target slapped on his forehead by Democrats the day after he was elected in the 2nd Legislative District in 2007.

"They'll start spending a fortune and putting us on network TV - more of the same as what we saw in 2007," he said. 

Yesterday, Polistina and his running mate, Assemblyman John Amodeo (R-Margate) kicked off their reelection campaign at a firehouse in Egg Harbor Township.  Just as Republicans will likely sink many of their limited resources into recapturing assembly seats in neighboring District 1, Democrats are expected to pour considerable funds into this Atlantic County dominated district, where state Sen. James Whelan (D-Atlantic City) pulled off a solid victory over Republican Sonny McCullough in 2007, but didn't pull his running mates, Joe Wilkins and Blondell Spellman, across the finish line. 

Polistina said that he's been made to feel unwelcome by Democrats in Trenton, and said that his reception by the party in power has been a disappointing experience. 

"Thy don't want us there, they don't want to talk to us if they don't have to, and they would like nothing more than to get us out of the General Assembly," he said.

South Jersey Democrats are actively courting two former Republican legislators to challenge freshmen GOP Assemblyman John Amodeo and Vincent Polistina in the Atlantic County-based second district next year: Paul D'Amato, a former Linwood Mayor who served in the Assembly from 2002 to 2003, and Frank Blee, who retired last year after seven terms in the Assembly. D'Amato left the Legislature after feuding with then-State Sen. Bill Gormley, and switched parties in 2006.  Blee broke with local Republicans in 2007 after losing a special election convention for State Senate to Sonny McCullough and backed Democrat James Whelan in the general election.

From left: Folsom Mayor Tom Ballistreri, Assemblyman John Amodeo (R-Atlantic) and Egg Harbor Township Mayor James McCullough.

GALLOWAY - Businessman Andy Unanue bested the field of GOP candidates for U.S. Senate at the Atlantic County Republican Convention here tonight, winning yet another line as part of an in absensia candidacy that is not even a week old.

Vacationing out of the state, Unanue beat state Sen. Joe Pennacchio and economist Murray Sabrin, who both spoke at the event held in the Renault Winery.

U.S. Senate candidate Joseph Pennacchio has been endorsed by four key Atlantic County GOP leaders: Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince Polistina; former State Sen. Sonny McCullough, the Mayor of Egg Harbor Township; and Folsom Mayor Thomas Ballistreri. 

Absorbing some former backers of Fred Thompson and at least one defector from the camp of Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, state chairman of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, today assembled an official, updated team of Romney backers at a breakfast in Parsippany.

Egg Harbor Township Mayor James "Sonny" McCullough is endorsing former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney for president, according to the Romney campaign.  McCullough endorsed Rudy Giuliani on October 1.

McCullough, who lost last year in his attempt to hold onto his district 2 state Senate seat, plans to offically back Romney on Tuesday morning.

Sonny McCullough said it best in his election night concession speech: “I’d like to congratulate George Norcross.”

Norcross had a very good year for two reasons: he won the two races he was most heavily invested in, and he made tens of millions through the sale of Commerce Bank. The first expands his political power, and the second gives him even greater financial security – something that, in New Jersey, will make him even more powerful.

The General of the South was one of the driving forces behind the elections of Democrats Jeff Van Drew and Jim Whelan to the State Senate. He showed that his money and manpower could oust incumbents – hardly pushovers – in tough races. His ability to raise money – quickly and in large denominations – can stop a team of oxen dead in their tracks. He doesn’t let people tell him no, and gets that few New Jersey politicians have the testicular fortitude to turn him down anyway.

Whelan’s victory, particularly, gives Norcross added clout with the Atlantic City gaming industry. And Asselta’s defeat showed that Norcross’ support is more important than the active endorsement of New Jersey AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech.

After the election, Norcross quickly endorsed a longtime rival, Richard Codey, for Senate President, and then got his man, Steve Sweeney, elected Senate Majority Leader – evidence that the truly successful know how – and when – to use their power. His friendship with Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts gives him incredible sway in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. His alliance with Senator Raymond Lesniak gives the Norcross machine an embassy in the north.

Norcross faces new challenges in 2008: he is positioning to pick up a congressional seat the Republicans have held since 1884 – maybe even a second one, if Jeff Van Drew runs— and if Frank Lautenberg changes his mind, is well positioned to help Rob Andrews win a U.S. Senate seat.

Just days after losing one of the hardest fought legislative campaigns of 2007, outgoing Republican state Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough found himself on a flight to Myrtle Beach, S.C. with Democratic Assemblyman Jim Whelan, who had just ousted him from his state Senate seat by a 14 point margin.

Democrats had spent over $3 million to beat McCullough in one of the nastiest races in the state – succeeding in taking him out but not his Assembly running mates Vince Polistina and John Amodeo. But the two former opponents had, even by then, set aside their differences and were on friendly terms.