Wayne D'Angelo

In the 14th district, three men are waging a tough campaign for that second Assembly seat behind popular incumbent Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein.

The favorites would appear to be Republican Tom Goodwin and Democrat Wayne DeAngelo. Both men are from Hamilton in Mercer County, the most populous town in the 14th district, where the parties are well organized and where a large number of independent voters go to the polls. 

But the third man in the contest, Goodwin's running mate Adam Bushman, a veteran and former Jamesburg councilman, has racked up some key newspaper endorsements along with the backing of the New Jersey Education Association.

One labor endorsement of note: the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #269, representing over 1200 members in Central New Jersey, has endorsed Republican Bill Baroni for State Senate in the 14th district. The Assistant Business Manager for that local is Wayne D'Angelo, the Democratic Assembly candidate in that district.

Party leaders and state officials are predicting a low turnout in this year's midterm legislative races. This, despite the low ratings that most New Jerseyans give the legislature and citizens deep concerns about high property taxes, political corruption, and the direction in which the state is headed. But with most legislative districts drawn to be safe, the high cost of mounting a serious challenge against an entrenched incumbent, and citizens' skepticism about either party's ability to solve the state's complex problems, folks simply don't seem to be excited this campaign season.

Conservatives are almost guaranteed a victory in the 14th district State Assembly race, because three of the four candidates have taken fairly conservative stands on key issues. Democrat Wayne D'Angelo is pro-life, supports the death penalty, and opposes Governor Jon Corzine's plan to lease the New Jersey Turnpike, according to an issue survey D'Angelo submitted to the non-partisan Project Vote Smart.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 269 ousted their longtime President, Chico Marciante, last night and replaced him with Dennis Doyle.  That means Marciante's Business Manager, Democratic Assembly candidate Wayne D'Angelo, might be out of a job.  Marciante is the nephew of the legendary Charles Marciante, who was the New Jersey AFL-CIO President from 1969 to 1997.

Monday is Election Day for members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 269, and the results could impact the race for State Assembly in the 14th district. IBEW Local 269 President Chico Marciante (the nephew of the legendary Charles Marciante, who was the New Jersey AFL-CIO President from 1969 to 1997), faces what is considered a serious challenge for the union presidency from Dennis Doyle.

If Doyle wins, that could jeopardize the job of Wayne D'Angelo, Marciante's Business Administrator and a strong ally of the incumbent. D'Angelo, a former Hamilton Township Councilman, is the Democratic nominee for Assembly; he is seeking the seat of Republican Bill Baroni, who is running for State Senator, and Democrats are optimistic that they can pick up this seat from the GOP. But if D'Angelo is forced out of his union post, it could potentially weaken his candidacy for the general election.

It wasn't exactly a stop the presses kind of moment when Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein told the South Brunswick Post: "I don't automatically come out one way or another."  Usually, Greenstein waits to see how her Republican colleague, Bill Baroni, votes before she makes a final decision.  But her refusal to take a position on the death penalty -- seemingly the kind of issue politicians have thought about over the years -- has some progressive Democrats scratching their heads. 

The Acting Hamilton Township GOP Municipal Chair is Tracey Higgins, who took over when John Bencivengo resigned to run for Mayor.  Higgins' day job is as the Executive Assistant to Chico Marciante, the business manager at IBEW Local 269 in Mercer County.  The local's Assistant Business Manager is Wayne D'Angelo, a former Hamilton Councilman who is the Democratic candidate for State Assembly in the politically competitive fourteenth district.

The forced resignation of the Hamilton Township Chief Financial Officer after just one day on the job could emerge as an issue in a hotly contested race for an open State Assembly seat in the fourteenth district.

Eugene Leporiere stepped down yesterday after local officials found out that he had been censured for the unauthorized borrowing several thousand dollars from the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants' Union County chapter. The state Board of Accountancy suspended his license to practice.

About six weeks ago, Leporiere was forced to resign as Bergenfield CFO (after seven months in the position) when local officials held him responsible for one of his employees allegedly stealing $16,000 in cash from the tax office. "He's the supervisor and the supervisor wasn't watching," Mayor Richard Bohan told The Record, noting that Leporiere was not involved in the theft.

Turnout was a factor for the Easter weekend Democratic convention to choose an Assembly candidate in the fourteenth district: about one-third of the elected Democratic County Committee did not participate.  The nomination of labor leader Wayne D'Angelo as the Democratic candidate for State Assembly in the fourteenth district represents a clear victory for three key supporters: Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, Hamilton Township Mayor Glen Gilmore and Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes.  The trio backed D'Angelo, viewed by Democrats involved in the upcoming legislative campaigns as the strongest candidate, in his 41 to 37 win over Hamilton Democratic Municipal Chairman Daniel Benson, a former Council President and an unsuccessful Assembly candidate in 2005.   Greenstein, gets the running mate she wanted after suffering through two previous campaigns with candidates she did not get along with.