Veteran Cape May County Freeholder Gerald Thornton has lost party support for his re-election bid, according to a report from Atlantic City radio personality Harry Hurley. A vote of the Cape May Regular Republican Organization gave Thornton 94 votes, to 151 for incumbent Ralph Bakely and 131 for realtor John McCann, the 2009 GOP Assembly candidate in the first district.
Longtime Cape May County Freeholder Gerald Thornton is a goner: John McCann, a realtor who ran for State Assembly last year, has the votes to knock Thornton off the organization line. Most of the party establishment seems to have rallied behind McCann, who would run with incumbent Ralph Bakely. Thornton was a Freeholder from 1976 to 1987, and again since 1995.

Influential South Jersey radio personality Harry Hurley says he would not run for Congress this year if U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-Ventnor) does not seek re-election to the second district seat.
“I love my job. To seek that I would have to take a leave of absence from my program. I've spent 19 years building this,” Hurley told PolitickerNJ.com. “There is a side of me that would love to consider giving that a go some day. But not now.”
Hurley says he can make more of a difference in his role as a radio show host and station executive than to be one of 435 Members of Congress.
If there was one bright spot for New Jersey Democrats last night, it was in District 1.
In this southernmost district in the state, incumbents Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) and Matt Milam (D-Vineland) held on against Republicans Michael Donohue and John McCann by a relatively comfortable margin.
The two were thought to be the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents this year, since they represent a traditionally Republican district that is dominated by Cape May County - where Christopher Christie did especially well. Perhaps considered most damning for their chances was the absence of state Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis), whose coattails helped get Albano elected in 2005 and Milam in 2007, from the ballot.
But Van Drew was anything but absent from the campaign. He played a crucial role in it, folding his two running mates into his independent brand and campaigning as if he were on the ballot himself.
"Do I feel like I was on the ballot in a way? Yes, because I have a commitment to them and the people in this district that we'll stand up and continue to do what is right regardless of party politics," he said, adding that the candidates still had to win on their own merits "regardless of how much help they had."
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(OCEAN CITY, October 28) – First Legislative District GOP Assembly nominees Mike Donohue and John McCann – responding to a strong editorial endorsement for Donohue today by The Press of Atlantic City – today released a list of endorsements the two had received through the course of the campaign.
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(OCEAN CITY, October 29) – First Legislative District GOP Assembly nominees Mike Donohue and John McCann – joined by former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan at a press conference on the steps of City Hall in Ocean City – today announced their opposition to Question One, the so-called “Green Acres” $400 million bond issue.
The Press of Atlantic City has endorsed Democratic Assemblyman Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) for re-election to a third term, and is backing GOP challenger Michael Donohue in his bid to unseat freshman Assemblyman Matthew Milam (D-Vineland).
"This has been a disappointing race. All four candidates rely far too much on vague generalities about state spending. And all four are united in their apparent belief that the state Department of Environmental Protection is the biggest problem in the state - an odd view for candidates who want to represent a district with so many environmental treasures that need protecting," the editorial said. "But Albano and Donohue are the best of the group."
Milam seems to have lost his chance at an endorsement when he told the newspaper that he "does not mind being called (State Sen. Jeff) Van Drew's ‘puppet'"
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(OCEAN CITY, October 15) – First Legislative District GOP Assembly nominees Mike Donohue and John McCann – following on the heels of their debate victories yesterday in three separate encounters with their Corzine Democrat opponents, Nelson Albano and Matt Milam – today issued the following statement:
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(CAPE MAY, October 15) – The Cape May County Regular Republican Organization, under the leadership of Chairman David Von Savage, came out in full force yesterday afternoon to welcome Republican Lt. Gov. nominee Kim Guadagno to an endorsement press conference in which all the county’s major GOP elected officials officially endorsed GOP nominees Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno for Governor and Lt. Governor, respectively; the two Assembly candidates, Mike Donohue and John McCann; and the incumbent Freeholder running for reelection, Len Desiderio.
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(SOMERS POINT, October 14) – First Legislative District GOP Assembly nominees Mike Donohue and John McCann – responding to incumbent Democrats Nelson Albano’s and Matt Milam’s refusal to appear on the same stage with Donohue and McCann at this morning’s Somers Point Business Association candidates’ forum – used the episode to once again tie their Democrat opponents to incumbent Democrat Governor Jon Corzine.
Christie vetoes 5 service contracts approved by Turnpike Authority Governor Christie on Thursday vetoed five professional services contracts that were approved by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority a month ago. The governor’s office said Christie exercised his eighth veto because the contract fees ranged from...
“She has already chosen the interests of the insurance industry over the health care needs of working people, she took millions from Wall Street as the economy went into a meltdown, and now she wants to purchase a job in Congress at a time when so many have lost their jobs because of the actions of big bankers and others." -- Monmouth County Democrats spokesman Mike Mangan, on Republican Diane Gooch, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone.
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