April 2, 2009 - 9:52pm
Inside Edge

Dems pick Collins to replace Love in Assembly

South Jersey Democrats have picked Bill Collins, a popular former high school track coach and the local School Board President, to replace Sandra Love as their candidate for State Assembly in the fourth district.  This is the second time Collins will seek to replace Love; in 2006, when she stepped down as mayor of Gloucester Township, Love became the Camden County Democratic organization candidate to replace her in a non-partisan race, but he lost to Republican Cindy Rau-Hatton.  His running mate in that election, then-Councilman Eugene Lawrence, was also defeated.  Lawrence switched parties last month and will be one of Collins' opponents in the fall Assembly contest.

Petitions were circulated on behalf of Collins and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Township) today.

Collins has an interesting story: he overcame a childhood illness that left him unable to walk until age eleven to become a track star, and after a drunk driving conviction, he became a founder of Highland High School's Students Against Drunk Driving.

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.