O’Scanlon Raises $121K in two months for LD13 State Senate Race

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Middletown Township Committeeman Steve Massell at Monmouth County’s Reorganization, January 5, 2017

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon announced today that he raised $121,075 in the two months since he declared his candidacy for State Senate in New Jersey’s 13th Legislative District.  O’Scanlon is seeking to replace Senator Joe Kyrillos in the Senate.  Kyrillos announced in late October that he would not seek another term.

“The job of a State Senator is so much more than going to Trenton and voting on bills,” O’Scanlon said. “The job includes being a leader in the community and the Party.  That means having the resources to support your own campaign, the campaigns of other great candidates and most importantly, civic and charitable organizations in the district.  I am deeply grateful to my friends and supporters who have enabled me to support great candidates and organizations during my eight year career in the Assembly.  I am humbled that they have stepped up so strongly to support my candidacy for Senate.”

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Atlantic Highlands Councilman Will Not Run For Assembly

Councilman Peter Doyle has his eye on DiMaso’s Freeholder seat

Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle

The entrance of Monmouth County Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger into the race for the GOP nominations for the Assembly seats currently held by Assemblywoman Amy Handlin and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon has prompted one rumored candidate to declare that he is not running for Assembly and to express his interest in DiMaso’s seat on the Freeholder Board should she elected to the legislature on November 7.

Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle released this following statement this afternoon:

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LD 13 Assembly Race Draws A Crowd As Scharfenberger Jumps In

Monmouth County Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger could be running mates for Assembly this fall.

Suddenly there is a race for the 13th District Assembly seats currently held by Assembly Members Declan O’Scanlon and Amy Handlin.

Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger announced his candidacy for Assembly, with a video posted on facebook, just hours after Monmouth County Freeholder Serena DiMaso announced her candidacy via press release this morning.

DiMaso’s and Scharfenberger’s announcements follow Fair Haven Councilman Bob Marchese’s announcement last week and Handlin’s statement last month that she wants to run for reelection to the Assembly should she fail to win the LD 13 State Senate nomination at the yet to be scheduled GOP nominating convention. Handlin said she would abide by the will of the County Committee vote at a convention.

O’Scanlon has maintained that he’s running for Senate and nothing else.

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Serena DiMaso Announces Her Candidacy For Assembly In LD 13

Freeholder Serena DiMaso

Freeholder Serena DiMaso, a resident of Holmdel, announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for State Assembly in the 13th Legislative District this morning in a press release.

LD 13 is located in northern Momouth County. The district is comprised of Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright and Union Beach.

“The retirement of our great State Senator, Joe Kyrillos, has left some big shoes to be filled and those shoes will likely be filled by one of our current Assembly members”, said DiMaso. “After speaking with my campaign team, and having Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholder Tom Arnone offer their encouragement and support I have decided to announce my candidacy for the New Jersey State Assembly from the 13^th District.”

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Fair Haven Councilman is first to announce for Assembly in LD 13

photo via twitter

Fair Haven Councilman Bob Marchese announced today that he is seeking the Republican nomination for State Assembly in the 13th Legislative District.  In a press release, Marchese said he is seeking the seat currently held by Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon.  O’Scanlon is running for the State Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Senator Joe Kyrillos.

Marchese is the first candidate to announce for Assembly in the district which encompasses northern Monmouth County including the Two Rivers area (sans Red Bank which is in the 11th), Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach along the Atlantic Coast, the Bayshore, Middletown, Holmdel, Aberdeen and Marlboro.

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Handlin will run for Assembly if she fails in Senate bid, wants O’Scanlon to do the same

O’Scanlon: “While I appreciate Amy’s confidence and endorsement for Assembly, I am running for Senate”

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin said she would seek another term in the New Jersey General Assembly if the 13th district County Committee members choose another candidate to replace Senator Joe Kyrillos in the upper house of the legislature.  So far, the only other candidate for the Senate seat is Handlin’s district mate, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon.

“Yes and yes,” Handlin said when asked if she would seek the GOP nomination for Assembly if she failed in her Senate bid and if she wanted O’Scanlon on the ticket as a candidate for Assembly.

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Are All 3 Seats in LD 13 at play? Handlin and O’Scanlon appear to be headed to a primary

All three seats in the 13th legislative district appear to be up for grabs next year.

If published reports are to believed, Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon are heading for a primary in June for the GOP nomination to succeed Senator Joe Kyrillos in the New Jersey Senate.

If both Handlin and O’Scanlon compete on the June ballot, rather than letting the County Committee members choose a nominee at a convention, both Assembly seats will be vacant.

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O’Scanlon addresses his critics regarding his declining to vote on the Assembly gas tax bill

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the Republican Budget Officer in the Assembly and a representative of northern Monmouth County in the lower house of the legislature has taken some criticism here in the MMM comments and on facebook for not voting on the Transportation Trust Fund bill that was sprung on the Assembly by Speaker Vincent Prieto and Governor Chris Christie in the middle of the night on June 30.  The bill, which would have increased the gas tax by $.23 per gallon and lowered the state sales tax from 7% to 6% passed in the Assembly and was never voted on by the Senate.

Now almost six weeks later with the TTF still not renewed and road projects stalled throughout the state, O’Scanlon said that he believes “even more strongly that my decision was exactly the right one.”

O’Scanlon issued the following statement to MMM to explain his decision not to vote on the Assembly TTF bill:

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O’Scanlon: “Without reforms, New Jersey faces a bleak fiscal future”

New Jersey voters will not get to vote on a constitutional amendment requiring specific payments to the underfunded public employee pension system in November.  Despite, or perhaps because of, the NJEA’s threat to withhold campaign contributions to Democrats unless the state Senate voted to put the measure on the ballot, Senate President Steve Sweeney did not post the resolution for a vote and the deadline to make the ballot passed yesterday.

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, the Republican Budget Officer in the lower house and a representative of the 13th legislative district (northern Monmouth County) issued the following statement regarding New Jersey’s ongoing fiscal crisis:

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O’Scanlon Calls Shenanigans On Dems’ “War on Women”

“Women’s Healthcare Options Open, Available and Accessible”

Photo Credit: Dave Lewis, LewisArtandPhoto.com

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) called out his colleague, Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D- Newark) for continuing to perpetrate the myth that New Jersey short changes funding for women’s healthcare.

“I count at least seven line items where we put money to women’s healthcare, including $135 million for family health services to provide prenatal and perinatal care for expectant mothers and their children,” said O’Scanlon. “The results of the Republican investment in women’s healthcare speak for themselves. New Jersey is in the top five States with the lowest STD rates in the country. Other states look to New Jersey as a model for STD prevention.” O’Scanlon also pointed out that the Democrats have failed to provide any additional funding for Family Planning Services in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget they passed last June.”

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