Today is Election Day in Long Branch and Keansburg

Long Branch and Keansburg are holding municipal non-partisan elections today, Tuesday May 8th.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.  Voters unsure of their polling place can check at MonmouthCountyVotes.com

In Keansburg, the election is uncontested.  James Cocuzza Sr will be elected to his fourth four year term on the borough council.  Judy Ferraro will be elected to her first term on the governing body.

Long Branch is contested.  Voters in The Friendly City will elect a mayor and an entire five member City Council.

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Questions For Long Branch Mayoral Candidate John Pallone

Congressman Frank Pallone speaks at his brother’s get out the vote rally, May 3, 2018. Social media photo

John Pallone is the only Long Branch mayoral candidate who has not responded to MMM’s request for an interview.

Mayor Adam Schneider’s interview has been viewed over 5,600 times since we posted it on Monday.  Avery Grant’s interview has been viewed almost 2000 times since we posted yesterday.  Voters are obviously engaged.  In 2014, less than 3,000 votes were cast in the Long Branch mayoral election. This time it will probably be more than double that.

Other outlets have reported that Pallone is dodging questions from the media or that he wants the questions in advance.  In the hopes that Pallone will call back for that interview, we’re posting questions we have for him:

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Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider makes his case for another term

Long Branch voters will elect and mayor and council next Tuesday, May 8th.  Adam Schneider, the mayor since 1990, is seeking a 8th term leading the City. Read the rest of this entry »

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Video: Pallone Declares His Love and Support for Bob Menendez

Congressman Frank Pallone responded to the Senate Ethics Committee’s severe admonishment of Senator Bob Menendez for abusing the powers of his office in exchange for extremely lavish gifts from Dr. Salomon Melgin by declaring his love and support of Menendez to reporters in Washington.

See the video originally posted by NorthJersey.com:

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What if Menendez resigns?

It’s not considered likely that Senator Bob Menendez will resign as a result of the bi-partisan admonishment he received from the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics.  NJ and Washington Democrats have become a much more forgiving people since Senator Bob Torricelli was forced out of office after his admonishment 16 years ago.

As Bret Stephens wrote in a Trump bashing piece in the NY Times yesterday, America’s standards have declined over the years.   Menendez’s admonishment for trading the power of his office for luxury travel and massive campaign contributions will likely blow over as the Democrats and their media partners continue their mission to destroy the Trump presidency.

But what if the Russian collusion with the Senate Ethics Committee works and Menendez decides to take a job running Dr. Salomon Melgen’s port security business in the Dominican Republic while looking over his luxury villa?

If Menendez resigns, Governor Phil Murphy gets to appoint someone to fill the vacancy until January. That person would run in Menendez’s place for a six year term in the November election. Who would Murphy choose? Read the rest of this entry »

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Senator Menendez Severely Admonished By Ethics Committee

The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics issued a four page letter today, signed by all six committee members, three Democrats and three Republicans, that “several admonished” New Jersey’s senior senator for his violations of Senate ethics rules, federal law and his conduct which reflected discredit on the Senate.

The committee found that Menendez accepted valuable gifts from Dr. Salomon Melgen including travel on private jets and commercial airlines, luxury hotel stays and vacations at Melgen’s luxurious villa in the Dominican Republic without Committee approval and without disclosing the gifts as required by law.

They found that Menendez used his office to advance Melgan’s personal and business interests. Read the rest of this entry »

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“Weight” before you take the latest Monmouth University poll too seriously

Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray released a poll yesterday that, he says, indicates New Jersey’s Congressional Republicans are “facing hurricane force winds” and that all five New Jersey Republicans in the House of Representatives have a good chance of losing this year.

“This is pretty astounding. Not only are New Jersey Democrats doing better on the generic House ballot statewide, but the shift is coming almost entirely from districts currently held by the GOP. If these results hold, we could be down to just one or two — or maybe even zero — Republican members in the state congressional delegation after November.”

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Pezzullo Blasts Pallone For Taking Money From Facebook

Rich Pezzullo

Rich Pezzullo, the Republican candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District, blasted Congressman Frank Pallone today for accepting $7000 in campaign contributions from facebook.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Pallone has received $7000 from facebook since 2010, including  $2,500 for this year’s election.

“Frank Pallone has taken $7,000 from Facebook since 2010,” Pezzullo marveled. “Seven thousand dollars,” he repeated, to a group of voters in Middlesex County. “And he has the gall to sit up there and claim he’s an unbiased observer, to claim he’s representing his district?” Read the rest of this entry »

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Why Congressman Chris Smith is running for reelection

Congressman Chris Smith has had a very consequential career in the House of Representatives. His accomplishments, a few of which he discusses in this video, are very impressive. When I asked him why he is seeking a 20th term, Smith launched into a passionate litany of the difference his work has made for his constituents in New Jersey, the world, and his passion for the work yet to be done. Read the rest of this entry »

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Congressman Smith is unopposed in the GOP Primary

Congressman Chris Smith

Congressman Chris Smith is the only Republican from the 4th Congressional District who submitted nominating petitions to the New Jersey Division of Elections before the deadline yesterday and will be unopposed for the GOP nomination in the June 5th primary. Read the rest of this entry »

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