Dina’s going Long for Christie

Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, a Democrat, will endorse Governor Chris Christie for reelection tomorrow morning at Woody’s, according to a source who doesn’t want to be known for talking to a Republican blogger.

Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long. photo credit:RedBankGreen.com

The Christie campaign has announced a campaign event at Woody’s Ocean Grille for 11:15 am.

Long did not return a call for comment. Nor did Christie strategist Mike DuHaime.

Long’s support of the Republican governor is a set back for Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal, one of Democratic gubernatorial presumptive nominee Senator Barbara Buono’s strongest supporters.

Should Long find herself in trouble with Gopal, Monmouth Republican Chairman John Bennett would welcome her to the GOP.

“I would welcome any caring mayor or council member, including Mayor Long, into the party,” said Bennett in a phone interview, “So long as they are working for the people and not out of a personal agenda, I will welcome them.”

Gopal did not respond to multiple messages.

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Monmouth Poll: Christie looks like a lock for reelection

A Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll released this morning echoed the recent Quinnipiac and Rutgers-Eagleton Polls.  Over 70% of New Jersey voters approve of Governor Chris Christie’s performance and over 60% favor his reelection.  Christie is trouncing presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Senator Barbara Buono by more than 40 points.

78% of voters haven’t heard enough of Buono to form an opinion about her.  Polling Director Patrick Murray said the race is likely to narrow to a 20% gap in favor of Christie and the Democratic challenger becomes better known.

“There is a long history that shows horse race polling has little predictive value this far out from an election. This is especially true when there is a popular incumbent and a largely unknown challenger. The important number here is that 6-in-10 voters support Gov. Christie’s re-election,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “This suggests that the race should close in on a 20 point margin as the campaign progresses and Buono becomes better known. The question remains whether the challenger can peel off Christie supporters to shrink that gap even more.”

Murray says that jobs, property taxes, schools, storm recovery and gun control are very important issues to the New Jersey electorate.   Minimum wage is an important issue with most voters supporting an increase.  However, Christie’s conditional veto of a minimum wage increase has not hurt his support with most voters.

According to Murray’s analysis, Buono has the potential to motivate 7% of the electorate to switch from voting for Christie to voting for her. If she gets all of them, Christie still wins with over 50% of the vote.

Monmouth polling staff attempted to identify voters who could potentially be motivated to switch support from the incumbent because of this issue. This group includes voters who: feel Gov. Christie deserves re-election, are dissatisfied with his veto, say they will vote to support a minimum wage ballot measure, and report that the issue is very important to their vote for governor. Analysis shows that this group comprises about 7% of the total electorate. Hypothetically, if Sen. Buono were able to convince all of these voters to abandon their support for Christie, his re-election support would remain above the 50% mark.

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Carol Mazzola Loves Chris Chrisite

Monmouth County’s newest Demcratic office holder, Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola, is not ready to join Mayor Jon Hormik on the Barbara Buono for Governor bandwagon.

“I don’t know anything about her, ” Mazzola said in a phone interview, echoing the sentiments of 82% of New Jersey voters polled by Quinnipiac.

“I love Chris Christie!’ Mazzola exclaimed when asked what she thought about the Governor.  But she stopped short of endorsing the New Jersey head of her former party. “Ask me in the fall when its time to make a decision.”

Mazzola was elected to the Marlboro Township Committee as a Republican in 2009.  She announced earlier this month that she will run for reelection as a Democrat on Hornik’s team.

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Republican Governors Association Statement of New Jersey Governor’s Race

Republican Governors Association communications director Mike Schrimpf issued the following statement on the New Jersey governor’s race following the Democratic Governors Association embrace of state senator Barbara Buono’s candidacy earlier today:

“After failing to recruit their first, second, third or fourth choice candidates into the campaign for governor, Democrats have finally settled on state senator Barbara Buono.

Given the tremendous leadership Governor Christie has displayed in closing an $11 billion budget deficit without raising taxes, capping property taxes, and enacting pension and education reforms, the Democrats’ inability to recruit one of their preferred candidates into the race is not surprising. That said, we look forward to contrasting Governor Christie’s record of reform with Senator Buono’s record of higher taxes, increased spending and deeper debt.

While we commend Senator Buono for running, we are confident voters will want to continue the progress New Jersey has made since he took office.”

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Vermont Governor Endorses Buono

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, issued the following statement about State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee for New Jersey Governor:

“Barbara Buono understands the challenges facing New Jersey’s middle-class families because she’s lived through them. That’s why she’s spent her entire career fighting to create jobs, improve education, expand access to quality health care, and balance budgets. Unfortunately, Governor Christie has failed to deliver on his promise to turn the state around. He’s blown a hole in the budget while New Jersey ranks near the bottom of the nation in unemployment, foreclosures, property taxes, and business climate. New Jersey needs a governor focused on creating jobs and expanding opportunity for New Jersey’s working families and that’s exactly the kind of governor Barbara Buono will be.”

Vermont has a smaller population than Monmouth County.

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Codey not running for Governor

Buono likely to be unopposed for Dem nomination

Former Acting Governror Richard Codey told The Star Ledger that he will not seek to Democratic nomination for Governor, saying that a statewide campaign would be too much on his family life.

“After talking with my family, friends and other advisors and weighing the impact of a campaign on my family life, I have decided not to seek the nomination,” Codey said. “I want to thank my friends and supporters throughout the state who encouraged me to run and provided counsel during this process.”

Codey said he would seek reelection to the State Senate.

PolitickerNJ reports that Senate President Steve Sweeney’s is still mulling entering the gubernatorial fray and that his decision will be announced by the end of this month.

A Democratic source familiar with Sweeney’s thinking told MoreMonmouthMusings that Sweeney will not be a candidate.

That will leave State Senator Barbara Buono, who declared her candidacy in early December, as the likely nominee to attempt to deny Governor Chris Christie a second term.

In a Quinnipiac poll published on Wednesday,  68% of New Jersey voters said that Christie deserves a second term.  Christie beats Buono 63%-22% and Sweeney by 61%-25%.  Only Codey, who finished Governor Jim McGreevey’s term as governor, would keep Christie under 60%, losing 59%-28%.

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Quinnipiac Poll: 74% approve of Christie. 68% says he deserves reelection

A Quinnipiac poll released this morning shows Governor Chris Christie’s sky high approval ratings are continuing to rise.

79% of New Jersey voters, including 70% of Republicans, approve of the verbal lashing Christie gave to House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican House over the delay in emergency funding for the Hurricane Sandy recovery. Voters approve of the overall job that Christie is doing my a measure of  74%-21%.  94% approve of Christie’s overall response to Hurricane Sandy.

But, if the election was held today, Christie’s down ballot coattails would be weak.  By 48%-39%, New Jersey voters want the Democratic Party to retain control of the State Legislature, despite the Legislature’s weak approval ratings.

Only 40% approve of the job the State Senate is doing.  37% approve of the Assembly’s performance.

30% approve of Senate President Steve Sweeney’s performance, 25% disapprove and 45% don’t know enough to say.  Only 21% approve of Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver’s performance, 18% disapprove and 61% don’t know enough to say.

In the race, or lack thereof, for the Democratic nomination for governor, former Acting Governor Richard Codey would easily win a primary over Senator Barbara Buono, the only declared candidate.  Despite Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal’s strong support, Buono would only receive 10% of primary votes.  Sweeney also gets 10%, but Codey gets 28%.  45% don’t know how they would vote.

Christie easily beats all Democratic challengers, 2-1 or better. Christie gets 35% of the Democratic vote.

In the 2014 race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator, Newark Mayor Cory Booker returns the spanking by beating Senator Frank Lautenberg 51%-30%.  Most voters like the job that Lautenberg is doing, but think he is too old.

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Pro-Buono Gopal says he didn’t snub mayors with gubernatorial endorsements

By Art Gallagher

Monmouth County Democratic Charman Vin Gopal took issue with MoreMonmouthMusings’ assertion yesterday that Mayors Jon Hornik, Pat Menna and Matt Doherty were “noticeably absent” from the the Party’s announcement that they were endorsing State Senator Barbara Buono for the Democratic nomination for Governor.

“To suggest that our Mayors at at odds with the Party is not accurate,” said Gopal, ” I did not poll all 200 Democratic elected officials and chairs in Monmouth County to announce this endorsement.  As our announcement made clear, the endorsement was made by the Party Executive Committee, most of the Municipal Chairs and members of our advisory committees.”

The names of those who joined Gopal in endorsing Buono can be found by clicking the link below.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Gopal Goes Pro Buono

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal went all in for State Senator Barbara Buono as the Democratic candidate for Governor.

Following multiple news stories yesterday that the Monmouth Dems would “unofficially” endorse Buono pending the outcome of the party’s convention, Gopal released his endorsement today including the names of 75 Monmouth County Democratic Municipal Chairs, party leaders, elected officials and former elected officials.

“I am pleased that over 40 municipal leaders will join me in supporting the candidacy of Barbara Buono as the next Governor of New Jersey,” Gopal said. “She has the guts, the independence, the courage and the will to take on Chris Christie toe to toe on every single issue. As the 4th largest county in the state with over 100,000 registered Democrats, we look forward to aggressively supporting Senator Buono for Governor. This past election cycle, we defeated eight Republican incumbents here in Monmouth County and not a single Democrat was defeated anywhere in the county. We look forward to building on that this November with Barbara Buono at the top of the ticket.”

Notably missing from Gopal’s pro-Buono list are Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna, three of Monmouth County’s most prominent Democrats.

“Its January, said Hornik, “the filing deadline is not until April.  While I am fond of Senator Buono, I would like to see who else is running.  I don’t feel personally compelled to endorse anyone so early.

“I understand what the Chairman (Gopal) is doing.  I have great respect for him, but it is too early for me to be endorsing a gubernatorial candidate.”

Menna was surprised by Gopal’s announcement when reached by MoreMonmouthMusings, “I haven’t seen the letter. It’s still early in the race. Some are still surprised that Booker (Newark Mayor Cory Booker) didn’t run and Codey (State Senator and former Acting Governor Richard Codey) is looking like he might run.”

Doherty, who is running for reelection in Belmar this fall has a new bff in Governor Christie.  Christie and Doherty has been public in their admiration for the jobs they are doing in rebuilding post-Superstorm Sandy. “I don’t have any comment about that,” said the normally forthcoming Doherty when asked about Gopal’s efforts on behalf of Buono.

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Codey Wan Kenobi

State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) wants former Acting Governor Dick Codey to stop Starship Christie from conquering the dark side of Trenton this November.

Lesniak said on facebook:

Codey for Governor?  Christie’s style has vaulted his popularity, but Codey has style also.  Christie’s feisty style has overshadowed his support for Romney and his policies that would cut taxes on the wealthy while putting added burdens on everyone else.  Honk if you like Codey for Governor.  Now that Corey Booker has chosen not to run, Codey is our Obi Wan Kenobi.

Codey, a senator representing parts of Morris and Essex Counties served as governor after Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

Codey has yet to declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge Christie.  Recent media reports say that Codey is weighing his options and is 50-50 about running.  State Senator Barbara Buono (Middlesex) is the only announced Democratic candidate so far.

In addition to Codey, Senate President Steve Sweeney(Gloucester) is considering a run.  Our friends at SaveJersey.com report that an unknown organization is conducting a push poll for Sweeney in South Jersey.

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