Primary Turnout

The weather is predicted to be beautiful on Tuesday, temperatures in the high 70’s and no change of rain.  If there is a low voter turnout in the primary, it won’t be because of the weather.

There will be no suspense in the GOP Freeholder races.  The incumbents, Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Serena DiMaso ran a hard campaign.  Their opponents did not.  Tom and Serena will win easily in the county wide race.

Likewise, Sheriff Shaun Golden will once again easily defeat Dan Peters, and by a larger margin that he did in 2010.  Peters benefitted by the Tea Party wave in 2010 and by being bracketed with Anna Little in the 6th Congressional District and David Corsi in the 12th Congressional District.  Outside of the 13th legislative district, most of the county, Peters is bracketed with only his Freeholder running mates this time around. He’ll get no help from them.

Peters has run harder, and spent more money than his freeholder running mates, but he has made no justification for electing him to the job.  Shaun Golden is clearly qualified and is doing the job well.  Peters has not demonstrated that he is qualified. Hopefully Peters won’t need a job in 2016 and we won’t have to put up with a nonsense challenge to Golden again.

This entire primary race has always been about Joe Kyrillos and the 13th district.  Joe and his running mates, Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon worked hard and spent the money necessary to win. The very likely will win comfortably.   If the turnout in the 13th is 10,000 or more votes (out of about 35,000 registered Republicans) Joe, Amy and Declan will win by a landslide.  If the turnout is between 7,000 and 10,000, their margin of victory will be comfortable.

If the turnout is 7,000 or less, there will be some nervous people at the Lincroft Inn tomorrow night.  If it is 5,000 or less, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Vote.

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Seemingly conflicting laws create uncertainty over when Lautenberg’s replacement will have to face the voters

If Governor Chris Christie appoints someone to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy caused by Senator Frank Lautenberg’s death, there will either be a special election this year for the remainder of the term, or next November, depending on who’s interpretation of seemingly conflicting paragraphs in Title 19.

Christie has the power to appoint a replacement, but is not required to do so. He very likely will.

The Office of Legislative Services has issued an opinion stating that the Governor can appoint a replacement who will serve until November of 2014.  The winner of the November 2014 election would serve the remaining two months of the term and a full term to start in January of 2015.

Christie could also call a special general election to fill the remainder of the term, which would be proceeded by a special primary election.

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Christie Praises Lautenberg For A Life Well Lived

Governor Christie On Senator Lautenberg: I Give Him Praise On A Life Well Lived from Gov Chris Christie on Vimeo.

Transcript:

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Senator Frank Lautenberg, RIP

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg died of viral pneumonia this morning.  He was 89 years old.

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SUPER MEGA ROADSIDE RALLY

The Bayshore Tea Party Group’s SUPER MEGA ROADSIDE RALLY inspired our friend Charles Measley to hold one of his own.

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Getting out the vote!

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Assemblyman Dave Rible in Wall Township on Saturday afternoon.

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Getting out the vote?

The Bayshore Tea Party Group had what they promoted as a SUPER MEGA ROADSIDE RALLY FOR TEA PARTY CANDIDATES this morning in Middletown.

Less than 10 people showed up.

Here, the group’s co-founder Barbara Gonzalez appears to be alone waving the Gadsden flag.

While Barbara was waving the flag on Route 35, her husband Frank was busy in the median installing their unreadable Column 3 signs in front of their competitor’s signs.

It is a good thing that the signs are unreadable.  One of BTPG’s  candidate’s name is misspelled.

Click on the photos for a larger view.

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NJ Right To Life Defends Kyrillos And Handlin Against Bellew’s ‘Misinformation’

Pro-Life Advocate Endorses O’Scanlon In LD13 Primary

Marie Tasy, Executive Director of New Jersey Right to Life issued a statement last night refuting the “misinformation” being circulated by State Senate Candidate Leigh-Ann Bellew and her Bayshore Tea Party Group backed running mates in the 13th legislative district Republican primary.

Tasy was quoted in a mailer sent by the Bellew/Bayshore Tea Party slate as saying that Senator Joe Kyrillos voted in favor of partial birth abortion.

In her statement to MoreMonmouthMusings, Tasy went into painstaking detail to list Kyrillos’s votes against partial birth abortion. She said that bill cited in Bellew’s mailer that Kyrillos voted for, S1909, was a “bill filled with very technical, scientific jargon that was rammed through the Senate at breakneck speed.” The bill legalized embryonic stem cell research and cloning, NOT partial birth abortion.  Tasy said that many Senators voted for the bill without fully understanding it.  Subsequently, Kyrillos voted against the funding of embryonic stem cell/cloning research with increased taxes and bonding.

Tasy noted that Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon were not legislators when the partial birth abortion and embryonic stem cell/cloning research bills were voted on.

Tasy’s statement is particularly extraordinary because Kyrillos is pro-choice on abortion.  Tasy said she is not defending Kyrillos, but setting the record straight on the misinformation campaign.

 I am not writing to defend Senator Kyrillos’ record and well known position on abortion, but to set the record straight on the misinformation campaign that is being circulated regarding his voting record and the positions of Assemblyman O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Handlin.  It should be noted that Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin were NOT  in the legislature at the time these bills were voted on and  therefore did  not vote on any of these bills.

“It says a lot about our opponents who call themselves conservatives that someone as highly respected in the Pro-Life community as Marie Tasy would take the time to refute the misinformation in their literature,” said O’Scanlon, “This is further confirmation of what I’ve been saying throughout the campaign, Bellew, her running mates, and the Bayshore Tea Party Group’s leadership have no integrity.”

Neither Bellew nor Bayshore Tea Party Group co-founder Barbara Gonzalez responded to an invitation to comment.

Tasy’s statement can be read in its entirety below:

I am writing to set the record straight regarding some misinformation that is being circulated in mailers to voters in the the 13th legislative district. Read the rest of this entry »

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Crunch Time

As the LD 13 primary campaign enters its final days, the two competing slates seem to be employing very different strategies for getting their supporters to the polls on Tuesday.

The Bayshore Tea Party backed slate of candidates challenging the incumbent slate of GOP legislative veterans has taken to installing unreadable homemade ‘Column 3’ signs in front of the Kryillos, Handlin and O’Scanlon signs throughout Middletown.

The incumbents are knocking on doors and reminding supporters to vote.

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin canvassing for votes in Middletown

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Joe Kyrillos: Like No Other

By Charles Measley

Charles Measley and Joe Kyrillos

I first met Sen. Joe Kyrillos in 2010 when I was a sophomore in college. Over the next few years I gained insight into Joe’s character and I learned just how great of a person he really is. Sen. Joe Kyrillos, like no other State Senator here in New Jersey, goes out of his way to make himself available to the people of his district. There had been countless times where I would send him an email late in the evening and within a few minutes I would receive a personal reply back from him.

Politically I am a very conservative person and while I do not agree with all of Sen. Joe Kyrillos’ views, there is much that I respect and admire about him. He always has his door open to hear all the opinions and all the facts on issues of the day, and from there he makes the best decision –not just for the people of this district –but for the people of the state of New Jersey.

The reason I decided to write this is because this morning on Facebook I saw something that really highlights Sen. Joe Kyrillos character. Eleven years ago today, my friend’s son had open heart surgery. One way or another Sen. Joe Kyrillos found out about this little boy’s surgery. Sen. Joe then wrote this little boy a hand written letter telling him to stay strong and that everything would be okay. Shortly after the surgery Sen. Joe Kyrillos personally called this little boy to make sure that everything was going well.

It is these qualities and characteristics that make Sen. Joe Kyrillos truly like no other State Senator here in New Jersey. Because he is a man of character and commitment I am voting for Sen. Joe Kyrillos in the Republican primary being heldTuesday, June 4th!

Editors note: A copy of Kyrillos’ letter to Kyle can be read below the fold:

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