From the top of the ticket to the bottom, the Monmouth GOP under the leadership of Chairman Joe Oxley, earned a resounding and undeniable endorsement from the voters of Monmouth County last Tuesday.
On the top of the ticket, the three Republican candidates for Congress crushed their competition. The combined Monmouth County results of Congressman Chris Smith (CD-4), Mayor Anna Little (CD-6) and Scott Sipprelle (CD-12) were 109,151 to 68,020 over their Democratic opponents, a margin on 62% to 38%. Unfortunately, due to gerrymandering, Monmouth County is represented by only one Republican in Congress and two Democrats.
On the bottom of the ballot, in the 24 municipalities where there were contests, Republicans won in 15 towns, Democrats in 8 and one town split. In the 19 towns where there were no contests 14 are controlled by Republicans, 2 by Democrats, 2 are non-partisan. One town, Oceanport, had one Republican and one Democrat running uncontested.
The heart of the ticket, county candidates Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Rob Clifton and Freeholder-elect Tom Arnone worked as if they were behind from the beginning of the campaign until the end. They ran on their records and made their case. The voters chose them each with pluralities of over 35,000 votes.
Even with these results, there are some who continue to whine or snipe about Chairman Oxley. Those people should look beyond their personal agendas to the big picture. Congratulations to Chairman Oxley, to the team he has built and the teams he has empowered.
The losses in CD 6 & 12 were disappointing for many who worked hard on those campaigns. This was the year to take down Frank Pallone and Rush Holt. Coming closer than anyone has ever come before does not lessen the sting.
The optimism in 6 and 12 was predicated in the assumption that Independents would break for Republicans and that Democrats would not be motivated to turnout. Governor Christie’s victories in the districts last year were the original basis of the optimism. Overall dissatisfaction with the Obama administration and national polls showing a large enthusiasm gap favoring Republicans spurred the optimism that Democratic turnout would be suppressed.
Polls showing the congressional races close woke the Pallone and Holt camps up. Particularly Adam Geller’s poll for the Little camp that showed Little within 1 point of defeating Pallone. “You never should have released that poll,” one Democratic insider said in a friendly post-mortem, “half of our team scoffed at the poll, the other half said ‘so what if its not true, something is happening nationally, we can’t take any chances.” It was then that both Pallone and Holt stepped up their negative ads and prepared their GOTV efforts.
The ads worked. Both Little’s and Sipprelle’s unfavorable ratings increased in the Monmouth University polls released the week before the election. The Democratic GOTV efforts, particularly in the cities of Plainfield and Trenton were the electoral equivalent of shock and awe.
Monmouth County has yet to release town by town numbers, making an accounting for Little’s under performance in the Monmouth portion of the district difficult. Long Branch and Asbury Park did not have local races. Thus none of the results in those cities are posted on the county website . In Neptune Township there was 3150 under votes in the Township Committee race for the Democratic strong hold. That means there were 3150 voters who cast a ballot but did not vote in the local race. It is a safe bet that Long Branch, Asbury Park and Neptune Township account for Little winning Monmouth by only 4%, while Smith won his portion of the county by over 50 % and Sipprelle by 24%.
An international crime syndicate raided Middletown’s bank accounts of $379,000. The Asbury Park Press did not judge that to be newsworthy, even after arrests were made and law enforcement officials were willing to talk about it.
A Freeholder who made ethics and transparency the theme of his tenure in office and the theme of his reelection campaign was exposed asking another Freeholder to make a political appointment in exchange for campaign contributions. The Asbury Park Press did not find that to be newsworthy.
New Jersey’s two U.S. Senators and two Congressman, one of whom represents the APP’s coverage area, pressured the FDA to approve an unsafe medical device in exchange for campaign contributions. The FDA reversed itself and issued a mea culpa two years later. The scandal make national news. The Neptune Nudniks reluctantly covered the story in obscure locations on their website and in their print editions days after the issue was national news.
Basically what the Middletown Dems are saying is that had they known about Gerry Scharfenberger’s new job as the Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy that they would have made it a campaign issue. Gerry would have had to respond by making the case that his job is a positive for Middletown.
As it was, the Middletown campaign was about the township’s recent tax increase. An issue much more relevant to the majority of Middletown residents. The Democrats charged that the Republicans recklessly raised taxes and manage the township poorly. The Republicans explained the tax increase and defended their record. The voters chose the Republicans. A relevant campaign. The voters chose. Case closed. Now the Democrats protest because they would have made the campaign about something irrelevant to the voters if they had the information.
Why was Gerry’s job irrelevant to the campaign? Quick, off the top of your head with no research, name Gerry Scharfenberger’s predecessor at the Office of Smart Growth. That’s why.
What the Democrats’ protest and the APP reporter’s complaint included in the article demonstrates, in addition to their pettiness, is their ineptitude. The Democrats and the reporter should have known about Gerry’s new job without him telling them about it. In this information age, there is no justification for politicians not knowing all information on the public record about their opponents and there is no justification for reporters not knowing all public information about the subjects they cover. There is no justification but there are two explanations: ineptitude and laziness.
Former Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Union) was sentenced to five years in prison or a mental hosptial for viewing pornographic images of children on his legislative office computer.
Cohen must also register as a sex offender under Meagan’s Law.
Urban Democratic strongholds in Trenton and Plainfield figured prominently in the outcomes of the Congressional races in NJ 12 and 6.
In the 12th district, Trenton voters provided Rush Holt with 8,044 votes to Scott Sipprelle’s 437. Holt won the entire district by 13,836 votes.
In NJ-6, 43% of Frank Pallone’s margin of victory came from Plainfield were he won 7950 votes to Anna Little’s 667. Democratic sources told MMM that Pallone spent $30,000 to get out the vote in Plainfield.
Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger has been appointed Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy, formerly the Office of Smart Growth.
The Office of Smart Growth was formerly under the auspices of the Department of Community Affairs. It has been renamed and transfered to Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno’s portfolio in the Department of State as an element of the Business Action Center. The Business Action Center (BAC) is the Chrstie Administration’s effort to facilitate economic growth by attracting, retaining and growing businesses in New Jersey.
Scharfenberger, who is a volunteer in his capacity as a member of the Middletown Township Committee, manages a staff of 11 and earns $95,000 in his new position.
Results in the Neptune Nudnik – er, the APP – this morning bear this out. In ALL municipal races reported in its circulation area, where a Republican ran, they won, except in Red Bank, Neptune and Belmar. This included blue towns like Union Beach, Keansburg, etc.
Former Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Union) was sentenced to five years in prison or a mental hosptial for viewing pornographic images of children on his legislative office computer.
Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger has been appointed Director of the Office for Planning Advocacy, formerly the Office of Smart Growth.