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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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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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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Bellew’s Campaign Manager Indicted For Identity Theft

townhall.com photo

Dwayne Horner of Little Elm, Texas was indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury yesterday.  Horner was the campaign manager for Leigh-Ann Bellew of Union Beach in the 2013 Republican Primary challenge to State Senator Joe Kyrillos.

A copy of the indictment can be found here.

At 4am on June 4, 2013, Republican voters in the 13th legislative district of New Jersey were awakened by a robo call purporting to be from the campaign of Kyrillos and his running mates, Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon.   The caller, allegedly Horner, said they were reminding voters that they still had four hours to get to the polls, as if the call was being make at 4pm.

A recording of the call can be heard here.  Horner’s voice can be heard on the voice mail greeting of the Bellew campaign here.

The indictment charges that Horner impersonated another person or organization for the purpose of obtaining a benefit for himself or another or for the purpose of injuring or defrauding another.   The fourth degree crime has a potential sentence of 18 months in state prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

MMM could not find a current phone number for Horner.  Bellew could not be reached for comment.

O’Scanlon said,“I’m glad to see that this matter was taken seriously and did not slip through the cracks. Those who would play these types of desperate games during campaigns need to know that there are consequences and they will be mete.  It is hard enough to get eligible candidates interested in running without the threat of these juvenile type pranks. This indictment will hopefully be a message to anyone who would attempt it in the future –  grow up.”

Kyrillos declined to comment.

UPDATED BELOW THE FOLD

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Breaking: Indictment in the 4am robo call incident

UPDATE: DWAYNE HORNER, LEIGH-ANN BELLEW’S CAMPAIGN MANAGER IS NAMED IN THE INDICTMENT

MMM has learned that at least one individual was indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury today in the investigation into the 4am robocall that occurred on the morning of the 2013 Republican Primary in the 13th legislative district on June 4, 2013.  The 13th, represented by Senator Joe Kyrillos and Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon, is compromised of Middletown, Marlboro, the Bayshore and the Two Rivers area of Monmouth County.

The call, a recording of which can be heard here, was purported to be on behalf of the incumbents Kyrillos, Handlin and O’Scanlon. The caller said that he was reminding voters that they had four hours to get to the polls, as if the call was made at 4pm instead of 4am.  The callers voice sounds very much like the recorded voice of the person on the Leigh-Ann Bellew for Senate’s voice mail greeting.  That recording can be heard here.  Bellew was Kyrillos’s opponent in the primary.

MMM was told that fourth degree identity theft was the charged the grand jury delivered.  Fourth degree identity theft is punishable by up to 18 months in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Charles Webster said he had not yet received a copy of the indictment and that he would provide it promptly upon receiving it from the prosecutor.

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Bellew challenges Kyrillos to debates as questions about her educational background arise

LD 13 Challenger told MMM she graduated from law school

Leigh-Ann Bellew, the Tea Party backed candidate running against State Senator Joe Kyrillos in the 13th legislative district GOP primary issued a debate challenge to the incumbent yesterday just as simmering questions about her educational background surfaced in the press.

Bellew said that Trenton has changed Kyrillos over the last 26 years and that 13th district Republicans should learn where the candidates stand on the Constitution, Tax Policy and Gun Rights.

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Low turnout is a major risk for LD 13 incumbents

LD 13:Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Little Silver, Marlboro, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Bright, Union Beach

The idea that State Senator Joe Kyrillos and Assembly Members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon could be defeated by their Tea Party challengers, Leigh-Ann Bellew for Senate and Edna Walsh and Stephen Boracchia for Assembly, in the June 4 primary is unthinkable, even laughable, to many Monmouth County Republicans.

But recent history and a look at the numbers indicate that an upset with statewide consequences could very well be in the making if the challenge is not taken seriously.

With only nominal competition in the governor’s race, voter turnout in the Republican primary on June 4 is likely to be very low.   Therein lies the danger for the incumbents. Even “good Republicans” rarely vote in primaries.  Even fewer if there is no perceived competition.

There are 34,216 registered Republicans in the 13th district. In the 2011 primary, the last time the legislature was on the ballot, only 2,274 Republicans voted.   The challengers know that.

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Leigh-Ann Bellew is preparing to challenge Kyrillos

Former congressional candidate Leigh-Ann Bellew of Union Beach is circulating a petition to run for State Senate in the 13th Legislative District, according to multiple sources familiar with the petition.

Petitions with at least 100 signatures are due to be filed with the Secretary of State/Division of Elections in Trenton on Monday, April 1st.  13th district incumbent Senator Joe Kyrillos’ petition with 200 signatures has been filed.

Bellew, 43, was the Republican nominee for Congress against Frank Pallone in 2006, running on the theme Mom on a Mission. She managed Anna Little’s primary campaign against Diane Gooch in 2010.

Bellew is a pro-life conservative who describes her political philosophy as Constitutionalist.

Bellew told MoreMonmouthMusings that she has collected about 200 signatures but has not made a final decision to run.  She said she hopes to talk with Kryillos, who she said she likes personally.

“I am not happy with Joe’s apparent lack of conviction and leadership on important issues like life and the second amendment,” said Bellew ,”he says he’s pro-life personally and has a good voting record for life, but he blows with the win with his rhetoric. That’s not leadership.

‘Joe’s record on the second amendment is not good.  He favors restricting gun rights.  That is a big problem, especially given our current government in Washington.  We need leaders on all levels to protect our rights.”

Bellew said she would make her final decision about running over the weekend.

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