What if Christie picks…..

Could John Bennett be heading back to Trenton?

…Senator Joe Kyillos?

By virtue of his long term friendship with Governor Christie and his campaign for U.S. Senate last year, State Senator Joe Kyrillos is on every Christie mind reader’s short list of possible U.S. Senators to replace the late Frank Lautenberg.

Assuming Kyrillos defeats Leigh-Ann Bellew in the primary today, his move to the U.S. Senate would create a vacancy for the nomination for State Senate in LD 13.  If either Assemblywoman Amy Handlin or Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon move up to the Senate slot, as would be expected, there will be an Assembly nomination vacancy.

Neither Handlin nor O’Scanlon will say if they want the State Senate seat, which probably means they both want it. Even so, I would expect that they would work that out amongst themselves rather than have a convention fight.

A nominating convention for the resulting Assembly vacancy would bring out a wealth of Republican talent.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie Has Lap-Band Surgery

Governor Chris Christie and Danny Shields in Highlands last week. Shields, an owner of Windansea, is Sen. Jennifer Beck’s husband. facebook photo.

Governor Chris Christie secretly underwent lap-band surgery in February.  He has lost 40 pounds since, according to a report in the New York Post.

Christie told NYP that he underwent the aggressive weight loss procedure because he recently turned 50 and wanted to be around for his kids.  He said it had nothing to do the presidential ambitions.

“I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years,” he said. “For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.”

He also insisted that, contrary to what observers may say, the effort to slim down was not motivated by thoughts of a presidential bid.

“It’s so much more important than that,” he said.

The governor went to great lengths to keep the procedure secret.  He did not go to his surgeon’s office, having the doctor visit him at his Mendam home.  He checked into the surgery center under an assumed name.

The surgery took 40 minutes on the morning of February 16.  Christie was home in the afternoon after having a silicone tube placed around the top of his stomach.

Before having the surgery, Christie spoke privately with Jets coach Rex Ryan.  Ryan had the procedure in 2010 and has lost 100 lbs. since.  Dr. George Fielding of the NYU Medical Center’s Weight Management Program performed the surgery on both men.

• Tweet

No joke: Senator Jennifer Beck filed to run for Assembly

11th District State Senator Jennifer Beck has filed petitions to run for General Assembly from the district, according to the list of primary candidates posted by the Division of Elections on Friday.

Beck’s petitions have 164 signatures.

Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande filed joint petitions with 200 signatures.   Democratic challengers Edward Zipprich of Red Bank and Kevin McMillian of Neptune Township filed joint petitions with 306 signatures.

100 valid signatures are required for a candidate for State Legislature to qualify for the primary ballot.Hüpfburg Mini Dschungel Open

UPDATE

Beck’s spokesman Mike Hughs called to say that the senator filed to run for reelection for Senate from the 11th District.  The error on the part of the Division of Elections is being corrected.

• Tweet

Senator Jennifer Beck Calls for FEMA To Fund Ocean Grove Boardwalk Repairs

• Tweet

Asbury Park Dentist Will Attempt To Drill Beck

Michael Brantley, DDS. Photo: NJTopDocs

Asbury Park Dentist Dr. Michael Brantley will attempt to cap Senator Jennifer Beck’s career in the NJ State Legislature.

Brantley, a member of the Neptune Township Committee, will be nominated for State Senate from the 11th Legislative District at the Monmouth County Democratic Convention in Asbury Park this morning.

• Tweet

BECK EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT OVER FEMA’S REJECTION OF OCEAN GROVE AID REQUEST TO REBUILD BOARDWALK

Agency’s ruling will leave gap in Jersey Shore and hinder  rebuilding

Senator Jennifer Beck today  expressed outrage over FEMA’s rejection of Ocean Grove’s request for aid in the  wake of Sandy.  FEMA determined that the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is a private  non-profit organization and not eligible for public assistance dollars. In a  letter sent to FEMA earlier in January from Beck and other legislators, the  lawmakers made it clear that the boardwalk in Ocean Grove has received funding  from FEMA and the Army Corp. of Engineers in the past.

“FEMA’s Decision today is  not only disappointing, but it is unacceptable,” Beck said. “The Ocean Grove  Boardwalk serves as an essential public thoroughfare and connects Bradley Beach  to Asbury Park. It provides access to emergency  services and augments flood protection measures. We will be appealing this  ruling immediately.”

In the letter sent to  FEMA officials on January 30^th states that the Ocean Grove boardwalk  has been recognized as public property and dedicated as a public roadway since  at least 1908 when a Monmouth County court ruling exempted it from  taxation because of the boardwalk’s previous designation as a “public  highway.”  The boardwalk, which  provides access to communities both north and south of Ocean Grove, has also  been clearly recognized in court rulings as a public facility.  

            “Today’s decision is destructive to the economy of Ocean Grove and will  have long lasting negative impacts on the community,” Beck explained. “To reject  Ocean Grove’s request for assistance will leave them unable to rebuild this  historic boardwalk and create a gap on New Jersey’s shoreline. I am hopeful that in  our appeal those making these decisions will see the long term implications of  this decision and realize that not only is the Ocean Grove Boardwalk a public  property but it is essential to both the safety and commerce of Ocean Grove and  surrounding towns.”

• Tweet

BECK, ANGELINI AND CASAGRANDE TO SEEK RE-ELECTION

NJ’s first all female ticket announces 2013 run

Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande announced their bids for re-election to the New Jersey legislature. The three legislators represent the 11^th Legislative District in Monmouth County.

• Tweet

Democrats Lining Up To Challenge Angelini and Casagrande

By Art Gallagher

Monmouth Democrats are expecting a contested convention race for the nominations for Assembly in the 11th Legislative District. 

Three of the five members of the Neptune Township Committee, Dr. Michael Brantley, J. Randy Bishop, and Kevin B. McMillian have expressed their interest in competing for the nominations for the two seats, according to a Democrat who asked not to be named because he/she was talking to a Republican blogger.   Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich will also seek a nomination, according to PoltickerNJ.

Republicans Mary Pat Angelini of Ocean Township and Caroline Casagrande of Colts Neck currently represent the district in Assembly.

The district is comprised of the Monmouth County municipalities of Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Neptune, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls, West Long Branch .

Monmouth Demcratic Chairman Vin Gopal will probably have to do some arm twisting to come up with a candidate to challenge Senator Jennifer Beck of Red Bank, according to the source.   The Republican Beck is pro-choice and pro-gay marriage.  She is very popular with Democrats in the district.  No one is currently interested in challenging her.

• Tweet

American Conservative Union Rates New Jersey Legislators

American Conservative Union, the folks who put on the CPAC conventions and who have since 1971 been rating the conservatism of members of Congress have rated the conservatism of New Jersey’s state legislators.

ACU tracked the votes on 11 pieces of legislation for Assembly members and 9 votes in the Senate.  Those who voted the way ACU favored 100% of the time were declared “Defenders of Liberty.”  Those who voted with ACU on 80% or more of the bills earned the designation “ACU Conservative.”

Those legsilators who never voted the way ACU favored, most of the Democrats, earned the designation “True Liberals of the Garden State.”

Some of the results in the Monmouth County delegation, Districts 11, 12, 13 and 30, are surprising.  At least they are to me.

If you asked me to predict who among the Monmouth County delegation would have earned a 100% conservative, “Defender of Liberty” designation I would have guessed only 11th District Assemblywoman Caroline Cassagrande.  I would have guessed wrong.  Cassagrande didn’t even make the 80% “ACU Conservative” cut.  She voted the ACU way 8 of 11 times for a 73% rating.   The 3 votes Cassagrande cast that did not meet ACU approval were for 1) for legislation that requires businesses to post notices that employees have the right to be free from gender inequality, 2) for legislation that would ban treating waste water from fracking and 3) a bill that provided tax credits for electric car charging stations.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Monmouth Dems Outraise Monmouth GOP

In their first quarters as party chairmen, Democrat Vin Gopal bested Republican John Bennett in the fundraising battle by over $10,000.

According to their reports filed with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission, the Monmouth County Democrats raised $38,647.50. and spent $28,096.01.  The Democrats started the quarter with only $957 in cash. As of September 30th they had $11,509.

The Monmouth GOP ended the quarter with almost $2,000 less cash than it had when Bennett was elected.  The GOP reported raising $28,296 and spending $30,284.  Former Chairman Joe Oxley left Bennett with $34,790.  Of the $28K  Bennett raised, $6000 was donated by the Election Fund of Assemblyman Dave Rible and $3000 was donated by Senator Jennifer Beck’s campaign account.

Gopal’s large donors were Local Union 400 IBEW ($3500), the Middletown Democrats ($1850), Plumbers and Pipe fitters Local Union #9 ($1000) and the Uliano Law Firm of West Long Branch ($1500).

Gopal raised $20,710 in contributions of $300 or less.  Bennett raised $9,802 in donations of $300 or less.

“The Monmouth County Democrats are organizing at a grassroots level because residents across the county are beginning to realize there is a very clear difference between the two political parties,” said Gopal,   “At our convention last June, we had a turnout of over 90% of our county committee with hundreds of new county committee members entering the political process, many of them first time contributors to our party,”

” With party standard bearers like Barack Obama, Bob Menendez and Frank Pallone, people see that we are building and we are organizing.  The Monmouth County Democratic Party is fighting for middle-class taxpayers, fighting for small business owners and working to protect our environment.  There is a clear difference between the two county parties and our messages and people across the county are beginning to recognize these differences.”

Bennett did not return a call for comment.

• Tweet