Kelly: Adam Schneider is clearly the best choice for Long Branch

By Greg Kelly

“John Pallone is pathetic and so are all his running mates. They don’t care about anything. They haven’t been in this community working. We’re the ones making this a better city to live in. But I’m done being angry. It’s all about energy — which I’ll use right up to Election Day when we win.”

Long Branch Mayor John Schneider

That was Mayor Adam Schneider speaking to supporters at his lower Broadway campaign headquarters after a recent evening of cold weather but satisfying voter feedback during his door-to-door visits.

“We’re hearing a lot of good things,” explained the man seeking an eighth four-year term as the chief executive of Long Branch. “They think the city is headed in the right direction.”

Clearly, it’s election season in the City of Long Branch. City voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, May 8 to elect a mayor and six council members.

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Democrats Mum On Schlossbach’s Replacement

Monmouth County Democrats have shrouded the selection of an Assembly candidate to replace Marilyn Schlossbach in the 11th legislative district in more secrecy than a Koch Brothers convention.

They won’t even say where and when the convention to vote on a candidate will be.  Campaign Manager Vlad Gutman said the convention will be “on Wednesday, somewhere in the district.” 

MMM has learned that the convention will be Wednesday, 6:30PM at the Asbury Park VFW.

Democratic County Committee members from the district are being called and urged to attend the convention which requires, under Title 19, a quorum of 50% plus 1 of the committee members in order to select a candidate.  While they are scrambling to get a quorum, the Democrats are also scrambling to find a candidate.  No mention of potential candidates is being made on the calls to the committee members and no one will say who is under consideration or who has thrown their hat into the ring.

Schlossbach’s withdrawal was a big blow to the Democrats’ slim hopes of picking up Assembly seats in Monmouth County.  An internal Democratic poll indicated that Schlossbach had the highest name recognition of all Assembly candidates, including incumbents Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande.  While Schlossbach’s name recognition was superior, the poll indicated that the Republican team of Senator Jennifer Beck, Angelini and Casagrande are heavy favorites to win in November.  Beck’s name recognition and favorables in the district are huge.

Despite a voter registration advantage in the district, the Democrats have a very thin bench.  Elected officials like Red Bank Councilman Michael Dupont, Long Branch Councilman John Pallone (brother of the congressman), Neptune Township Deputy Mayor Randy Bishop and Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo all declined to run for the legislature back in April when the slate of Ray Santiago for Senate, Schlossbach and Vin Gopal for Assembly, all seeking their first elected office, was chosen by the party.  Now that the summer fund raising season has past and polling has been done, the district looks less winnable for Democrats than it did it April, making it less likely that an experienced politico with a base will step up to replace Schlossbach.

Also complicating the Democrats task of finding an Assembly candidate, Santiago and Gopal have made support of gay marriage a central theme of their campaign.  If marriage equality is a litmus test, finding a new candidate will be even more difficult.

Fund raising will be difficult whoever the Democrats nominate, with the possible exception of John Pallone who could tab his brother’s special interest supporters.  Beck is dominating the fund raising race in the district by both raising money for her team and discouraging donors from contributing to her opponents.  Beck called Cory Booker this week to express her displeasure over the fact that the Newark Mayor is headlining a fundraiser for Gopal later this month in Colts Neck.

The Democrats will probably come up with a nominee, if they get a quorum at the convention.  Whoever it is will be taking one for the team and will probably get a new job or appointment some time in the next year.

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Coming Attractions

By Art Gallagher

With the county reorganization behind us, the real political season in Monmouth County, and throughout New Jersey is about to heat up. While most voters and the mainstream media will not start paying attention until September, what happens at political clubs, committee meetings and county conventions between now and April will determine who the candidates are in the November elections.  

The state legislature will be on the top of the ballot. Due to the pending redistricting, it is too early to speculate who the challengers might be or if Monmouth will continue to be divided into 5 districts.  Once the new districts are announced, hopefully before the primary filing deadline of April 12, there will be a mad dash.  Until then only anxiety and speculation.

Rosemarie Peters will seek a second term as Monmouth County Surrogate.  No primary challengers in the rumor mill,  no Democratic challengers in the rumor mill yet either.

The race to watch is for the nomination GOP nomination for Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry’s running mate.  

Burry told MMM that she will seek a third term.  She and Democratic Freeholder Amy Mallet’s seats are up this year.  Mallet told Politickernj that she is running.

Early speculation for Mallet’s running mate includes Long Branch Councilman John Pallone, the congressman’s brother, and Marlboro Councilman Jeff Cantor who ran for Freeholder as a Republican in 2007, losing to John D’Amico.

Among Republicans, Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas has made his intentions known to several party leaders that he intends to seek the nomination.  Lucas emerged as the nominee from a deeply divided GOP convention in 2006 before losing to Barbara McMorrow in the general election.  McMorrow is now a GOP township committee member in Freehold Township.

Lucas will be challenged for the nomination by Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich, Sr.  Rich unsuccessfully sought GOP Freeholder nominations in 2005, 2009 and 2010.

Wall Township Committee member George Newbury is signaling that he will challenge Lucas and Rich for the nomination.

Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso, who sought to be nominated in 2005 and 2008 is considering a run but has yet to make a decision.  Former Middletown Township Committee member Tom Wilkens is also on the fence, after narrowly losing the nomination to Tom Arnone last year.

Let the games begin.

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