Did Senator Kean Miss An Opportunity?

 By Tommy DeSeno

Have you ever seen a news wave?  It’s a real phenomenon in journalism.  One outlet says something, then outlet after outlet says the same thing, never verifying if the first outlet was right.  And you can’t stop a wave, even if it’s wrong.
 
As soon as the new 30th district was announced, immediately the word got out that Senator Singer would have the advantage over Senator Kean.  I guess Senator Kean concurred, having agreed to move down to the Assembly.
 
I like Singer.  But his comments in the Press yesterday that Sean Kean would be primaried even if Singer retired has me angry.  It’s as if Bob is throwing down the gauntlet and declaring that the rest of us will be governed by Lakewood for the next 10 years.
 
Well, as a Howell boy, I’m pretty upset that I had to be governed by Lakewood the last 10 years.  So I’m calling bullshit on Singer, which I can do even though we are friends, because I’m a journalist first.
 
Howell and Wall combined are larger than Lakewood, so if Howell and Wall got behind Kean, that could be a fair fight against Lakewood.
 
As for the rest of the district, those little Monmouth shore towns are larger than the 2 Pt. Pleasants, and Sean has name recognition there while Singer does not.
 
I know what the road block would have been – Howell Republicans.  They rarely get along.  But John Costigan is a strong Municipal Chair.  He could have pulled the Howell Republicans together (which would be a nice thing all by itself) to back Kean.  The rallying cry would have been provincial but effective –  Monmouth needs to keep a Senator.
 
I really wish Sean decided to stay Senator.  I’m not reading next week’s triCityNews, because I don’t want to know what Dan Jacobson will call Sean now.

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Done Deal: Singer, Kean and Rible comprise the 30th District Ticket

By Art Gallagher

Senators Robert Singer and Sean Kean have come to an agreement that has Singer running for Senate in the new 30th legislative district and Kean running for Assembly.  Assemblyman Dave Rible will complete the Monmouth-Ocean GOP ticket in the district.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Senator for coastal Monmouth County’s 11th District for the last four years,” said Senator Kean.  “I care deeply about this state and refuse to let a political hit job by the Democratic redistricting commissioners derail my desire to serve.  I have been in the trenches of Governor Christie’s efforts to bring fiscal discipline and property tax relief to the most highly taxed people in America since the beginning.  That is a fight on which I have no intention of giving up.  After a great deal of thought and consultation with family, friends, and supporters, I have decided to seek election to the Assembly in the new 30th District.  Bob Singer and I have a great working relationship representing adjacent districts in the Senate and a tremendous amount of mutual respect.  I look forward to working with him for the good of our newly shared constituents in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.”

Singer said he looks forward running with Kean in the upcoming campaign.  “Sean is a talented legislator who works hard for the people he represents,” said Singer.  “We need him in the Legislature to stand with the taxpayers after the damage done to New Jersey by ten years of unchecked Democratic control of Trenton.  I want to thank him for putting the needs of the people we serve and party unity ahead of personal ambition, and look forward to serving with him and Assemblyman Rible in our new district.”

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30th District Primary Looking Less Likely

By Art Gallagher

“The Democrats created this district so that Republicans would spend resources fighting each other while they sit back and get ready for the general election and it looks as like that is going to happen.”  So said Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore about the new 30th legislative district in an interview with MMM early yesterday afternoon.

Within hours what had seemed to be a certain primary between Senators Sean Kean and Robert Singer was apparently avoided.  “Sean is talking to Singer,” said Monmouth GOP Chairman Joe Oxley, “There will be no war between the Ocean and Monmouth Republican organizations. Ocean and Monmouth were key counties in delivering a victory to Governor Christie and we will be working together to deliver Republican gains in the legislature.”

Kean later told the Asbury Park Press that he was uncertain about challenging Singer in the primary.  Singer told the APP that should he retire, that Kean would face an Senate candidate from Lakewood.

With both Senators backing off their firm positions to run, it appears that cooler heads will prevail as a slate is chosen with an eye towards victory in November.

The new 12th district will not be such a heavy lift.  “With three counties, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean, each having roughly 1/3 of the population of the district it would seem that each county should have a representative in the legislature,” said Gilmore.  Oxley concurred.

Middlesex County Chairman Sam Thompson, Old Bridge, is an incumbent Assemblyman from the new 12th district.  He has been angling to get the senate nod, touting the fact that he would be the only GOP Senator from Middlesex County and that his senatorial courtesy would give the Christie administration a new bargaining chip in dealing with the Democrats.   GOP sources in the legislature and the administration are divided over the benefit of Thompson having sentatorial courtesy so long as there is a Republican governor.  “The Senate seems to be slipping away from Sam,” said one senior Republican close to the process.

Oxley does not consider Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas’ primary bid in the new 12th to be a serious undertaking.  “I don’t know who is giving Andrew his political advice,” said Oxley, “this is not fun and games, it is serious business.”  Oxley was referring to Lucas’ comment on MMM that a legislative primary against Freeholder Director Rob Clifton would be fun.

If Clifton is awarded “the line” in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean, a Lucas primary victory would appear to be unlikely even if he runs a competitive race in his Western Monmouth base.

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Singer Is Running

By Art Gallagher

While not exactly news, Senator Robert Singer of Lakewood told Gannett’s Michael Symons that he is definitely running for the Senate seat in the new 30th legislative district that includes Wall Township, the home of Senator Sean Kean.

Singer had nice things to say about Kean who he called a friend and a great legislator. Singer said he hadn’t spoken to Kean.  Symons said Kean didn’t return a message seeking comment.  What a relief!  I was beginning to take Kean’s lack of availability personally.

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Dem Map Would Pit Kean Against Singer

By Art Gallagher

Senator Sean Kean could have a bigger problem than Dan Jacobson in his quest for renomination to the State Senate.

According to a report on Politickernj the proposed legislative map favored by the Democrats on the redistricting commission puts Kean of Wall Township in the same district as Senator Robert Singer of Lakewood.

Without knowing the composition of the entire proposed district assessing each senator’s prospects in a head to head primary would be purely speculative.  However Singer would start with a decided advantage based upon the size of the two senators’ home towns.  Lakewood has 12,636 registered Republicans. 3813 Lakewood Republicans voted in the 2009 primary and 873 voted in the 2007 primary.  Wall has 6,171 Republicans. 2507 voted in the 2009 primary, 457 in 2007.

Neither Kean nor Singer are favorites of Governor Christie.  Kean was uninvited from Christie’s Monmouth County press conference after the December blizzard.  Until recently, Singer was a “double dipper,” serving both in the Senate and on the Lakewood Township Committee.  

As the horse trading escalates in New Brunswick through Sunday, trading Kean or Singer for a more competive district elsewhere in the state, perhaps moving Atlantic City into an Ocean County dominated district, thereby putting Senator Jim Whelan’s Democratic seat at risk could be considered a good trade by the Christie loyalists on the commission.

Politickernj and The Star Ledger have both reported that the final map will be adopted on Sunday at noon.

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