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Presented by AARP: Matt Friedman's must-read briefing on the Garden State's important news of the day | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by AARP | Good Thursday morning! State Sen. Jon Bramnick is feeling vindicated. The strident moderate Republican won reelection by a comfortable 10 points while his intra-party opposite, state Sen. Ed Durr, went down to defeat. Bramnick has been mentioned as a potential candidate for governor before, though he’s usually mentioned in passing while most conversation on the Republican side centers around Jack Ciattarelli vs. Bill Spade. So how likely is he actually to do it this time? “Very likely,” Bramnick told me. You might have noticed that Bill Spadea, the anti-vaccine, 2020 election-denying radio host, backed Bramnick for reelection to the Senate. But Bramnick said he had never sought Spadea out and didn’t respond to him. And Spadea’s endorsement didn’t win him any favors from Bramnick. “Most New Jerseyans don’t want hateful rhetoric from a know-it-all radio talking head who has never had to make a decision as an elected official,” Bramnick said of Republican losses Tuesday. “They also do not want to support candidates who are neutral on Donald Trump’s denial of the election outcome or his support for the January 6th riot at our Capitol.” Ouch. Bramnick’s also buoyed by a Republican sweep at the local level in his hometown of Westfield. He plans to give a talk at FDU next month hosted by Peter Woolley and Ruthi Byrne as parts of its series of “conversations with prospective governors” and a fundraiser for his PAC later this month at the League of Municipalities convention. “I’m going to take this message all over the state. How I’m going to do it, I’ll let you know probably in January,” Bramnick said. Spadea, who at least twice emceed Bramnick comedy performances, responded in a statement, saying, "The only thing less funny than Jon Bramnick’s stand-up comedy act is that he’s attempting to lecture Republicans on the path forward for our party." TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We used to dismiss the craziness. … We don't have that luxury anymore. And we beat the hell out of it tonight.” — Assemblymember Roy Frieman (D-Somerset) on the Republican embrace of the school culture wars. . HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Nicole Brown, Balvir Singh, Beth Dohm, Lee Clark, Jan Bidwell, Chris Stark, Arthur Pazan, Howard Gowa WHERE’S MURPHY? At the NJEA convention in Atlantic City at 9:30 a.m. “to make an announcement”
| | | | A message from AARP: New Jersey’s older residents deserve quality, affordable options for care services at home. But too many can’t afford to pay out of pocket, and they’re left waiting for Medicaid approval for services to start. While they wait, seniors who are likely to qualify for Medicaid are often forced out of their homes and into nursing homes which costs taxpayers more money. Tell Governor Murphy: Seniors can’t afford to wait. Support A4049/S3495. | | | MURPHY’S VICTORY LAP — Well, he wouldn’t call it that. But the governor got on the phone with me for a few minutes to talk Tuesday. Here are his thoughts, a bit edited for clarity and brevity. Q: What happened? “We got what we had hoped and expected, which is really well-run, disciplined focus on the kitchen table campaigns. It was a repudiation of the change-the-subject, us vs. them culture war stuff that the other side was throwing up … Culture wars don’t get it done. That’s the short answer. Q: What does this mean for President Biden’s 2024 viability? “The polls that came out on Sunday were sobering. I think not just what happened in New Jersey, but when you look at Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, I think it’s across the board very good news for the president and his agenda. He called me last night to see how things were going in Jersey, and frankly I cut back to three things: Facts matter, reproductive freedom and where the Democrats stand on that is still deeply important to voters. … Add all that together and look at his track record- the bipartisan infrastructure law, Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science act, his foreign policy experience, I think last night was very good news for the president.” Q: How do you think abortion played into the results? “As a general matter, it still resonates deeply. I think you saw that across the board. More specifically, the Republicans said — at the minimum from Tony Bucco — that if they were to get majorities again they would defund planned parenthood and restrict abortion rights. It wasn’t just ‘Take my word for it.’ Q When will we hear about the First Lady’s plans for Senate? “She continues to be overwhelmed and humbled by the attention and the folks who have come to her. She’s been laser-focused on the elections yesterday. I think she’s going to take a breath, look at the results and she’ll make her own news on that front.”
| | | | A message from AARP:   | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | | VOTE BY FAIL — New Jersey Republicans’ vote-by-mail fail cost them legislative seats Tuesday, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: A lot went wrong, but the vote-by-mail conspiracy theories of Donald Trump and his conservative acolytes did not help the Republican cause in a state where the former president owns property. Between that and a firewall of support for abortion, New Jersey Democrats expanded their legislative majorities on a night where the party made key gains around the country. It’s not a unique problem for the GOP. Republican candidates in Wisconsin lost earlier this year largely because of early and mail-in voting by Democrats, and Pennsylvania Republicans have tried to persuade their base to use vote-by-mail after statewide losses in 2022. About 545,000 New Jerseyans had voted in advance of the legislative election, mostly by mail, according to The Associated Press. Of those, about 329,000 were registered Democrats and just 129,500 were registered Republicans. In a low-turnout election with state lawmakers at the top of ballots, those margins can be decisive. “It’s something that Republicans are going to have to get over, this idea that we shouldn’t vote by mail or that the races are stolen in the mail. It’s just not true,” said Chris Russell, a Republican strategist who worked on several New Jersey legislative campaigns and an independent expenditure group. —6 takeaways from New Jersey Democrats' unexpected big night WHALES DISAPPOINTED WEDNESDAY TO FIND REPUBLICANS STOPPED CARING ABOUT THEM — Democrats look to flex environmental muscle following Republican losses, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: New Jersey Democrats may soon take up significant environmental and energy legislation, including a 100 percent clean power bill, following an election where voters ignored or rejected Republican attacks on clean energy. Republican legislative campaigns tried to make Gov. Phil Murphy’s climate policies wedge issues by playing up unfounded links between offshore wind and dead whales, the costs of energy and the effects of rules aimed at discouraging gas stoves and gas cars. The strategy failed: There will be more Democrats in the Assembly next year and just as many in the Senate. But, even before the new lawmakers are sworn in, Democrats will look to flex their political muscle on these issues. “We’re having a good run, and I think it means only good things for the environment, including wind,” said Senate Environment and Energy Chair Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), who also won reelection. CAPE MAY FEAR — “Fear, parental rights didn't deliver for NJ Republicans as Democrats hold power,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “At the end of the day, the party lacked a coherent message of hope. It didn’t articulate a vision of future Republican governance. The party sought to stir up its base with messages of fear. The strategy failed. … They lashed out at revisions to school sex education curricula that taught some form of sexual orientation to elementary school children. Activists also distorted a state Board of Education policy that prevented school leaders from notifying parents when their children are showing interest in switching genders. Fury over “parental rights” fueled school board contests that were also on Tuesday’s ballot. … But Democrats on Tuesday night say the issue never cut as deep into the consciousness of the electorate as first believed, and some believe a silent majority of voters angered and frightened over the right wing’s obsession with the issue had not been adequately gauged.” —Snowflack: ”Election 2023 post-mortem” —“Despite lots of turnover, new legislature will be demographically similar to current one” —“Garden Potty: NJ reveals that its Turnpike widening will add hundreds more cars to Canal Street sewer” — “The accidental videographer: We spoke to the person who shot the Norcross video”
| | | | A message from AARP: New Jersey’s long-term care system is broken.
Older residents deserve quality, affordable options for care services at home—where they want to be. But too many can’t afford to pay out of pocket for this care, and they’re left waiting for Medicaid approval for services to start. While they wait, seniors who are likely to qualify for Medicaid are often forced out of their homes and into nursing homes, which costs taxpayers more money.
AARP is fighting for legislation that allows residents who are likely to qualify for Medicaid to begin receiving services in their homes when they need them. It’s time to transform our long-term care system and make it easier for New Jerseyans to age in their homes and communities. Seniors who need care should not be forced from their homes because Medicaid approval takes too long. Tell Governor Murphy: Seniors can’t afford to wait. Support A4049/S3495. | | | | | | Biden's Beltway | | |
INTO THE WOODS — “F.B.I. searching New Jersey for man accused in Capitol riot,” by The New York Times’ Erin Nolan: “A manhunt was underway on Wednesday as the F.B.I. and several local police departments searched central New Jersey for a man wanted in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the United States Capitol. The F.B.I. circulated a photo that it said showed the man, Gregory Yetman, taking part in the attack two years ago. Armed law enforcement officers were seen searching the backyard of a home and a shed in Helmetta, N.J., a small suburban community in Middlesex County. … The manhunt began around 8 a.m. Wednesday, Mr. Slavicek said, when law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Mr. Yetman at his home, and he ‘fled and went off into the woods.’”
| | LOCAL | | NEWARK — “‘We can’t find our way out…’ Caught in a death trap. Why did 2 firefighters perish in a ship fire that looked routine?” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “The cause of the July 5th fire aboard the Grande Costa d’Avorio is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the NTSB — the National Transportation Safety Board — as well as state, local and other federal agencies. It could take a year or more before their findings are made public. But an investigation by NJ Advance Media raises disturbing questions about the fire department’s actions that night and its ability to handle a major emergency on the waterfront … ‘They showed up that night and there wasn’t anyone who knew what was going on,’ said Glenn Corbett, an associate professor of fire science and public management at John Jay College.” ATLANTIC CITY — “HUD officials slam Atlantic City Housing Authority, plan visit,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Alison Burdo: “Officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a scathing rebuke of the Atlantic City Housing Authority during a meeting with the local agency’s residents, board members and former staff, who described poor conditions at the authority’s communities. ‘This has been a complete and total failure by government,’ Richard Monocchio, HUD’s principal deputy assistant secretary for public and Indian housing, said during the online meeting Monday. A recent HUD-commissioned audit of the local authority is ‘one of the worst audits that I’ve ever read in my life,’ Monocchio said. … The Press of Atlantic City asked both HUD and the Housing Authority for a copy of the report Tuesday, but neither agency provided it.” IT’S NOT YET KNOWN HOW MANY OF THE WRITE-IN VOTES WERE FOR ‘PENNS15’ — “Penns Grove mayor might have been re-elected as a write-in candidate,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Seven weeks after being tossed off the general election ballot, it’s possible that Penns Grove Mayor LaDaena Thomas has scored an upset victory as a write-in candidate in the Salem County municipality of 4,837 people. … Official election results show that 245 write-in votes were cast, which makes up about 44% of the total votes. Republican Louis Pasquale leads Democrat John Washington, a former mayor, 176 to 140, 31%-25%. It’s not clear how many of the write-in votes were cast for Thomas, and how many of those will be validated by county election officials. That probably won’t happen for a few days.” DARK MONEY TRIUMPH — “Sayreville voters elect Kennedy O'Brien mayor again; Democrats ousted from council,” by MyCentralJersrye’s Susan Loyer: “Former longtime Republican Mayor Kennedy O'Brien defeated Democratic challenger Bill Henry in the race for mayor. O'Brien received 5,069 votes while Henry received 3,292, according to unofficial results …Running on the Republican ticket with O’Brien were Michael Colaci and John Zebrowski, Sayreville’s former longtime police chief, who defeated Democratic incumbents Mary Novak and Vincent Conti for two three-year seats on the Borough Council." YOUR MOMS — “Parents'-rights school boards shook up North Jersey this year. How did voters respond?,” by The Daily Record’s William Westhoven: “In Morris County, candidates who say they're fighting to reassert parents' roles in education did well in Hanover and Roxbury, where the current boards of education have been embroiled in the national debate over parental notifications and LGBTQ-themed reading materials. In hotly contested board elections in Sussex and Bergen County, however, incumbents lost seats after blocking LGBTQ+ pride signs on school grounds, seeking to remove books from the library or altering policies on transgender students. Moms for Liberty, the national group dedicated to "empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government," had a mixed night. Five of the 12 candidates it endorsed in Morris County won their races, according to unofficial results.” DEMOCRACY INACTION — “20-year Paterson school board veteran Jonathan Hodges appears headed for defeat,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The city’s longest-serving school board member — 20-year incumbent Jonathan Hodges — is headed for defeat in a jumbled and unfinished Board of Education election in which the current top vote-getter avoided local candidate forums. With votes counted from all of Paterson’s six in-person polling sites, Hodges sits in sixth place in a nine-person contest for three school board seats. The candidate currently in first place, Mohammed Rashid, was backed by a coalition of City Council members allied with Mayor Andre Sayegh, along with key figures in the Passaic County Democratic Party and a Washington-based super PAC that produced a flurry of mailings attacking recent Paterson school tax increases. Education activists said they have never seen Rashid at a Paterson school board meeting.” —“Election night 'a disaster' for Atlantic County Democrats” —“Bridgewater Mayor Matt Moench easily wins reelection, thwarts Dan Hayes' comeback” —“One commissioner's slot changes hands in Wildwood” —“Old Bridge GOP Council Vice President Debbie Walker wins mayor's race” —“Hamilton re-elects Mayor Jeff Martin, council members Papero and Phillips” —“Parental rights slate defeated in Westwood school board race, unofficial results show” —“Oakland back to all Republican after incumbent Democrat mayor defeated on Tuesday” —“Dems sweep Passaic County races, but GOP wins big at municipal level amid low turnout” —“Cape May County elects first Black woman commissioner” —“Results of Atlantic City's 5th Ward race still unclear” —“Goptails in Monmouth? Senator’s landslide may have had some” —“Education Matters’ election sweep is step toward ending ‘chaos,’ Jersey City teachers’ union prez says” —“Manchester school board terminates superintendent's contract following lawsuit” —“Annual audit says overspending, unreliable finance reporting led to Jersey City carrying $27.3 million in debt” —“Palisades Park police union wants borough to unhire its new civilian police director” —“Custodian accused of tainting school food with feces, urine ‘not likely’ to pose health risk” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
OWNERS TIPPED OFF BY LIVIA — “Gambino crime family members threatened to burn down N.J. restaurant, feds say,” by NJ Advance Media’s S.P. Sullivan: “Alleged members of the Gambino organized crime family terrorized an Ocean County restaurant, threatening to burn the place down, assaulting the owners and slashing their tires after they were kicked out by staff, newly unsealed court records say. Federal authorities in New York accused 10 men, including two from New Jersey, of racketeering and extortion over their efforts to control waste-hauling and demolition businesses in the New York area. Italian authorities similarly charged six others with mafia association and other crimes."
I SHARED THE SIGN AND IT OPENED UP THEIR EYES, I SHARED THE SIGN — “‘Ticked off’ Greg Schiano addresses allegations of Scarlet Knights sharing Michigan’s signs,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brian Fonseca and Patrick Lanni: “Greg Schiano and his program have once again been brought into the sign-stealing scandal engulfing Michigan, and the Rutgers coach is not happy about it. Asked whether reports that the Scarlet Knights provided Purdue with the Wolverines’ defensive signals ahead of the 2022 Big Ten Championship game are true, Schiano said he is ‘not going to get into specifics about something that is not my issue’ and is ‘a little bit ticked off that we have to talk about this.’ “Look, I’m getting ready to go play the 22nd ranked team in the country at their place,” Schiano said Wednesday.” BOILING WITH ANGER — “N.J. bagel shop owner must pay $4,566 fine in window shade battle with town,” by NJ Advance Media’s Anthony G. Attrino: “West Orange bagel shop owner lost a battle in municipal court Tuesday over his pull down window shades he installed to block the sun from customer’s eyes and cover the unsightly back of a refrigerator. Jarrett Seltzer, owner of Bagels By Jarrett, says he was ordered to pay a $4,566 fine for violating a town ordinance stating windows must not be opaque and left uncovered. In addition to the fine, Seltzer estimated he’s paid $5,000 in legal fees. Seltzer said he’s appealing the municipal court ruling to Superior Court of Essex County, where his attorney tried to have the case heard to begin with. ‘When the judge is appointed by the mayor, you can’t have a fair trial,’ Seltzer told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday. ‘It’s all incestuous here in West Orange.’” —“School bus driver who fell asleep before crashing into N.J. house issued 2 tickets, cops say” —“NJ Transit employee stole 32 train horns worth $2K a piece, feds allege” —“PETA calls for closure of N.J. lab where it says monkey died in ‘gruesome’ fashion”
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