Democrats might get another Assembly seat

From: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook - Monday Nov 13,2023 11:57 am

Nov 13, 2023

Good Monday morning!

We went to bed Tuesday figuring that District 8 was a closer race than widely expected, but that Republicans would continue to hold the primarily-Burlington County District

By Thursday night, New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox was the first to point out that when few were looking, Democratic Assembly candidate Andrea Katz had developed a 27-vote lead over Assemblymember Brandon Umba (R-Burlington). By Friday, the two news organizations that had called the race for Umba — The AP and New Jersey Globe — had rescinded the call. And Fox pointed out that things are trending toward Katz.

If Democrats pick up this set, that will make six gains in the Assembly — clawing back everything they lost in that house in 2021. Don’t pretend when you woke up Tuesday morning you believed there was even the smallest chance of that happening. This is also another notch in the belt for South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross, who despite his claim doesn’t appear to have stepped very far back from politics. But don’t call it a comeback. The South Jersey delegation remains quite a bit smaller than it was at its peak.

While South Jersey Democrats are at least a bit on the rebound, I want make sure that the election mischief that went this year in that region, with the alleged phantom candidates and dark money, is not forgotten. Even if Democrats performed strongly enough in the 4th District that the alleged phantom candidates there were a non-factor, no one knew that going in. There is no proof the South Jersey Democratic machine was behind these efforts, but their history of running phantom candidates isn’t in dispute and, given the chance, its top campaign operative hasn’t denied it. The alleged phantom candidates themselves have been mocked and shamed, but what about the people who really orchestrated this? Victory shouldn’t make ethical and potentially legal questions just fade away.

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “On the fact that Donald Trump is a horrible human being who has greatly contributed to the moral decay of American society, you will get no disagreement from me.” — Republican strategist Mike DuHaime to Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Robert Garrison, Juan Melli, David Turner

WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule

WHAT TRENTON MADE

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP TAMMY — “FC Gotham wins its first NWSL title to complete worst-to-first transformation,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steve Politi: “FC Gotham is bringing its first NWSL championship home to New Jersey, completing a stunning worst-to-first transformation on Saturday night just one season after finishing dead last in the 12-team league. The underdog sixth-seeded team defeated favored OL Reign, 2-1, in an often chaotic final that ended the brilliant careers of two U.S. soccer legends (Megan Rapinoe, Ali Krieger). … The moment is a significant one for New Jersey’s first couple. Gov. Phil Murphy is the team’s majority owner, while his wife Tammy Murphy has overseen a team’s resurrection from the bottom of the league as its chairwoman.”

GRAND OLD PITY PARTY — “Relax, Republicans; it can only get worse,” by The Star-Ledger’s Paul Mulshine: “In case you’re keeping score at home, note that the New Jersey Democrats passed a historic milestone in last week’s legislative election: They won super-majorities of more than three-fifths in both houses. That means the Democrats can put on the ballot a referendum on any amendment to the state constitution they desire – no Republican votes needed. … The governorship will be up for grabs in 2025, and those races have historically been tight. An abortion referendum is just one approach that would fire up the Democrats to turn out at the polls.”

WHEN YOU WANNA BE GOVERNOR OF NJ BUT NAME YOUR KID AFTER A DIFFERENT STATE — “And baby makes 5! Jersey City mayor and wife welcome Sage Montana,” by NJ Advance Media’s Joshua Rosario: “The Fulop house just got a little more crowded. While it seemed like the rest of Jersey City was preoccupied with the grand opening of Whole Foods Downtown, Jersey City Mayor and 2025 gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop was cutting an umbilical cord instead of a ceremonial ribbon Thursday. His wife, Jaclyn Fulop, gave birth to their third child, Sage Montana Fulop, on Nov. 9. The 5-pound, 7-ounce bundle of joy has an older brother and sister, Jaxxon and Stassi.”

—“N.J. laws fail dog lovers and puppies, officials say. More oversight of pet stores is needed”

—“$52B plan to reduce Meadowlands and NYC flooding addresses just storm surge, critics say”

—“First openly LGBTQ woman voted into NJ Legislature”

CARTOON BREAK — “Rough week for the NJ GOP,” by Drew Sheneman

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Biden's Beltway

HURRICANE ANDY — Andy Kim launches Senate bid as a ‘decent human’ who’s had enough of broken DC, by POLITICO’s Dustin Racioppi: Standing on pallets at a brewery in South Jersey in front of about 250 supporters, Kim singled out indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) as a symptom of the dysfunction and pitched himself as an effective and battle-tested leader who goes to Washington for public service, not personal gain. It doesn’t have to be this broken politics where you just have people putting their own personal ambition ahead of what’s good for this country,” he said. “It’s about being a decent human being — a decent human being that treats other people with respect.” … Menendez hasn’t said whether he’ll seek another term next year, though he’s made clear he has no plans to step down. And Kim said Menendez’s insistence that he won’t — saying “I am not going anywhere” — rubbed him the wrong way. “I felt like he was saying, ‘This is mine. This is my seat,’” Kim said. “We know that, actually, it’s the people’s seat.”

NEP JERSEY — “Is Tammy Murphy really the best we can offer for the U.S. Senate?” by The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran: “This coming week, the First Lady is going to announce her candidacy for the U.S. Senate. And despite her weak qualifications, she’s widely expected to win the Democratic nomination thanks to her husband, the governor, who has about 100 levers he can pull to give her an unfair advantage. ‘This is nepotism on stilts,’ says Rutgers Professor Ross Baker, who’s made a career of studying the Senate. Don’t misunderstand me. While she wouldn’t talk to me, many people who work with Murphy like and respect her, and I have no reason to doubt them. … So, let’s assume she’s a decent person who has used her perch to help people in need. Let’s be nice. But let’s also keep it real: There is no way on God’s Earth she would be the candidate if her husband were not governor. … But this isn’t a fair fight. Murphy has the advantage, not just because of the name, but because the governor can rig the game in her favor by lining up support from party organizations at the county level.”

SOME OF THE 8% WHO HAVE A FAVORABLE OPINION OF MENENDEZ MIGHT VOTE FOR HIM — “Feisty and sounding like a Candidate, Menendez throws an elbow at Andy Kim,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “ ‘To those who have rushed to judgment all in the name of political expediency, I’ll gladly put up my record of success on behalf of the people of New Jersey against Andy Kim or anyone else,’ Menendez said following Kim’s formal launch of his bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in 2024. … Menendez, who faces charges of bribery, conspiracy, and acting as an unregistered agent for a foreign government while serving as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has suddenly become more aggressive toward New Jersey Democratic leaders seeking his resignation. That’s very much a sign of the old Bob Menendez – scrappy, confident, and unwavering in his willingness to punch political rivals in the race. Signaling that he’s prepared to get aggressive with anyone who makes an early endorsement of one of his opponents, his chief of staff, Jason Tuber, slammed former Gov. Richard J. Codey for publicly supporting Murphy.”

THE MONROE FUGITIVE: THE ERA OF BAD FEELINGS — “Fugitive suspect in Jan. 6 attack on Capitol surrenders to police in New Jersey,” by The AP: “A suspect in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol surrendered to police in New Jersey on Friday, two days after fleeing when FBI agents came to his house to arrest him. Gregory Yetman, 47, surrendered in Monroe Township on Friday morning without incident. … He is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; and committing an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, according to the FBI.”

—New Jersey Dems say they have 'no concerns' about Biden amid troubling polling

—“Chris Christie visits Mideast: 'We can't ask Israel to stand down'"

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LOCAL

HOGAN’S ZEROES — Confusion in Bergen after wrong election results were posted Thursday, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Bergen County politicians were thrown into confusion Thursday night when the County Clerk’s office posted updated results that showed tens of thousands fewer votes than had been previously reported, which appeared to alter the outcome of several races. As of Friday morning, those results were on longer on the Clerk’s website, with the latest tally available dating from Wednesday night … Bergen County Clerk John Hogan said his office is addressing the problem and will post an explanation on its website soon. Basically, Hogan said, districts in the county where voters cast write-in votes that needed to be reviewed were not included in the Thursday night tally. Hogan said updated totals will likely be posted later this morning. “First of all, we’re dealing with new system and new requirements from the state as far as reporting is concerned,” Hogan said. “There are three different ways of voting and we have new voting machines. So a lot of things are coming into play.” The incorrect results followed problems reported at some Bergen County polling places on Election Day. … Late on election night, the clerk’s office posted live vote reporting numbers were off, though the site also featured pdf files with the correct vote totals.

THAT MIGHT REQUIRE BUILDING HOUSING — “US Census: A million people living in Ocean County by 2048? It’s ‘absolutely possible’,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Erik Larsen: “Just how big will the population of Ocean County get over the next 25 years? In his election night remarks, Ocean County Commissioner-elect Frank Sadeghi, a civil engineer, told a packed crowd of fellow Republicans that the county could reach one million inhabitants by 2048. “The population of Ocean County has doubled since 1981,” Sadeghi said. “And, at the rate that we see Ocean County growing — you see those pockets in Jackson Township, Berkeley Township; there’s still room in Toms River, Brick, so the county’s growing — I think in 25 years, we’ll probably reach a million people.’ … That reality has not gone unnoticed by voters in the county seat of Toms River. Republican Councilman Daniel Rodrick defeated his incumbent mayor in last June’s GOP primary and won about 70% of the vote in Tuesday’s general election on a platform of curbing development in the township that once included a pair of proposed 10-story towers that were to be built on the downtown waterfront.”

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO ‘HMMM’ — ”Member of N.J. prosecutor’s office is under investigation, AG confirms,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matthew Enuco: “The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has confirmed an ongoing criminal investigation into a sworn member of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, but shared few other details about the probe. The Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity & Accountability, in conjunction with the Division of Criminal Justice, is engaged in an ongoing criminal investigation related to the conduct of a sworn member of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, a spokesperson for the AG’s office said Friday night.”

—“Jersey City police over two years behind on crime reporting, state official”

EVERYTHING ELSE

PORT FIRE — “A dangerous pipeline: Fatal N.J. port fire exposes growing and deadly business of shipping junk cars overseas,”by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “The deadly chain of events at Port Newark on July 5 allegedly began when the Toyota SUV was being pushed on board the Grande Costa d’Avorio by a 16-year-old Jeep Wrangler being used as a “bumper” truck, according to court records reviewed by NJ Advance Media. As it struggled to push the 3,800-pound Venza onto Deck 10 of the freighter, already loaded with hundreds of other second hand vehicles being exported, the Jeep reportedly erupted in flames. Dockworkers fled as the fire spread rapidly like a match on tinder, jumping from car to car inside the cavernous cargo hold, all serving to fuel the inferno that killed two Newark firefighters. … the devastating fire also put a renewed focus on a largely unseen global trade in used, high-polluting cars, trucks and sports utility vehicles that instead of being recycled, shredded or crushed have increasingly found a second-life in third-world countries where few can afford the price of a new car and climate concerns are less pressing. The Grande Costa d’Avorio was at the heart of that trade, serving as a seafaring junkyard. On board were more than 1,200 vehicles parked so tightly together that it was nearly impossible to move between them.”

THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT THIS IS TO GIVE HOLTEC MORE TAX BREAKS — “Oyster Creek power plant owners face fine after too much radiation detected in equipment shipment,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda Oglesby: “The Nuclear Regulatory Agency has proposed fining Holtec International, which is decommissioning the defunct Oyster Creek power plant, $43,750 for shipping radioactive material improperly, the agency announced Thursday. A package of radiation-contaminated equipment shipped from the shuttered Lacey power plant in May to the former Indian Point nuclear plant in Buchanan, New York, was discovered to be emitting radiation more than double the limits set by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The radiation was limited to the top of the package and no one in the public was impacted, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC also issued a violation at the Indian Point site because Holtec personnel waited a day to report the incident. They are required to report such a situation immediately.”

BUT UNITED VAN LINES SAYS… — “N.J. ranks in top 10 for fastest home sales in U.S. last month. Latest rankings,” by NJ Advance Media’s Amira Sweilem: “Though New Jersey homes are selling slower than they did over summer, New Jersey ranked in the top 10 in the nation for fastest selling homes in October, according to the latest Realtor.com data. New Jersey tied with Illinois for sixth on the list with homes selling at a median of 39 days after hitting the market last month. That’s slower than in June when the statewide time-on-the-market for New Jersey was 33 days.”

—“1,100 more acres preserved in one of NJ's most scenic and ecologically important regions”

—“Layoffs coming to Charles Schwab in Jersey City in new year”

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