Scott Garrett: He’s been the worst in the New Jersey House delegation for years, a small-government ‘conservative’ ideologue who doesn’t even serve as a sensible counter-balance to the most angry, stingy and poorly informed vectors in the Republican Party; rather he has become their darling. A Tea Party crazy with a vote in the House of Representatives.
That district – the 5th – has waited for years for the right candidate. It may have found him. Roy Cho, young, organized, articulate and well-funded, is just 5 points behind Garrett, according to the Monmouth University Poll. Among likely voters, Garrett is at 48%, with Cho coming up with momentum at 43%, with 6% still undecided, and just 3% for 3rd party candidate Mark D. Quick. Pollster Patrick Murray says “[t]his race was not even a blip on most political prognosticators’ radar screens. And it should be now.”
What’s interesting is that Team Cho did this on their own, with a strong campaign structure and considerable grassroots support – but very little notice from the almighty DCCC. In New Jersey, only NJ3’s Aimee Belgard made their resource-bonanza Red-to-Blue program, and only NJ2’s Bill Hughes is on the Emerging Races List.
“Nobody was looking at this race. I think the Democrats should take a close look at this right now. It may be one of their one or two last pick-up opportunities.”
– Pollster Patrick Murray in the Ledger
Garrett, a terrible politician, has provided Cho with plenty of opportunity. That includes his sloppy efforts to paste over his disgraceful track record on Hurricane Sandy relief with campaign ads trying to rewrite him as some kind of on-the-ground local hero. Among others, the Ledger called him out on that beautifully.