I didn't know until today that Ed was once the Residence Counselor at Davidson, the dorm Tyler Clementi lived in. A few years earlier, and it might have been Ed that Tyler came to for help. Breaks my heart. - promoted by Rosi
As you may know, Monday October 11 is National Coming Out Day. The annual day encourages young people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or questioning to feel comfortable being open about who they are. Sadly, we know all too well that for many, coming out isn't easy or safe. Last week, the senseless death of Tyler Clementi was an unfortunate reminder that too many GLBTQ young people do not feel safe or welcome in this world. It breaks my heart that he was made to feel unwelcome at Rutgers, my own alma mater. It has been heartening to see the gay and straight communities come together in the wake of Tyler's suicide to condemn the bullying and violence that makes our young people feel alone and unsafe. But we must continue working together to ensure that the coming out process for our young people is more accepting. Thousands of teens and young adults like Tyler face bullying and violence every day simply because of who they are. This has to end.
Teenagers are dying because they are gay. Tyler was not the only life lost this month because of gay related bullying or violence. This is unacceptable.
National Coming Out Day is a call to arms for both the gay and straight communities. We must commit to making the world safe for all of our children. We have to make sure that children and young adults grow up knowing that they are loved and welcome for who they are. And we must repudiate intolerance from the start, so that more children grow up knowing that homophobia, hatred and bullying are unacceptable. As Harvey Milk once said, "all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential." Milk said this over thirty years ago, but the sentiment is timeless, and we are clearly not there yet. We still have work to do make this a reality.
Earlier this week, I filmed a video for Dan Savage's "It gets better" project. I'd like to share it with you:
We all have to work together to ensure that for those who are preparing to come out and those who are already out, it WILL get better.
I live in Hunterdon County. Leonard Lance, whom I've known for years, is my congressman. It's hard to explain to someone outside this crimson geography Hunterdon's relationship with Lance. He's a known presence on the street, as his father Wesley Lance - who preceded him in both the Assembly and Senate - was. A friendly person, even if you don't always agree.
Why then is Lance ducking a debate with his Democratic challenger, Ed Potosnak, here on Hunterdon home turf? I'm bamboozled.
Potosnak's asked Lance to debate for months. Hearing nothing back, Potosnak accepted 6 debate invitations himself. Potosnak finally heard from Lance last week, a friendly call but without Lance agreeing on the number of debates, location, or dates. (Potosnak also invited Lance on a side-by-side grassroots tour of the District together - yes, he declined).
Now comes word Lance will accept just 2 debates - one for TV (hosted outside NJ-7), and only one in NJ-7 - in Union County. Far away from Lance's home turf. Why is that? You'd think Lance would insist on at least one matchup here where he's served the public his entire adult life, where his father's political legacy still commands respect, where Chris Christie had victory just 11 months ago. Is he concerned his support in the reddest part of NJ-7 has eroded? Lance had 3 Tea Party-inspired opponents - the most of anyone in NJ. Two are from Hunterdon; David Larsen (Tewksbury), the strongest, who's already signaled he's running in 2012, and Alonzo "Lon" Hosford (Milford).
Still, I'm surprised Lance declines to stand up here in this county he's represented for years, and face his opponent. Looks like Middlesex and Somerset get snubbed, too. Two years ago, he wanted more debate with Linda Stender.Is this the same guy? What happens next?
Ed Potosnak, proud Rutgers alum and Democratic challenger in NJ-7 against Leonard Lance, will be performing the National Anthem and the Alma Mater today before Rutgers Homecoming Football Game against Tulane University. He'll be singing with the Rutgers University Glee Club and alumni. Once upon a time, Potosnak was President of that Glee Club, which was founded in 1872, and is the oldest student-run organization at Rutgers. He was a 1996 undergrad, and a 1999 Graduate School of Education grad. Here's what Potosnak said today:
Singing on the field at homecoming is a time honored tradition for the Glee Club and its alumni. Cheering the Scarlet Knights on Saturdays was one of the highlights of my time at Rutgers as an undergraduate and graduate student. I can't wait to get back to the Banks of the Old Raritan this Saturday. Let's go RU!
Yes, this is true. NJEA failed to endorse NJ-7's Ed Potosnak. I don't get it either. A few facts: Ed has a graduate degree in education from Rutgers, where he also taught student teachers & teachers retooling their skills how to use technology to get kids more excited about science lessons. This is something he put in practice himself as a chemistry teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan HS, which is where he won an Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship and used it to work on federal education policy with Rep. Mike Honda of California. Hello?
- - promoted by Rosi
(Morristown) - October 1st, 2010 - On Friday, the New Jersey Education Association's 125-member political action committee voted to endorse Douglas Herbert for Congress in New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District. Douglas Herbert is the only New Jersey Congressional challenger that they chose to endorse.
Don't get me wrong - I'm all for Herbert's candidacy, and I think he'd be far, far better than Little Lord Frelinghuysen, who is such a "moderate" that he voted to impeach Bill Clinton.
Barbara Keshishian, the NJEA President, said, "Each of our endorsed candidates has distinguished himself or herself by advocating for great public schools, public school employees, and for the 1.4 million New Jersey schoolchildren our members educate."
Yeah, and the one you DIDN'T endorse actually teaches those kids!
All New Jersey's congressional delegation - incumbents of both parties - should have at least one debate with their challengers before election time. Some of the incumbents have been resisting, but in the interest of transparency, voters should have the chance to see the candidates face each other and get grilled. Some of those logjams eased in the last couple days:
NJ-7: Ed Potosnak (D) & Leonard Lance (R) - More than a month ago young hard-charger Ed Potosnak challenged first-term incumbent Leonard Lance to 5 debates; one in each county, one for TV. Weeks later, Lance said he'd debate but without saying when, where or how often. This week, Potosnak decided to make it easy. He set up 6 debate events, all-set.
Given how close we are to the end, it's a small breakthrough that Lance finally talked personally by phone today with Potosnak. Lance's campaign has generally avoided reaching out; preferring to insist only via media that he's willing to meet. This is the dance of Fall, the will-they? two-step; the candidate in the cushier position dipping backwards, and twirling away. Lance had that same complaint two years ago against Linda Stender. So he of all people should make himself available for head-to-head matchups. Lance has had a lifetime in public office and has the built-in advantage of incumbency. He's in the catbird seat, and with a couple years of Congress under his belt, he should be leaping at the chance to meet up with Potosnak. Continuing to say you're for debates but not confirming any strains credulity, and NJ-7 voters deserve better. No more delaying, no running out the clock. Potosnak's done all the homework already. Or want another metaphor? It's shovel-ready.
NJ-11: Douglas Herbert (D) & Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) - Army vet Herbert has been challenging the incumbent to debate for 50 days, even provoking him by holding a press event outside GOP HQ in Morristown. Herbert go a little farther than Potosnak did in getting the incumbent nailed down, but then Frelinghuysen may be feeling a little more secure. The NJ-11 debates will be Oct. 17 at WMTR Studios in Morristown, the second in Hackettstown at WRNJ. (both 11am). h/t Kelsey17
Like many in New Jersey, I couldn't afford to go to college without help. In addition to work-study, part time jobs, and scholarships, I took out student loans to help pay my tuition at Rutgers. I am still paying for those loans today. Paying for college is difficult for many students and families in our communities and these tough economic times have only made it harder. New Jersey high schools graduate about 100,000 students every year. Most of them want to go on to college, but many families cannot afford the high cost of higher education. Here in New Jersey, the rising cost of higher education is outpacing inflation. I'm not sure how Congressman Lance paid for his education at Lehigh, but he certainly hasn't shown any empathy in Congress for the struggling middle class families trying to help their children go to college.
I've spoken about Congressman Lance's disastrous vote on the Education Jobs Fund Bill earlier this summer, when he opposed rehiring 4,000 New Jersey teachers to teach in public schools K-12, where they are vital in preparing our students for higher education and giving them the tools they need to succeed in the workplace. On Wednesday, on the two year anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, I called out Congressman Lance's vote against financial reform legislation. Mr. Lance's only committee assignment is the Financial Services Committee, where he and his colleagues are tasked with regulating the financial and insurance industries. Congressman Lance accepted more than $300,000 in campaign contributions from the finance and insurance industries- the very companies he's supposed to be regulating! So, it should come as no surprise that he voted against legislation that will protect the life savings, retirement funds, and college funds of New Jersey families.
What I find truly egregious is his vote on student loan reform. In March, student loan reform legislation sought to remove Big Banks as the middle men for lending federal dollars to students. The economic crisis has compounded the rising costs of higher education, putting college out of reach for too many hard working students. Meanwhile, these banks were pocketing $68 billion in profits on student loans, just for moving the money - dollars that could have helped make college more affordable for more students. The reform legislation that Mr. Lance voted against changed all of that. Now, billions of dollars that were going to Big Banks fund additional Pell Grants, which will help make college more accessible for many students.
In this economy, no one should be standing in the way of making college more affordable. The priorities of my opponent are way off. In New Jersey, we value higher education. We cannot afford to send a man back to Congress who wants to help the big banks make college more expensive for New Jersey students.
During a speech in Edison alongside Congresman Mike Honda (D-CA) to talk about education issues, NJ-7 Democratic challenger Ed Potosnak offered to help Gov. Chris Christie fill out the application for $268 million in available federal stimulus funds to hire back some of the teachers his massive education forced districts to lay off.
Normally, I would scoff at such snark. But not this week.
Honda was in NJ-7 for meetings and campaign stops with Potosnak. Potosnak and Honda have both education and science in their backgrounds. Honda, who is also DNC Vice Chair, was a science teacher and a principal, and also conducted educational research at Stanford University. Potosnak was a popular chemistry teacher for more than 10 years at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School in Somerset County.
In fact, Honda used to be Potosnak's boss. Potosnak was an Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, and had his pick of which member of Congress to work alongside in Washington. He chose Honda, who represents Silicon Valley.
Potosnak scolded not only Gov Christie for the disastrous impact his decisions are having on New Jersey school kids, but also his opponent, Rep. Leonard Lance. Lance voted against the Education Jobs bill which will send a shot of funds to schools all over the country (it passed anyway). In his explanation for why, Lance said the impact to schools in NJ-7 would be "negligible." Potosnak took issue with Lance's reasoning on that here at Blue Jersey a few days ago.
You figure a couple of old science teachers ought to be able to help a governor with education application issues. Because the money's there, and the governor still hasn't gone after it.
Hey, Blue Jerseyans - This was posted Friday, but I'm going to pull it up top again because breaking Schundler news was posted right on top of it then. Ed's the Dem running for Congress against the GOP's Leonard Lance. - promoted by Rosi
Two weeks ago, Congress was called back to Washington for a special session to vote on the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act (also known as the Education Jobs Bill). The legislation, which will allow New Jersey schools to retain nearly 4,000 teachers, passed and was signed into law. As many of you know, Congressman Leonard Lance voted against the bill, voting against our teachers, our schools, our students, and the future of our nation. Many constituents have questioned Mr. Lance directly about his vote, which he has attempted to justify. According to Mr. Lance, "the bill would have a negligible impact" on his district, NJ-7. According to NJEA estimates, it would help retain or rehire 56 teachers across the 54 municipalities that make up NJ-7.
When we're all struggling, how can he tell anyone in our community that their job is negligible?
As a teacher, I know that my fellow educators are not negligible. I know that the children in our schools are not negligible. During the eight years I spent teaching science at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, I saw the difference one teacher can make in the life of a student. As a science teacher and advisor to the drama club, I taught and worked with nearly 200 students each year. The loss of 56 teachers in my district would have a detrimental effect on the lives of thousands of students. The 7th district has long prided itself on having some of the best public schools in the state: this year we had five of the top 25 according to New Jersey Magazine. Governor Christie and Congressman Lance may take these schools and their staffs for granted, but I don't.
In these difficult times, only a career politician like Congressman Lance would call a job "negligible" to pitifully defend an inexcusable vote against his constituents' interests. Since going to Washington, my opponent has been more concerned with keeping his own job than saving and creating jobs in our district. He has had opportunities to vote to help small business owners, to help teachers, to help police officers and firefighters, to help nurses, and to help the unemployed. With each opportunity, he has voted no. Mr. Lance is out of touch with the needs of the people struggling in our communities and come November - with your help - he'll be the one out of a job. I'm looking forward to engaging with the Blue Jersey community throughout the next two months and beyond November 2.
The group did decline to endorse some Democrats. In the 7th Congressional District, they made no endorsement, even though Democrat Ed Potosnak, a former science teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, is running against freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance.
"As a teacher, I never took my voting cues from them, and I leave it up to teachers of the 7th District to decide who will represent them in Congress," Potosnak said in a statement.
NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer said the PAC may decide to endorse more candidates later on, including in the 7th District.
"I think there may be further discussion on that one," he said. "A lot of things come into consideration, not just whether you're an NJEA member... Some of that gets subjective because you also have to assess a non-incumbent's electability."
Yes, we can't take the risk of standing on principle against a guy who votes against the interests of teachers and is in the party of Chris Christie because... well, he might win (especially if his opponent doesn't get our endorsement).
They did this to Linda Stender a few years ago as well when she ran against Mike Ferguson; how'd that work out for you, NJEA?
Ed Potosnak just finished a press conference in Trenton that offered up a suggestion to GOP incumbent Rep. Leonard Lance: Disclose your total spending on "campaign" mail sent by your Congressional office for the current FEC financial disclosure quarter. Potosnak is the Democrat challenging for Lance's seat.
The idea is that if taxpayers knew how much of their hard-earned money went into this kind of backdoor campaigning, congressional representatives might spend less of it. Potosnak isn't telling Lance - or any incumbent - to stop reaching out to constituents on the public's dime - he's asking his opponent to report to his constituents how much of their money he's spending doing that. Campaign finance sunshine - this is good. Smart. Clean. Decent. Frankly, I'd appreciate all New Jersey incumbents doing that - of both parties.
This week, Potosnak says, Congressional office disbursement statements from the first 3 months of 2010 show Lance spent over $131,000 to send 1.2 million pieces of mail to NJ-7 voters - during an election year. The franking privilege goes largely unexamined by voters, but amounts to a tremendous financial advantage incumbents enjoy, because some of them use it to trumpet their own achievements without sticking on a stamp. It amounts to campaigning at taxpayer's expense.
That same Congressional report says Lance spent about 20 times more of the public's money on franking privilege mail in the first quarter of (election year) 2010, than he did in the first quarter of (non-election-year) 2009.
Lance narrowly won his Republican primary in June - receiving the smallest amount of support of any NJ incumbent.
Potosnak says that one of the things he wants to do when he gets to Congress is offer legislation requiring all members of Congress to print the cost of that mailer on the mailer itself, so people know in real time what that mail is costing them. His bill would also require lawmakers post a section on their official government website, with a running total of how much has been spent on printing and sending franking privilege snail mail.
Our guest will be Ed Potosnak, who is challenging Congressman Leonard Lance in the 7th District. We'll get the low down on his campaign and his thoughts on the issues of the day. Adam and I will also recap the last week in NJ politics and I'm sure he will have something to say about my next step.
So, join us for New Jersey's fastest half-hour of political talk. We'll see if we can keep up with the change-by-the-minute pace of news coming from just about everywhere these days.
Something special on your mind? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and maybe we can have some fun with them on air. Or, feel free to give us a call tonight, and share what's on your mind. Remember, it's all LIVE, so don't be afraid - join us!
Ok, let's face it. If you're on Blue Jersey on a sunny Friday evening in July, you're either a progressive junkie, or in serious need of a pick-me-up. Either way, I've got something for you.
Democracy for America is once again sponsoring its annual Grassroots All-Star Contest this year, and the first round ends at midnight tonight.
Ed Potosnak, NJ-7 is the only NJ candidate in this year's contest, and he is currently in the Top 10 - he's currently #9 - of 100 candidates competing nationwide. The first round is about to end, and Ed needs every vote he can get TONIGHT!
Only the Top 10 finishers go on to the final round, and there's plenty at stake: bigtime exposure, and DFA financial support in the tens of thousands of dollars.
DFA-NJ has had great success winning many of DFA's online contests in the past, and we've come oh so close to winning the Grassroots All-Star Contest in the past, but we've never won it. But, we've got a great chance this year with Ed. Can you get behind him? If you VOTE for ED POTOSNAK right now, you can keep Ed in the Top 10 and into the final round next week. The winner will be our national DFA Grassroots All Star.
And let's face it, it's Friday night and you're reading this. I think you can spare the 30 seconds. I did.
:)
In about 2 minutes, you can do something for a candidate who's picking up a lot of national attention. Ed Potosnak, who's running against the GOP's Leonard Lance in NJ-7, is up for the national Democracy for America endorsement in a contest called DFA Grassroots All Stars. You can show him the love whether you're in DFA or not. More on Ed in a minute. Here's what you can do to help Ed Potosnak become the next DFA Grassroots All Star:
1. Vote here. (Keep Ed your 1st choice; only the 1st-choice votes count towards this national contest).
2. Give a shout out: Shoot a personal note to your contacts using this link: www.grassrootsallstars.com/Potosnak. (Link makes Ed the First Choice).
3. Twitter? RT this to your followers: Help @edpotosnak become the next DFA Grassroots Allstar VOTE http://bit.ly/bUguGu
Ed's running an uphill battle and he knows it; he does considerable progressive grassroots outreach. The only Dem challenger who came to the DFA Campaign Training, joining Pallone, Holt & Wisniewski. He called every Democratic county committee person in the primary. National Stonewall Democrats-endorsed (one of only 12 nationally). Garden State Equality-endorsed. He does the work. That stuff gets noticed.
Posted this overnight, when sensible people were asleep. So, I'm pulling it back up because I think it's significant. And because we had it first.
America is supposed to be in the throws of a widespread anti-Democratic mood, as doomsday stories of Obama's first mid-term election - particularly post-spill - and the pull of history whisper daily.
But there's a window of chance that in New Jersey's 7th congressional district such tendencies are instead manifesting themselves as a broader anti-incumbent mood, that incumbent being the GOP's Leonard Lance. Some real lack of enthusiasm among the very voters he should be counting on most. In his Primary, Lance had a record three Tea Party challengers charge at him from the right. And he won with the lowest percentage of any incumbent in the New Jersey congressional delegation - 56%. In fact, none of Lance's three GOP primary challengers has even endorsed him since. And one of them - David Larsen - is still in contact with supporters encouraging them to "vote for conservatism, vote for change," though it isn't clear for whom that might be.
That might be the crack of an opening of a fighting chance for Ed Potosnak, the high school chemistry teacher who won a national Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator fellowship and went to Washington to work on policy with Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA). Potosnak, in his late thirties, is younger than Lance, but he's also a fresh, hard-worker with progressive bona fides in a district that had its heart broken a couple times.
In indicators of an incumbent's strength, Lance is soft. Just 31% of 7th CD voters want to see Leonard Lance reelected; 46% think it's time to make a change and elect someone else. Nosing into those numbers you find the squishiest appraisals of Lance. Republicans: 43% reelect, 39% make a change. Independents: 24% reelect, 47% make a change.
Potosnak still has low name-recognition: 12%. But the polling suggests NJ-7 is a restless district: Without naming the actual candidates, by nearly 3-1 (55%-19%), NJ-7 voters prefer electing "new people" over reelecting "current members of Congress." Ironically, it's Lance's own voters who are most pre-disposed to electing new people, by a nearly 6-1 margin. It may be possible that some of those voters still think of Lance as one of those "new people," but given the decades-long tenure in NJ politics before Congress, that's a stretch.
We're usually not inclined to print whole statements. But there are exceptions. This Open Letter to the NJ-7 GOP incumbent - who just survived not one or two, but three, challenges from his own Republican Party - is a fresh challenge and an interesting idea.
Ed Potosnak for Congress
PO Box 984
Scotch Plains
June 8th 2010
Dear Congressman Lance,
Congratulations on your primary election success. Now that you are the Republican Party nominee for Congress in New Jersey's seventh district, I invite you to campaign with me across the district in order to present ourselves - side by side - to the voters.
If your primary contest taught us anything, it is that voters are sick of the old fashioned, scripted style of politics where attacks and negative campaigning drown out a real debate about the future of our country that the voters deserve. New Jersey residents are sick of partisan rhetoric and partisan ideas. . We need a different tone in how we campaign and a different attitude in how we govern. I believe that changing things for the better starts with how we ask for people's votes
And so, I am inviting you to join me in stops around the district - at house parties, on doorsteps, at community centers. We'll meet voters together; tell them where we stand, what we'll do and how we differ. If we are talking to voters directly, there will be less of the failed partisan rhetoric and more real answers. The people we wish to serve deserve nothing less.
This is a critical time for our country. Taxes are high, too many of our friends and neighbors are out of work or just barely getting by, folks are worried about their healthcare and our economy has been devastated by the greed of big bank and Wall Street CEOs. There's a job to get done providing tax cuts to the middle class, getting people back to work, providing help to our small businesses, creating incentives for innovation to ensure a strong economy in the future and taking back Main Street from Wall Street.
Potasnak's message, and reasons for the invitation, after the jump.
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This week: We're joined by NJ-7 Congressional Candidate Ed Potosnak who cleared the field for the democratic nomination in New Jersey's 7th District, and will take on Leonard Lance in November.
Oh, the 7th District - one Blue Jersey readers are so, so very familiar with. So, what's Ed got in mind to finally close the deal here? Find out from the candidate himself.
Have your own ideas? Drop 'em in the comments, then tune in and join the conversation!
Last night, Ed Potosnak won the endorsement of the Union County Democrats in his bid to be the Democratic nominee in NJ-7, and the chance to oppose Rep. Leonard Lance in his first re-election campaign.
And Zenon Christodoulou ended his bid for the nomination last night, swinging his support to Potosnak. Union County Dems' decision marks the second county party endorsement Potosnak won, after he took the Hunterdon County Democratic Committee's endorsement almost two weeks ago.
The other counties comprising NJ-7 are Middlesex (with only part of Edison, part of Woodbridge Twp, and South Plainfield in the District) and Somerset, mostly in NJ-7. The fact that not only Potosnak, but Christodoulou hail from Somerset County is important. The Obama surge in late 2008 flipped the historically Republican county to majority Democrat. If there are opportunities in this uphill race, they may come there.
Hunterdon County saw its number of Democrats nearly double from 2005-2009, but the total still hovers under 18,000. And Lance, a lifetime resident from a political legacy family, will count on Hunterdon - which delivered the highest percentage victory for Christie 4 months ago - as base support. Middlesex and Union are Democratic.
Somerset's in flux. Potosnak has roots there. He was a chemistry teacher at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional HS, then won an Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship which took him to work as an aide for DNC Vice-Chair Rep. Mike Honda on education policy, among other issues. He was born and raised in New Jersey, was an adjunct professor at his alma mater Rutgers, and now lives in North Plainfield.
Christodoulou is in a great position to be a key player in Potosnak's race. Christodoulou is Vice-Chair of the Somerset Democratic Committee, and under Chair Peg Schaffer, the Somerset organization has been building much needed infrastructure. And both Christodoulou and Schaffer are members of a bunch of Democrats known as "The Group," who raise big money for Democratic candidates, and recently tried to clear the field for Hillary Clinton. At Blue Jersey, we have often been critical of "The Group" but they sure as hell get their calls answered. Christodoulou can be a key player in attracting financial support for a NJ-7 Democrat, if he makes the choice to be. I called Zenon today to tell him I hope he does.
Ed Potosnak was endorsed by the Hunterdon County Democratic County Committee this weekend. I'm a voting member; representing Voting District #1, Flemington. The vote was very close; the choice between a candidate many in the room knew - Zenon Christodoulou, Vice-Chair of the Somerset County Dems - and one they just met, Ed Potosnak, who taught chemistry at Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, then went to work developing education policy for Rep. Mike Honda (CA-15), DNC vice-Chair.
I want to talk a little about why. Active Dems in NJ-7 are battle-scarred warriors, particularly those of us in the western region of NJ-7, in Hunterdon. I run the DFA group there, and we were instrumental running a chunk of Linda Stender's field operation in 2006, when there were few campaign resources to be spent in NJ's most crimson county. We did well, helping to drive the 9% momentum shift uptick over the 2004 congressional race numbers in the Hunterdon part of NJ-7, the biggest jump in-District.
But much of the grass/netroots infrastructure that sprang to life for her in 2006, here and elsewhere, was ignored in Stender's 2nd campaign, a standard DCCC cookie-cutter deal. And, no surprise to us, the woman who came within about 3,000 votes of victory in 2006, caved in 2008 and lost by a whopping 9 points, as Blue Jersey's post-mortem analysis recounts.
There's a backstory to this. Five years ago, before Stender, Nathan Rudy - tired of begging the DCCC - decided "we'd have to do it ourselves." And Blue 7th PAC and Dump Mike - home of opposition research on Rep. Mike Ferguson - were born. They're gone now, and DFA's congressional campaign muscle here has atrophied a bit since 2006. That's why it matters that Ed Potosnak showed Hunterdon Democrats that he's the candidate more likely to create a solid campaign infrastructure.
Potosnak and Christodoulou got less than 6 days notice that Saturday's Hunterdon meeting was going to be the endorsement voting meeting. And Potosnak, long scheduled out of state, flew back overnight to get there, evidence he's got his game-face on. He's also gained some ground: He's declared with the FEC, which Zenon had not, and is already fundraising. More importantly, he's working the phones. Potosnak called every committee member he had contact info for.
Christodoulou also did well in front of that crowd, and explained the date to defend his PhD dissertation is fast-approaching, which kept him too busy to match Potosnak's outreach to date. Many of us know Zenon, a well-spoken, well-liked businessman with a history of raising money for national Democratic candidates like Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. And I maintain that Somerset, where Potosnak also lives, is Ground Zero now. In October, the county shifted from majority GOP to majority Democratic. Riding that Obama wave. The Democrat who inspires Somerset County voters - including unaffiliateds - has a fighting chance of being the game-changer. But it won't happen without infrastructure, without doing all the homework. And before Hunterdon voted, the teacher Potosnak did that. Plus some extra credit.
Union County's screening of NJ-7 candidates is March 10. Somerset County's convention is 9am on March 27th, in Bound Brook. Middlesex County, not scheduled yet.
I do not think Leonard Lance can be beaten in a Republican Primary. Even if David Larsen won, he would be cut out in redistricting in 2012."
Doherty's statement is sure to anger some of the same people that put him in office, but his decision seems to be more about is own political standing and thinking Lance is the safe bet so it's better to keep his powder dry in this one. Larsen will need to raise some seed money to show people he's serious and not just looking to loan his campaign money for the effort. I'm told that Lance won't be the only Republican to get a challenge from the tea party crowd as someone may run against Frank Lobiondo.
Then in the seats held by Democrats, there are a few primary races to run against the Incumbent. There are numerous candidate running in the 3rd district and Justin Murphy could also get support from the tea partiers as he runs again this year. There is also the primary to run against Rush Holt as Mike Halfacre and Scott Sipprelle will face off in a right v. further right battle and there may be more candidates to jump in the race. Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini and others have expressed interest in challenging to run against Frank Pallone as well. The tea partiers are even saying they may put someone up against Scott Garrett from the right, if that's possible in comments to stories that are being written. The amount of candidate running in GOP primaries can be seen as an indication of the enthusiasm and also anger out there with the public right now, who only want to see 8% of incumbent re-elected right now.
By contrast, the Democrats in New Jersey don't seem to like primaries as much. The only primary challenge I've seen so far is one against John Adler, but his warchest will make that an uphill climb. I know inside political circles they tend to shy away from primaries, because it makes you spend resources you want to conserve for the general election battle and take stands you often don't want to defend. But sometimes primaries can better prepare candidates for the trial by fire that is a general election campaign. Even if the GOP candidates don't win their primary challenges, the incumbents will already be in campaign mode given the voter angst right now. The competitive primaries to challenge Democratic incumbents will season them for the rigors of a race. With the climate and public opinion where it is, it's important that candidates don't wait to start their campaigns and these primaries insure that the GOP won't.
The DNC announced the other day that they will target Congressmen Lance and Lobiondo as part of their effort to focus on the group of 32 House Republicans who opposed the healthcare bill that are in Congressional Districts won by President Obama in 2008:
Through this campaign, the DNC will send a message to Republicans who have reflexively said no to health insurance reform by urging them to do the right thing and support reform when it comes to the House again for a final vote. The campaign will include press releases, Op-Eds and letters to the editor, local events and will leverage the energy and enthusiasm of the DNC's grassroots supporters and its email list in holding these members accountable for their vote. The effort may also include paid advertising. DNC National Press Secretary Hari Sevugan released the following statement on the effort:
"You would think a Member of Congress should think twice about voting against health insurance reform that their families and small businesses so desperately need and want. But you have to think to vote against health insurance reform in a Congressional District won by President Obama just a year ago could be a political death knell at a time when Americans are clamoring for solutions to vexing issues like health care," said Sevugan. "These members not only represent districts that voted for President Obama, but also where health insurance reform, as in the rest of the country, is badly needed and where passing it will be politically popular. Some on the very far right wing would have people believe that voting for health insurance reform is a mistake politically - when the truth is that any Republican who votes against reform, especially those from districts won by the President, will undoubtedly place themselves in real political peril."
We've focused here at Blue Jersey a good deal of a attention and effort on getting the people in our own party on board with healthcare reform, but the DNC is taking a look at the other side of the aisle and lining up their targets for the next election based on what they see. In separate releases, the DNC noted that President Obama received 54% of the vote in Congressman LoBiondo's district and didn't give a percentage in Lance's district, but pointed to the President's victory. In fact, they and Organizing for America started putting out those releases hitting Lance and LoBiondo immediately following the vote on Saturday night. Congressman LoBiondo's spokesman had a simple, short response to the targeting:
Asked about the DNC's targeting of LoBiondo, Galanes asked, "Are they targeting John Adler? ... Just curious."
Are we in Congress or pre-school? A bad vote by Johnny doesn't excuse Franky from doing the right thing by his people.
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