The traditionally blue 36th District is about to get a shake up. The Democrats decided to move hand picked Assemblyman Ryan into the 28th District with the removal of Nutley and have left an big opportunity in a district that has otherwise been tough for the GOP to crack. While Nutley was arguably the most Republican town in the former 36th, the other towns in the district have shown signs of life in recent years electing Republicans to local offices. Both parties have chosen newcomers with the Republicans thinking way outside the box.
The GOP has selected Sara Rosengarten, a 24 year old candidate from notorious-dual-office-holder-Assemblyman/Council President Gary Schaer’s backyard of Passaic, to spearhead the 2011 campaign. I cannot confirm this with hard numbers yet, but I would bet anything that Rosengarten is and will be the youngest legislative candidate in the state this year. The Democrat smear machine will likely have trouble with this one as Rosengarten has never held, nor ran, for any political office before. That being said, she has clearly drawn a line between herself and the Democrats.
New Jersey is truly at a crossroads. We have to make a choice. We can choose to continue with the same old ideas and continue pushing our fiscal mistakes on to the next generation of taxpayers, my generation of taxpayers, or we can make the fundamental changes necessary to bring prosperity and affordability back to New Jersey.
John Genovesi, a long time Rutherford resident, will also be running for Assembly on the ticket under Don Diorio for State Senate.
The Democrats have chosen to go with Ridgefield prosecutor Marlene Caride. They make no apologies for the fact that Caride, a 2006 local election loser in Ridgefield, was chosen merely for the fact that she is a minority candidate. How do we know this? According to politckerNJ,
“The acceleration of the Democrats’ Caride option came as the Minority Coalition threatened to sue unless Democrats increase the number of minorities in the legislature in keeping with the designs of Prof. Alan Rosenthal, the redistricting commission’s tie-breaking 11th member.”
I was willing to give the Democrats the benefit of the doubt, for some reason. But then there was this from Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco,
“I hosted one of the redistricting commission meetings here in Passaic. The Hispanic community wants representation. I read Marlene’s bio. She is the right candidate for our district.”
Still not convinced? How about we hear from Caride herself?
“This is a community with a large Hispanic population and I can relate to them.”
So the Democrat strategy in LD-36 seems to be to pander to the hispanic community in hopes that they will vote for someone of the same ethnicity. Predictable since the Democrats see groups and never individuals. They went out and found a cuban woman to avoid getting sued, rather than seeking a candidate for their ideas or ability to lead and represent the 36th District.
While there is another Democrat, Bergen Freeholder Bernadette McPherson, looking for the nod, she is unlikely to gain any traction. If we try and think like Democrats this is a simple decision. McPherson does not fit the mold of what the apparently litigious Minority Coalition is looking for. Caride already has the support of Sarlo, Schaer, and Blanco.
Good luck to them… they will need it. Unfortunately, the new 36 is bookended by two hopeless towns — Passaic and Cliffside Park, giving the Dems at least a 5,000 vote head start. While most of the remaining towns are at least reasonably competitive, there isn't one big margin — barring scandal or a political sea change — that will help overcome the Dem advantage.
The most interesting part of this is how McPherson's 13 years of local and county elected office has been tossed aside in the name of so-called diversity. Although soon-to-be ex-Assemblyman Ryan and Sen. Sarlo appreciated her taking a pass last go around, good intentions will not likely be rewarded here.
Can't say its surprising that the Dems would keep up their obsession with racial politics. Here's to hoping the kid can pull this one off and make something happen in that district.
Any word on whether Schaer takes benefits from both his Trenton and Passaic jobs???
McPherson should flip, the rest of Bergen is going to go red in the next few cycles anyway. Jump on the train before it pulls out of the station.
How can you refer to the 36th district as 'traditionally blue' & "tough for the GOP to crack", and out of the other side of your mouth call Camden County (5th & 6th) "the hardest job in the state?"
Seem to me you have an agenda to your reporting.
The idea that more than one area of the state can't be "traditionally blue" or "tough for the GOP to crack" is a strange one indeed. Especially considering the GOP is the minority party in the legislature. One should presume there are many places tough to crack. There are safe Dem districts all over the state, some even more safe after the new map came out last week.
However, I completely maintain what I said about being CCGOP chairman, its the hardest job in the state for a Republican. The Democrat machine in Camden County had had its hands around the neck of the GOP down there for decades. Anyone familiar with the situation down there would confirm this.
And finally, my reporting is almost exclusively editorial, of course I have an agenda, we're trying to SAVE Jersey here, not just report on how crappy the dems have made it.
You will see Halley's Comet in your lifetime again before McPherson switches parties. The roots are too deep blue for that to happen.
Then you have just given the CCGOP Chairman an open pass. That doesn't SAVE Jersey.
I'm not really sure I follow what you are saying. Are you implying that the CCGOP Chairman job is not difficult? Or are you saying that we shouldn't acknowledge that its difficult because that would be an "open pass?" What is an open pass anyway?
Sara is a wonderful and bright person, and I am excited for someone who is a well educated and local person to head up the campaign. I am very excited to see her to make a great run and represent the district!
It's great that someone of her caliber is willing to run what will be a very tough race. I would request that she and her running mates (they better run together as a team) have no illusions that there will be any NJGOP help beyond the requisite "we're all on the same team." Don't expect a lot of local Republicans — many of whom have long-term relationships with Sarlo — to be particularly supportive.
That being said, running for office can be a great experience. The goal is always to win, but understand it's a tough hill to climb and at times a lonely one.