Balles is Online in LD2

Atlantic County Sheriff Officially Launches Bid to Unseat Incumbent Democrat

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Balles AnnouncementNot too shabby for 3:30 on a work day: Atlantic Sheriff Frank X. Balles joined over 200 supporters on Monday afternoon crammed into a wall-to-wall packed Gary’s Restaurant in Pleasantville, New Jersey to formally kick off his 2013 state senate campaign.

But this is 2013, Save Jerseyans. While the physical campaign got underway in Atlantic County, the digital campaign lurched forward in sync with the ground effort as ballesforsenate.com went live on the web.

The Republican challenger nevertheless identified a very traditional motivation for his legislative aspirations. “It is because of Gary and so many other hard working business owners throughout Atlantic County, who struggle day in and day out to create jobs, pay taxes, and make our community the place it is, that inspires me to run,” Balles told those attending the live event. “Our businesses, our families, and our schools are all facing many challenges right now. Unfortunately, our current senator has proven he simply isn’t up for the job. I know we can and must do better. The people of the 2nd District deserve nothing less.”

LD2 GOP’ers aren’t ignorant of the odds in a fight to unseat incumbent Democrat Jim Whelan but they also like Balles’s chances. Very much so.

Sheriff Balles served for two decades in various police positions in heavily Democratic Pleasantville before vanquishing a 15-year incumbent Sheriff in 2008 with 58,000 votes, a raw vote tally which still stands as the record of any Atlantic County government race. Balles accomplished that feat in the ’08 Obama year, in a county with a Democrat registration advantage, during his first run for elected office. 

Like I said… not too shabby.

Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8405 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.

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