Reports of the Line’s Demise are Greatly Exaggerated

Brian Goldberg in Ocean County on 3/19

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Brian Goldberg in Ocean County on 3/19
Brian Goldberg in Ocean County on 3/19

I’ve heard a few excited claims that the New Jersey Republican Party’s county “lines” were revealed to be of waning performance in the wake of the June 3rd primary, Save Jerseyans.

Relax. The lines didn’t fail. Not really. There’s no doubt that independent expenditures are changing the game, but the party endorsement still plays a big role in most elections including the recent 4-way GOP Senate contest.

Brian Goldberg raked in 55.84% of the vote in GOP powerhouse Ocean County, a margin representing a better than 7,000-vote lead over Rich Pezzullo’s 18.41% and the ultimate victor Jeff Bell’s third place 17.50%. The line even held in counties like my own Norcross-dominated Camden, where the GOP doesn’t have any semblance of a machine but the endorsed candidate Rich Pezzullo won 43.39% (2,559) of the vote to Bell’s 35.83% (2,113), in Essex where Goldberg won easily with almost 49% of the vote in the 4-way race, and in one of two other Pezzullo counties, blue Union, where Pezzullo got 51.86% (3,117) to Bell’s 19.33% (1,162).

Where did Jeff Bell make up the difference despite being the only candidate without ANY lines?

Well, in counties with large Republican populations where the GOP organization declined to award a line. Duh.

For example, he earned 60.48% (2,011 votes) in Cape May County to Goldberg’s 7.37% (245), Pezzullo’s 22.26% (740) and Murray Sabrin’s 9.53% (317). Bell also snatched a plurality, 36.99% (5,206), in Morris County and 32.26% (4,005) of the vote in Burlington as well as a clear majority, 59.30% (4,642), in Bergen. Goldberg landed only 855 there, wiping out more than half of his victory margin over Bell in Ocean, and demonstrating the extent to which Goldberg’s acute lack of cash limited the overall line tally front-runner’s ability to curtail offset losses elsewhere. It proved more decisive than most of us imagined, myself included. 

It also added up by the end of the night.

Bell’s smart targeting in these unaffiliated primary counties and, to a less extent, superior name recognition among older, reliable 4/4 GOP primary voters more than explains how he was able to reap the benefits of GOP establishment indecision (and apathy). His margin of victory over second place finisher Rich Pezzullo was a hair under 5,000 votes, or nothing in a statewide contest with normative turnout.

This wasn’t that, and the rest as they say is history. Had every chairman with the ability to award the line, de facto or de jure, unanimously backed either Goldberg or Pezzullo, then the result would’ve likely been Goldberg or Pezzullo. It’s that simple.

GOP Candidate Total Votes %
Jeff Bell 41,112 29.82%
Richard J. Pezzullo 36,151 26.22%
Brian D. Goldberg 33,370 24.21%
Murray Sabrin 27,229 19.75%
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.

6 Comments

  1. The “line” held? Of course it did, it’s supposed to. That’s the virtue of candidates seeking that endorsement in a crowded primary. Not to be pedantic, but most voters are ignorant and file off the cliff like lemmings to their demise. This is how we explain Hussein Obama and the Norcrats without discussing voter fraud.

  2. It’s amazing how there are so many lemmings in Ocean County who happily have their heads in the sand. They have no idea just how progressive and corrupt George Gilmore is, and the same is true for the people he surrounds himself with. For that, I suppose we could blame the lack of media coverage that their unethical actions receive. Even though Gilmore doesn’t own a paper (openly, at least) like Boss Norcross, you don’t ever hear about the wasteful spending, incessant tax hikes, and routing of funds to Gilmore’s law firm. For years the local press were instead reporting constantly on the events that transpired on a scripted TV show that was filmed in the area and broadcast on a channel that no one over 30 watches. And they report on other frivolous nonsense now. It’s an absolute joke, and makes you wonder if in fact some hush money is being thrown around.

  3. Goldberg inability to raise money really was his downfall. I raise more money for my small Republican club at Rider University then he did for his entire campaign, including his own donation.

  4. Tom, Rufus, you know what we’re up to. When I’m done in Trenton on Thursday, over the ballot-bullying, I am moving on to Lacey…stay tuned. Did someone say “Recall?”

    Mercer is going to ruin Aimee’s summer.

    Lacey’s going to ruin Tom’s. (and that little test-case in Somerset)

    The mills of justice grind slowly, but exceedingly well.

    Much work to do.

    FJL

  5. By the way – in order to qualify for a “LINE” on the November Ballot, a party must demonstrate “sufficient support”, proven through a turn-out of voters greater than 10% of the total votes cast for State Assembly in the previous year’s election. THAT is the law. One voter = one voter. Not one voter walking into the booth, and pulling a lever for Senator, Congressman, Sheriff, Surrogate, Clerk, Freeholder, Freeholder, Mayor, Councilman, and Dog-catcher = 10 ballots.

    One voter = One voter.

    The Law is clear, and the Democrats and Republicans failed to meet that test. 380,000 people had to show up in the primary to qualify, this year. The turnout last Fall included 3.8 Million votes cast for Assembly.

    Neither party got even half-way there. Absent a third organization who qualifies for a column, this might have gone unnoticed – it has many times in the past. Independent candidates have the opportunity to “bracket” under the law. Bracketing, or associating on the ballot, is done in columns.

    To qualify for a bracket, a candidate for both the Senate and the House must appear on the ballot in a voting district, (and they “may” also be associated with County and Municipal candidates.) They must also agree to present a common slogan on the ballot.

    The Democratic-Republican Organization of New Jersey has done so – qualifying for a “column” in Six districts, encompassing all or part of 17 of the State’s 21 Counties.

    The Statute demonstrating the standard was ruled on in NJ Superior Court in “LaVergne v Lonegan”, MERS L 1933-13, during the Senate Special Election. Candidate Eugene Martin LaVergne and the other four Senate Candidates who challenged Steve Lonegan’s ballot placement prevailed, but the AG’s office was able to delay the decision until the ballots were already printed and distributed.

    Essex County Clerk, Chris Durkin, even went so far as to publish a letter to the editor in the Newark Star Ledger, affirming both the decision and the Statute, stating “LaVergne was right, and bemoaning the lack of voter engagement in primary elections.

    So, if the Democratic-Republican Organization has demonstrated the necessary requirements for a ballot column, and the Democrats and Republicans have not, where does that column get placed?

    The Statute further does not allow the Democrats and Republicans to use the “bracket request”, if they have had their primary paid for by you and I, and have not filed their petitions as “nomination by petition”.

    What this means is that, if the law will be followed as written – and history has shown us to expect little help in matters of law from our State Government as related to elections – which is why I am appearing today in Judge Jacobson’s chambers to defend the right of MY OPPONENT to be on the ballot in the first place…(apparently, the attorneys for the NJDSC, Ms. Belgard, and our esteemed Lt. Governor, feel that, as far as independent candidates are concerned, “two plus two equals six”. I have a hard time believing the judge will move heaven and earth to change the answer to a problem of mathematics).

    The challenge to Robert Edward Forchion (aka “NJWeedman”) was filed “out of time”. He will end up back on the ballot.

    Why would I stand up for my opponent?

    For the same reason that those who might vote against me could still expect fair and responsible representation from me.

    Because it’s the right thing to do.

    What’s right doesn’t change. Who’s in charge can be.

    “Stand for what’s right, or settle for what’s left” – Frederick John LaVergne, “Democratic-Republican” for Congress, NJ CD3, 2014

  6. a line is missing from the copied text – it comes after the “end parentheses” …mathematics), and would continue as follows:

    …”the Democrat and Republican candidates are then placed by lot – which means that Booker could well end up above MacArthur, and Bell, above Belgard. That’s what the Statute calls for, when a so-called “major” party organization fails the test to remain so.

    Sorry that line got deleted – hope that removes any confusion. FJL

Comments are closed.