TRENTON, N.J. – Is State Senator Gerry Cardinale’s age a legitimate issue in this year’s LD39 primary? Former running mates – Assmeblyman Bob Auth (R-39) and Holly Schepisi (also R-39) – are coming down on different sides of the issue.
“After multiple conversations with political and community leaders across the 39th Legislative District, it is clear to me that we need to move in a different direction and focus on what is best for the future of our party and the residents of the 39th Legislative District,” Schepisi wrote on Facebook Wednesday evening, sharing a link to an article on the subject published by NorthJersey.com. “I thank the District 39 mayors for their support and for their recognition of how important it is for us all to move forward. Who is better equipped to navigate some of the difficult issues we are all facing? A working mother who is fighting for our district, who is faced with all the same challenges, or someone who has been in office since Jimmy Carter was President?”
–
Auth takes issue with the “Jimmy Carter” line since, in the same NorthJersey.com article, Schepisi – who is challenging Cardinale for his Senate seat – reportedly told her interviewer that she didn’t want to make an issue of the aging state Senator’s age. Schepisi echoed a similar point about the length of Cardinale’s tenure in the article:
“When you’ve been there for 40 years … there comes a time and a place where you’re perceived as solely a political insider,” she said. “People want reformers, people want rabble-rousers, they hate government, they hate politicians and they want people who are going to actively stand up and fight.”
“It seems rather hypocritical to say you’re not going to make it an issue of it in the article and then make it an issue,” Auth told Save Jersey about an hour after the post went live.
Cardinale will turn 87 this month. He initially entered the State Senate back on January 12, 1982, and he served a term in the State Assembly from 1980 to 1982 bringing his total current legislative tenure to 41 years.
Auth and Schepisi are known to have never been best buddies, but the latter’s challenge to Cardinale has brought the ex-running mate’s dislike for one another out into the open.
Schepisi’s decision to pass on another term in the Assembly has opened up a down-ballot battle. Auth’s preferred new Assembly running mate is Upper Saddle River Councilwoman DeAnne DeFuccio who just entered the race on Wednesday; Saddle River Councilman John Azzaritti, Bloomindale Councilman Drew Juhlin, and Closer Mayor John Glidden are also competing in the Assembly nomination race. Azzaritti and Juhlin are reportedly aligned with Schepisi.
–
