Part 27 of 50.
We go now from Colorado to New Jersey, another original state(Fun little side trip-New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states that have gubernatorial elections in odd years, and they have them together. Odd, no?).
The reporting for New Jersey(Or as the locals call it, Joisey) is done by the Pulitzer Prize-winning political journalist for the
Star-Ledger, Frank Giaccone. Frank rose to prominence with a series of articles that put three State Senators, two Mayors(Including the Mayor of Newark), the Lieutenant Governor and a prominent businessman in jail, and led to one of the most-wide ranging corruption probes in New Jersey history. Here's Frank.
There's a saying in New Jersey politics(Coined by yours truly): "Everybody is corrupt, it's just a matter of how much." Jersey's always has a reputation for fast and loose rules, kickbacks and dirty money, gangsters and crooked pols-Something
The Sopranos, even though it was a good show, didn't help with. Anyways, most pols are probably doing something that's hinky, but as long as they keep it quiet and do their jobs, we tend not to call 'em on it.
(
OOC: I did try to shrink this, but am incompetent with this sort of thing, so sorry for the size.)
Senior Senator-
Dante Jenkins, Democrat.
Residence: Trenton.
Committee Assignments: Judiciary; Armed Services; Governmental Affairs; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Select Intelligence.
The first black man ever elected to the US Senate from New Jersey, Jenkins is a tough guy, and probably the most honest guy in Jersey politics.
He went to Rutgers on the Army's dime, and served for 5 years.
When he came home, Jenkins went to law school at Seton Hall, before joining the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. He was involved in the Organized Crime and Homicide Divisions, which led him into conflict with local gangsters. It was here that Jenkins really rose to prominence.
On the night of November 16th, 1989, 4 men broke in Jenkin's house, with the intent to kill him. Jenkins fought them off, and shot 3 of them with a shotgun, killing 2. The others escaped, though Jenkins was shot twice, once in the arm and stomach. After a 10 hour surgery to remove the bullets, Jenkins was back on the job the next week. The two survivors were found, and prosecuted-Both are serving life in prison.
Due to his involvement, Jenkins was threatened with death, but he stood firm. He's the only Senator to have full-time security, as he's received death threats throughout his career. Jenkins is assigned a Secret Service agent when in Washington, and a New Jersey State Trooper is added to his security when he is home in Trenton.
Jenkins was elected Prosecutor of Mercer County in 1990, and ran for the Senate in 1996. He portrayed himself as a tough, common man of the people, who would fight for New Jersey. With an endorsement from then-Senator Joe Lazzieri, as well as an excellent campaign(Advised by former White House Communications Director and New Jersey native Lou Thornton), Jenkins won with 50.40% of the vote. He was reelected in 2002 and 2008.
In the Senate, Jenkins has made his name in the Judiciary Committee, and on Governmental Affairs. As the ranking member on the powerful Permanent Investigations, Jenkins has pushed to investigate government waste and fraud, as well as allegations of corporate abuse and misuse of funds in the UN. On Judiciary, Jenkins is the most interrogative-He questions witnesses and nominees, especially judicial nominees, extensively. More than one nominee has had their confirmation derailed because of a blistering series of questions from Jenkins.
Recently, with Select Intelligence being added to his portfolio, Jenkins has become something of the de facto Senate expert on national security and intelligence law. He's sure to weigh in on the upcoming debate over the founding of a Department of Homeland Security, which he recently came out in favor of.
Jenkins is married, and has 2 sons, one of whom was just accepted at Rutgers on a football scholarship. He stills lives in Trenton, though a different house than the one that was broken into.
Junior Senator-
Mike Brace, Republican. Residence: Atlantic City.
Committee Assignments: Health, Education, Labor and Pensions(HELP); Environment and Public Works; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Appropriations.
Brace is part of a breed that is slowly becoming extinct-The moderate Northeastern Republican. But Brace is one of the best chances to help start repopulating.
Brace is a genuinely nice guy-Not a bad word for anybody, and he hates negative campaigning. But he's not naive, far from it-Brace is shrewd, intelligent, and can ferret out people's motives, and is able to decide who will help and who will hurt him.
Elected to Congress from the 2nd District in 1998, Brace was an ally of Democrats on education and women's rights-Especially the right to choose(Brace is pro-choice). He looked like he would have a position in the leadership, until 2004. That's when Senator Joe Lazzieri announced that he would be resigning his seat, due to allegations of corruption. Then-Governor Jonathan Fowler appointed Brace to fill Lazzieri's seat. Brace won a special election in 2004, and won his first full-term in the seat in 2006 by a landslide.
In the Senate, Brace has continued his moderate ways. He's become one of the key parts of Democratic strategy, as they work to pick off moderate Republicans in order help build an agenda. He's been receiving overtures from Democrats to join their party, but Republican leadership incited him to stay by giving him a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee.
Brace was one of the earliest backers of the Santos education plan in the Senate, and worked hard to ensure it's passage. He was reportedly bitter with both sides of the aisle for it's failing to pass. He's said that he will be proposing his own plan in the Senate next term, and will work to pass that as well.
Brace's moderation plays well in New Jersey, and he's unlikely to lose by a large margin unless there's a Democratic wave. Rumors had it that Congresswoman Annie Long was going to challenge Brace in 2012, but Long said that she wasn't thinking that far ahead-Which is not a "Yes" or a "No." Brace has been fundraising a lot, and is currently sitting on $14 million dollars-Not an insubstantial amount. But he has recently taken fire for his admission of frequenting an escort service, an ethical lapse that is going to cost him. Brace is currently cooperating with a federal investigation into Marrisa and Associates, the prostitution service run by Madam Mary Ann Latimer. He's also attending marriage counseling with his wife, Cheryl. Brace's friendship with Gary Puller, the former COO of Atkins and Sons, the investment bank whose collapse caused the financial crisis, has also recently come into question. The story goes that Brace applied pressure to the SEC to not investigate rumors of misdealing within Atkins at the behest of his old friend. Right now, these are just rumors, but if there is any truth to them, Brace could be tied to the collapse of the financial system and the economic downturn-Accusations which could doom him. Brace might not have enough time(He's up for reelection in 2012) to make people forget about these ethical issues.
New Jersey First: One of the most Democratic districts in the state. Not surprising, considering that it's got Camden County in it.
Representative: Congressman
Walt Hubbard, Democrat. Residence: Haddon Heights.
Committee Assignment: Transportation and Infrastructure(Chairman).
Elected in 1982, Hubbard's fairly moderate. He doesn't do a lot of screaming, or partisan recriminations. He prefers to work out solutions, rather than yell his head off. He's socially moderate, but fiscally liberal-As evidenced by his love of the federal pie.
Hubbard has made a name for himself as the biggest supporter of Amtrak in Congress-Like Senator Malken of Virginia, Hubbard doesn't have a house in Washington. He takes the train home every night, and sleeps in his office when he doesn't make it home. Hubbard has called for a major increase in Amtrak funding, and has introduced a bill called "The American Transportation Reinvention Act," which would expand Amtrak to a massive degree-Basically, it's a bill that replaces cars with trains. While the bill has support from Representatives of the urban Northeast, as well as light rail supporters in the Northwest, the industrial Midwest has completely opposed the bill. Why? They make the cars there. But Hubbard has earned the support of the environmental movement, as trains are somewhat friendlier. His bill also supports funding for development of energy alternatives.
Hubbard hasn't seriously been challenged in an election since his first. He sends plenty of cash home, and has good connections with his people. He's safe, and if he isn't, no one is.
New Jersey Second: The southern tip of the state, it's bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the the Delaware Bay. Mostly urban, it does have something of a rural prescence, which tilts the district to the Republican side. But it does include Atlantic City(One of my favorite places in the world).
Representative: Congressman
Tucker Fitzpatrick, Republican. Residence: Ocean City.
Committee Assignment: Oversight and Government Reform.
Elected following Mike Brace's appointment to the Senate, Fitzpatrick is another moderate, was Brace's chief of staff, and is a Millville native.
Fitzpatrick has followed Brace's lead in the House, moderation above all. Instead of education, his main cause for reform is health care. He's also a major advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, with an emphasis on keeping college students in the states. Brace has worked hard to build a coalition for the basis of comprehensive reform, and with the recent actions by Miguel Alvarez, an illegal immigrant, the impetus could be there for real action.
Fitzpatrick is facing his toughest challenge since his first election. The Democrats have nominated former NJ Secretary of State Eddie Parra. Parra is a popular, effective man, well-liked. He's well-funded, and the DCCC has declared the 2nd to be a "Blue Zone." The Republicans have responded by giving Fitzpatrick as much staff and cash as possible. This race will come down to national factors-How well Santos and Walken do in the state.
New Jersey Third: Bordering Pennsylvania, this district has the very edges of the Philadelphia suburbs. It's moderate, with the slightest Republican lead.
Representative: Congressman
Patrick "Pat" Cobb, Republican. Residence: Cinnaminson.
Committee: Foreign Affairs.
Cobb was elected in 2006. He's moderate-conservative. He's for reform on taxes, health care, education. But as a devout Catholic, he's vehemently pro-life, and against gay marriage in all cases.
Cobb is a former Peace Corps volunteer, and displays a keen interest in foreign relations. For only a 2nd year Rep, he's done a lot of traveling, appearing on CODEL's to Europe, the Middle East, Kazakhstan, Asia and South America. Some have joked that Cobb should be known as the "Congressman from Washington International."
Due to Cobb's traveling, he's been hit on not being in his district, and being the wrong kind of Congressman. The Democrats chose former Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Ty Branson. Branson has a 12-year career in baseball, and played with the Phillies in 2008 and 2009, earning a World Series and National League championship ring. He retired this year, and immediately jumped into politics. He seems to be a moderate Democrat so far.
New Jersey Fourth: Encompassing the urban zone of Trenton and stretching to the Atlantic Coast, the 4th is fairly conservative.
Representative: Congressman
Stuart "Stu" Clendon, Republican. Residence: Freehold.
Committee: Standards of Official Conduct; House Administration.
Clendon is your standard Representative: Conservative, 4 years in the State Legislature, 3 in City Council, businessman before that. Typical.
Clendon is facing an undermanned Democrat in the election, and is going to be beat him. Easy peesy.
New Jersey Fifth: Bordering the rural edge of Pennsylvania and New York, another Republican area. Being the New York suburbs, it's an extremely high-income area.
Representative: Congressman
Martin Yancy, Republican. Residence: Bergenfield.
Committee: Financial Services; Budget.
Yancy is quite the conservative, both socially and fiscally. He made his cash in the junk bond market in the '80's and early '90's, escaping just before the market collapsed. However, during his 1st run for Congress, Yancy was hit with charges of predatory lending, and barely won with 48% of the vote. As he was reelected, the relevance of the charges disappeared.
Now, with the collapse of the economy, those charges are gaining some fresh steam, and Yancy's sure to be hit on them.
His personality doesn't help-Yancy is an arrogant jackass on most issues, and shows a general disdain for people who are less wealthy than him, or anyone who disagrees with him.
His opponent, Paramus schoolteacher D.R. Perry, has done surprisingly well-He's polling at 48%, with Yancy at 50%. Perry, an older gentleman, has assembled a coalition of new activists and old party regulars to help run his campaign, as well as "YiR" volunteers. He's been hitting Yancy on being part of the old order that caused all of these problems, on being someone who doesn't represent the true values of the Fifth. Perry is moderate(Or at least pro-life), and has been gaining ground. Watch this for an upset.
New Jersey 6th: An oddly shaped district, this borders the Atlantic, and has been gerrymandered to be Democratic, though not ardently so.
Representative:
Congresswoman Eileen Davis, Democrat. Residence: Asbury Park.
Committee: None.
Davis really was a placeholder Representative. She was a State Representative, who ran for the special election to fill the seat of her friend and mentor, Congressman Mike Franco (Maybe you've heard of him?) Davis has already agreed to stand down for this election.
Franco was a former Navy man, before being elected to Congress. He was knowledgable, but many in official Washington were surprised when he was chosen to be Secretary of Defense, believing he didn't have the heft. Sources within the Santos Administration said that Rhode Island Senator Michael Swain was Santos' first choice, but politics played a part in him being rejected. Politics also played a part in the rejection of Senator Eric Bennett, and when Miles Hutchison, President Bartlet's Secretary of Defense, was considered to be kept on Josh Lyman shut the deal down, claiming that Hutchison would only try to gather power and influence to himself. Franco was a last-ditch compromise choice.
Davis won in 2008, but has announced that she will be stepping down. In her place, the Democrats chose Highlands Borough Mayor Holly Clarke. Clarke is currently polling at around 56%, and is expected to win easily. It's been speculated(But not at all confirmed) that if President Santos loses his reelection bid, Franco could return to his seat.
New Jersey 7th: Heading toward New York City, the Seventh is fairly moderate.
Representative: Congressman
Bob Grimsley, Republican. Residence: Scotch Plains.
Committee: Energy and Commerce.
In an ironic phrasing, the Congressman lives in a place that bears the same name at what he loves: Scotch. Grimsley is an acknowledged alcoholic, and has been in rehab several times. He announced that this would be his last election, and he would be retiring in 2012.
Grimsley's been accused of funneling campaign cash from his accounts, and sending government cash to friends and contributors-Who, in turn, benefit Grimsley with campaign cash, and offers of boards to sit on, investment opportunities. It's a vicious, dirty little cycle, and Grimsley plays it well.
Fairly moderate, with buckets of (Dirty?) cash, Grimsley never lost an election, and doesn't look to now. Democrats gave the seat a pass, waiting for Grimsley to leave, and the possibility that they can pick it up on the next go-round.
New Jersey 8th: Centered in Passaic, the 8th is geographically small. It's got a distinct Democratic lean.
Representative: Congressman
Will Carn, Democrat. Residence: Bloomfield.
Committee: Veteran's Affairs.
Carn is another do-nothing Rep. He's retiring at the end of the year, and good riddance to him.
His replacement is the interesting story. The primary produced an interesting candidate: Khalil Hamdan, an Arab-American and practicing Muslim from Montclair. Hamdan was a City Councilman, and Professor of Comparative Religions and International Relations at Montclair State University. He describes himself as a moderate Muslim, saying:
"People need to see Muslims in roles other than that of a terrorist, or dictator. Islam is a religion of peace, and based on a Holy Book, the Qu'ran, the same as the Torah and the Bible. And just like Judaism and Christianity, Islam can be twisted, words formed into something they are not. I'm running, not just because I believe that I will be the best Representative for the 8th District of New Jersey and it's people, but because people need to see a Muslim in another light."
Hamdan is currently polling at 51%-An unusually low number for this district.
New Jersey Ninth: Bumped up against New York, this district includes Hackensack, and bends Democratic.
Representative: Congressman
Harvey Lewton, Democrat. Residence: Washington, D.C.
Committee: Small Business.
Lewton was an ass before this business emerged, but now, he's definitely gone.
Lewton was a former real estate dealer and construction company owner, who made his money fast and loose. It was rumored that his dealings were Mob-connected, and his construction sites were used as dumping grounds, but despite
5 separate investigations (By the FBI, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Attorney General's Office, ATF and U.S. Attorney's Office), nothing was ever found. The damage was done though-Lewton appeared distracted, as being investigated constantly can't be easy.
Lewton had personal problems as well-His wife left him, his kids don't talk to him, and he's not the nicest, easiest guy to get along with.
Lewton recently got caught up in yet another scandal-Most of his cash was with a bank that was rumored to be going under. Just before the bank announced that it was closing, Lewton persuaded the government to bail the bank out, and guarantee all of its' funds. The Treasury Department did so, but Lewton reportedly skimmed the matching amount of his own funds off of the top. This prompted yet another pair of investigations.
Meanwhile, Lewton is done in electoral politics. When he tried to file for reelection, news emerged that he had sold his house in Teaneck, and was living in Washington full-time. Furious, local Democrats kicked him out, and nominated Allan Spanning, the popular former Mayor of Lodi. The Republicans countered with Assistant DA Mike Sheare, a charismatic, effective man. With Lewton's legacy possibly providing a drag on Spanning, this race could put the seat in Republican hands for the first time since the '70's. One to watch.
New Jersey Tenth: Consisting of Newark, Orange and East Orange, the Tenth is heavily Democratic, and black-majority. Newark is my hometown, and where I currently live.
Representative: Congressman
William "Dollar Bill" Ridge, Democrat. Residence: Union.
Committees: Budget; House Administration.
"Dollar Bill" Ridge is the cheapest man on Capitol Hill. He's probably got all of his Congressional salaries from the past 5 years. How he ever got elect is beyond me-You have to spend money to be elected, and Ridge hates doing that. He's probably the most fiscally conservative Democrat in the House, just because of his personal miserliness.
Aside from his tightwad ways, Ridge is another normal Representative. He's retiring after this year, and I say good-bye to him. He wasn't very prompt with requests for interviews, or constituent aid. His replacement is going to be State Representative Cedric Williams, a very energetic, bright young man. After years of sluggish service, and little to no campaigning and contact, I think the people of the 10th District will be pleasantly surprised with Congressman Williams.
New Jersey Eleventh: This district is one of the more Republican in the Northeast, though the Republicans it elects tend to be moderates. Despite this fact, good years nationally for Democrats do not mean bad ones for Republicans.
Representative: Congressman
Jonathan Samuel "Jack" Fowler, Republican. Residence: Morristown.
Committee Assignments: Oversight and Government Reform; Judiciary.
Fowler is the next generation of the New Jersey Fowlers, a family that has been in politics since New Jersey's founding. Much like the Pierce's, Howard's and Ryan's, Fowler's litter every branch of New Jersey politics. The Fowler family is centered in Morristown, in a beautiful compound outside the city.
This Fowler is the son of the former Governor, Jonathan Fowler. He took the nickname Jack to distinguish himself from his father. The Congressman's got a female cousin in the State Legislature, a brother who is communications director for Mike Brace, and an aunt who is a Federal Appeals Judge(On the 3rd Circuit).
Governor Fowler was one of the most popular Governors this state had, and many speculated that he would run for President in 2006, or 2010. Fowler bowed out both times, endorsing Arnold Vinick in 2006 and Marcus Blakemore in 2010. He was also mentioned as a possibility for VP, but the job went to Liz Clark. Speculation has begun to rise that Fowler would challenge Mike Brace, the man he appointed to the Senate, in a primary in 2012, but the former Governor has yet to comment on those rumors.
Anyways, Congressman Fowler is the future of the Republican Party. He's young, intelligent, has good ideas, moderate, the kind of person the Republicans want to promote alongside Cody Riley and Riley Church. They need them to counter the "Youth in Revolt" and the younger people the Democrats tend to attract. Only in his first term, Fowler hasn't done a lot, but has slowly been building connections in the House. His main focus has been on working for his constituents. Fowler is facing the Mayor of Somerville, but with his family's money and organization, looks like an easy win.
New Jersey Twelfth: Centered around Princeton, this area has a ton of research labs. So it only makes sense that is it represented by a doctor.
Representative: Congressman
Dr. Gregory Laurie, Democrat. Residence: Princeton.
Committee Assignments: Energy and Commerce; Science and Technology; Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Gregory Laurie was a researcher at Princeton, and an effective doctor, before running for office. He's kept his medical license, and volunteers at clinics in New Jersey and D.C.
His speciality was in infectious disease, and he's one of the biggest supporters of efforts to eradicate TB, AIDS, malaria, yellow fever and Ebola. Congressman Laurie recently attended a conference in Malaysia, dealing with the threat of a global pandemic, and has been one of the loudest voices arguing for a united global health response.
Laurie is well-known in Washington for his often-rumpled appearance, and disdain for suits, saying, "I wear a suit, it makes me a politician. I don't want to be a politician, I want to be a Representative, and work for my people." Female voters, especially in age 18-25 demographic, tend to love him. He's indicated a skepticism of religious belief in the past, and has read the Bible, Koran and several other volumes on religion and science.
Laurie has worked hard to bring federal cash to his district, promoting sciences at Princeton(His alma mater), and the Institute for Advanced Study.
Laurie was one of the first Congressman to stand up against the inquiries of Barbara Layton in 2004, calling the investigations "The repeat of persecutions against Galileo, religion pushing it's way into science. While my colleagues will call this scientific McCarthyism, and it is, the roots of this conflict go back much farther."
Laurie is well-liked in his district, his idiosyncrasies now well-known. He's raised $5 million dollars, and is polling at an astonishing 60% approval rating.
New Jersey Thirteenth: Curled up against New York City, the 13th is quite Democratic.
Representative: Congresswoman
Annie Long, Democrat. Residence: Bayonne.
Committee: Appropriations.
Long is one of the more visible, powerful Democrats in the delegation. An acknowledged liberal, she's a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and has spoken out on the need for liberal, practical Democrats to get involved.
Long has funneled plenty of cash to her district over the years. She's particularly fond of improvement to railroads and transportation systems, and has signed on to her colleague Congressman Hubbard's "American Transportation Reinvention Act." Long's the water-carrier for New Jersey, and with a close friendship with Indiana Congressman Tom Peterson(Long's husband and Peterson are friends), Chairman of House Appropriations, has ensured that Long gets a lot of what she wants.
Long's a popular, effective Representative, which has led many to speculate that she will run for statewide office. The most mentioned possibility has been Mike Brace's seat in 2012, and with the current cloud of scandal around him, there could be a chance for an upset. Long hasn't said that she will challenge Brace-But she hasn't said she won't either, leaving the door open for a possible run. As the Hispanic population in her district grows, Long has made the effort to learn Spanish, and now speaks it very well.
Long's easily going to be reelected.
New Jersey, once a Republican bastion, then a swing state, and now a Democratic area, looks to be changing again. The election of Dan Pritchard as Governor, and Walken's unexpected popularity in the state, has given Republicans hope for the future. But demographics and the remnants of old political machines keep New Jersey in the blue, and there a chance that at least one House seat could change parties. Sweeping change isn't Jersey's style-It's more of a slow progress.
