The Hurley Line: State, County & Local Races Two Weeks Before the general Election

The Hurley Line: State, County & Local Races
Two Weeks Before the general Election

By HARRY HURLEY
Political Columnist

The long, arduous and ugly campaign season is about two weeks to the Tuesday, November 6, 2018 finish line.

Here is The Hurley Line regarding the current standing of the key national, county and local races here in Southern in New Jersey.

United States Senator Bob Menendez is in the toughest race of his long electoral career with Republican Nominee Bob Hugin throwing campaign hay makers at him on a 24/7 basis.

Hugin has scorched the Earth for months with a constant loop of Menendez’ clouded and controversial past being framed in sharp, hyper-negative, concise 30-second sound bites around the clock.

Hugin is the first Republican in 50 years to possess the economic prowess and the good political fortune of a perfect political storm atmosphere required for a Republican to win a United States Senate seat in dark blue New Jersey.

Still, with Menendez being a significantly damaged and flawed candidate, he still leads in the run-up to the final days of Decision 2018. The lead is anywhere from low to medium-range single digits.

This means that Hugin still has significant work to do if he’s going to close the deal. But, he’s given himself a legitimate chance to pull-off the upset. Typically, the Republican Nominee would have long ago been vanquished.

Win or lose, Hugin may turn-out to be a major factor in the down-ballot races. He leads Menendez in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.

The race for The United States House of Representatives in District 2 also favors the Democrat, for the first time in nearly a Quarter-of-a-Century. New Jersey State Senator Jeff Van Drew, D-1 has been the prohibitive front-runner since the day he announced his candidacy on November 28, 2017.

Van Drew ran the perfect Primary Election campaign, whereby multiple challengers tried to take him on from the hard left and Van Drew didn’t bite. He dominated the field, without having to take extreme liberal positions.

His opponent, local attorney Seth Grossman pulled off a Primary Election shocker that only myself and a few others saw coming. Grossman ran a master class final stretch and dominated Atlantic County and dispatched the heavily favored Hirsh Singh to become the Republican Nominee.

The national media crushed Grossman for weeks in the beginning of the General Election campaign in attempt to put him away. Make no mistake about it, all over America, the national media has been openly providing campaign assistance for Democratic candidates. The media has surrendered any illusions of being objective. They desperately want a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives.

To his credit, Grossman weathered the storm and pushed onward. During the formative phases of this campaign, Van Drew opened a lead of 20-23 points. This pushed Grossman to employ a warp-speed, sharp series of negative attacks against Van Drew.

Grossman is feverishly attempting to erode Van Drew’s reputation as a conservative Democrat and turn him into a Nancy Pelosi/Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez socialist-style Democrat.

It’s a very heavy lift, since Van Dew has spent the past 27 years earning his reputation. However, it is the only “play” that Grossman can make to carve into the large Van Drew lead.

Grossman is running as an unapologetic President Trump, “Make America Great Again” Republican. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District in November, 2016 by 7 points.

Van Drew remains a prohibitive favorite to win the seat being vacated by 12-term United States Congressman Frank LoBiondo. For LoBiondo’s part in this race, he has not directly supported or opposed Grossman. LoBiondo will only say that he “supports the Republican ticket.”

Grossman did not support LoBiondo during his career in the United States Congress. LoBiondo is paying back the favor in a more subtle way. A full-throated, motivated LoBiondo could have been very helpful to Grossman. It was never going to happen, based on their past together.

Van Drew has openly and publicly pledge not to vote for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker of The House (should the Democrats win back the majority). Van Drew has also pledged not to vote to impeach President Trump.

Van Drew did stumble into the Brett Kavanaugh SCOTUS process. It’s the only self-inflicted error that Van Drew made in an otherwise flawless Primary and Election season campaigns.

In Atlantic County, there are 3 seats open for the Atlantic County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Chairman Frank Formica (at large) and current Freeholders James Bertino (District 5) and Maureen Kern (District 2) remain the favorites to win re-election.

If Democrats (Celeste Fernandez (at large), Maureen Leidy (District 2) and Barbara Butterhof-Rheault (District 5) sweep the election, the Democrats would gain majority-control of the Board for the first time in decades, if ever.

The County Democrats are running that they can work better with the state leaders and can be more effective than the Republicans. They have consistently run on national and state issues that basically have nothing to do with the duties of a County-level Freeholder.

They are banking that the electorate won’t know the difference. Some believe that the district is swinging more to the left from a political ideology standpoint. Complicating matters further is the election ballot itself; which features races for United States Senator and Congress (District 2) before voters will make their choices for the County and local races.

There’s two key local races to watch in Atlantic County. In Egg Harbor Township, I am forecasting that former Atlantic County Sheriff Frank Balles and his running mate, Andrew Parker, III will win. They’re running against Democrats Crystal S. Mays and Nadine M.V. Flynn.

In Hamilton Township, the races have been 50-50 propositions for the past 10 years. The winners are typically decided by less than 15 votes, following thousands of votes cast. Cuurent Mayor, Republican Art Schenker is running with Robert Laws. Current Democratic incumbent Rodney Guishard is running with attorney Kari Spodofora. This race should be as close as the previous several past elections, whereby the second seat is usually not known until all absentee and provisional ballots are counted.

Another key local race that has turned hyper-negative over phony allegations about campaigning at a local church … is the Brigantine Mayor/City Council campaign for three open seats.

Despite all of the irrelevant bluster by certain ugly partisans, Republican Nominee Andy Simpson is poised to succeed the long-time, retiring Mayor Phil Guenther. The Democratic candidate for Mayor is Rick Delucry. Delucry is an impressive candidate and has been successful multiple times running for City Council.

On the Brigantine City Council side, Republican incumbents Vince Sera and Mike Riordan are favored for re-election over Democratic challengers Denise Hakanson and Jerry Szucs, a former Brigantine Democratic Club and Municipal Chairman.

Absecon City Council, Ward 2 features Democrat incumbent Sandra Cain vs. Republican challenger Keith Grodziak.

The Buena Borough Council race presents two “walk-over” candidates as Republican incumbents Rosalie Baker and Joseph Mancuso, Jr. are running unopposed.

In Buena Vista Township, long-time Democratic Mayor and Deputy Mayor Chuck Chiarello and Theresa Kelly are also both running unopposed. Both are as decent as you’ll find in electoral public service.

In Corbin City, Democrat Jerold Dougherty is running unopposed for Mayor.

In Egg Harbor City, two Democrat incumbents (Edward Dennis and Mason Wright) and one Republican incumbent (Angelo Lello) are running for re-election.

In Estell Manor, Republican Aaron Buchanan is running unopposed for Council.

In Folsom Borough, four-time incumbent Republican Greg Schenker is running for relection, with former two-term Councilman Gregory Conway.

In Hammonton, Republican Mike Torrissi, Jr. is running for re-election, with Republican Rock Colasurdo. There are three Independent candidates running: Sam Rodio (for the 6th time), Jonathan Oliva (first-time candidate) and Dane Wuillermin (first time candidate). The top three finishers will win seats on City Council. I predict that Torrissi and Colasurdo will win. I have no idea who will capture the third seat; but, the 6th time may be the “charm.”

Linwood City Council features: 1st Ward Republican first-time candidate June Byrnes is running unopposed. Ward 2 is a race between incumbent Todd Gordon vs. Katherine Friedman.

Mullica Township has two open seats for Township Committee. First-time Republican candidate William Cornell and two first-time Democrat candidates: Joseph West and Leanna Mullen will vie for the open seats.

Northfield City Council: Ward 1 features Republican Brian Smith vs Democrat Rick Brozosky. Smith previously was a member of the Northfield City Council from 2009-2011. Ward 2 features Democrat Barbara Madden. She is running unopposed.

Pleasantville City Council: Democrats Tony Davenport and Lockland Scott are running unopposed in Wards 1 and 2.

Port Republic: Ward 1 features Republican Steven Allgeyer. Ward 2 features Republican Doris Bugdon. Both are running unopposed.

Somers Point City Council: Republican incumbent Ron Meischker is running unopposed, as is 2nd Ward Republican incumbent Howard Dill.

Weymouth Township features Republican incumbent Kenneth Haeser, who is running unopposed.

Cape May County voters will have a voice in the following election contests:

United States Senate (seat); United States Congress, District 2 (1 seat); Board of Freeholders (1 seat); Cape May (3 seats); Dennis Township (2 seats); Lower Township (3 seats – Ward 1, 2 and 3); Middle Township (1 seat); North Wildwood (2 seats – Council Ward 1 and 2); Stone Harbor (2 seats – Council) and Upper Township (2 seats – Committee).

The current state of our electoral system can be made no more clear as to ponder how many races are uncontested. This doesn’t even include the number of school board elections which are garnering no candidates whatsoever.

If this doesn’t stop, we are going to pay a heavy price with regards to the present blood sport of stooping so low as to try and ruin the lives of candidates in our electoral and appointive process.

Why will quality candidates ever be willing to put the names on the election ballot, when these are the gutter tactics being regularly employed?

Harry Hurley is the president of Harry Hurley Consulting and Communications, LLC. He hosts the daily talk radio program “Hurley in the Morning” 6-10 a.m., weekdays on Townsquare Media, WPG Talk Radio 104.1 FM & 1450 AM, where he also serves as the senior programming consultant. Harry was elected to both the Philadelphia (2014) and New Jersey (2015) Radio Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Harry Hurley has also been selected (2015-2018) as one of the Top 100 Most Important Talk Radio Hosts in America by Talkers Magazine. Hurley is also doing national fill-in, on-air talent work for FOX News Radio on their nationally syndicated platforms. He has hosted various programs for local television and is the editor and publisher of his news and information website, www.harryhurley.com. Send comments to HarryHurley@aol.com