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New Jersey Republicans in for a Bleak November

Fall seems like it's a world away in these sweltering August summer days, but the November elections will be here in just a few months, and New Jersey Democrats have the opportunity to deal a crippling blow to the Republican Party and its statewide infrastructure (if it can be argued that they have one). Though I know South Jersey senate races better than North and Central ones, there are really only two competitive senate races in currently-held Democratic seats, and this is Sen. Ellen Karcher vs. media hound Ass. Jennifer Beck, and Sen. Joe Coniglio vs. Rob Coletti. Otherwise, in South Jersey alone, Democrats have a real opportunity to pick up 4 state senate seats via Diane Allen's seat (Rich Dennison is an incredibly strong and capable challenger in district 7), Sonny McCullough losing to Jim Whelan, Nick Asselta losing to rising Dem star Jeff Van Drew, and unorthodox Dem Fran Bodine defeating Phil Haines.

If the Democrats pick up those seats, they would then have a 26-14 state senate advantage over the Republicans, who are arguably the most inept state party I've ever encountered. The Assembly is a little trickier, since Dems already have a massive 50-30 advantage, but gains can be made there as well; and that doesn't even include freeholder raises in Burlington County, Cumberland County, and elsewhere.

The NJ Republicans, who recently held a fundraiser "honoring" that abyssmal failure-in-chief, Pres. Bush, stand to lose further races this November and become even more obsolete and irrelevant as a statewide party. I for one am glad for this.

posted by Michael Martin @ 7:03 AM