PRESS RELEASE: Checkmate Strategies Wins Gold Pollie for Best Super PAC Mailer of 2018

The political consulting firm Checkmate Strategies, co-founded by South Jersey Chris Russell, has won a Gold Pollie Award. The firm’s press release announcing they won the award follows:

Checkmate Strategies won the Gold Pollie Award for their mailer titled "Child Abuse", which took home the "Best Super PAC/PAC" Mailer of 2018. The Gold Pollie, follows the three Campaigns & Elections Reed Awards the firm won earlier in the year.

According to the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC), less than 1/10th of 1% of all entries earned the honor of a Gold Pollie this year. Checkmate produced the mailer for Defending Main Street in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District.

"Our team works hard to produce direct mail that pushes the envelope, gets to the point, and moves public opinion," said Checkmate Co-Founder Chris Russell. "This mailer did all of those things and we were proud to play a small role in one of the toughest congressional victories for Republicans last cycle."

"It's humbling to compete against the best and biggest firms in the business and even more gratifying to earn their support and be recognized by organizations like the AAPC and Campaigns & Elections," said Checkmate Co-Founder Michael Lawler.

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It Appears At Least One Republican Is Getting Serious In CD2

David Richter via Facebook

I wasn’t planning on writing anything about CD2 today, but since New Jersey Globe and InsiderNJ have both broken the news that David Richter has formed an exploratory committee to challenge Congressman Jeff Van Drew here we go.

Admittedly, I wasn’t very kind the first time Richter appeared on the Bob & Steve Show radar, but that was only because I do tend to be a pessimistic anti-establishment kind of guy.

I assume Richter announced this exploratory committee via press release, but I guess my pessimistic anti-establishment attitude left the Bob & Steve Show off his press list. I won’t allow that to cloud my judgment and whenever he wants our 50,000 listeners to meet him Mr. Richter is welcome on the show.

I do agree with what both, New Jersey Globe and InsiderNJ report Richter said:

“New Jersey is quickly becoming a one-party state, and that party continues to move leftward towards socialism.  We need elected representatives in Congress who will fight for less government, lower taxes and free markets, and who will protect our individual rights and constitutional liberties,” said Richter.

While it appears Mr. Richter is saying the right things, he does have work to do. There’s been a lot of talk that Hirsh Singh, Seth Grossman, Brian Fitzherbert and some real estate guy John Andrie are all looking at CD2.

Singh, Grossman and Fitzherbert all have some name recognition in the district and all have at least some sort of organization which puts them ahead in a ground game if Richter really is in this.

The one thing Richter appears to have that the others don’t is enough money to self-finance if he must. While there are some that aren’t exactly thrilled that a guy they never heard of with a lot of money appeared out of nowhere to get into this race all that talk could stop as soon as checks start being written. Money does tend to buy some love in GOP primaries.

If the last CD2 primary proved anything it proved the party line can be beaten in crowded GOP primaries which means if Richter and the others are in it could come down to organization. Of course, money can buy organization.

Now that Richter is making some serious noise about getting into this race other Republicans considering it will likely start making moves.  

For now, I’m going to make an effort to be a little nicer to Richter and reserve judgment until we learn more about the guy. Who Knows, maybe he’ll come on the show.

PRESS RELEASE: NJGOP Chairman Steinhardt Responds To Murphy's New Potential Gas Tax

NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt weighed in on Governor Phil Murphy’s recent suggestion of “mileage fees” today. The Chairman’s press release follows:

Trenton, NJ - Governor Murphy is considering new "mileage fees" to pay for a shortfall in his infrastructure budget.

According to the state treasurer, tax revenues look like they’re falling short of this year’s $1.5 billion highway fuels revenue target. This shortfall could trigger yet another automatic gas tax hike to make up the difference.

Governor Murphy described finding a new way to tax people on their travel as, finding a different mouse trap to capture the movement around this state.

NJGOP Chairman Steinhardt questioned, "The Governor needs a better mousetrap to capture traffic movement? Hardly. It’s just another tax trap to capture more of your hard earned dollars! New Jersey is the highest taxed state in the nation. We don’t need new mousetraps,  we need honest solutions. Start with the repeal of the automatic tax increase put into place by a bunch of government bureaucrats. Finally, if the Governor really needs to know “where people are going”, try lower cost states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina.”

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