US SENATE: Mehta Goes 3 – 0

Rik Mehta

Admittedly, I’ve been slacking on the blog lately, but things are busy in our work lives, Bob’s even working Saturdays (he’ll be back on the radio show on the 15th with 2 guests booked). Typically, Bob and I speak every morning which is how the day’s blog post(s) are decided, but the past couple of weeks haven’t been typical. Everything will be back to normal soon.

With that out of the way…

Convention/Screening committee season is well under way with most of the action being the US Senate primary.

Early in the convention/screening committee season the breakout star is Rik Mehta who has won the first three conventions. Mehta is now 3 – 0 making him the clear frontrunner in the Senate race.

When I last blogged about the Republican U.S. Senate primary I wrote about how it was assumed that Hirsh Singh was the frontrunner because he, compared to the other candidates, enjoyed at least some name ID “from having run for Governor and losing, then dropping a bid for US Senate before switching to Congress in CD2 in 2018 and losing.” That post was after the first convention of the season, Union County, was won by Mehta.

I wrote then that assuming frontrunner status meant that Mehta now has a target on his back. That target has become bigger.

And, the shots at that bigger target have been coming, mostly on social media and they are all ridiculous attacks, too ridiculous to put in the blog. To be fair, at least one candidate sent his attack to some media outlets (not us), so at least I have some respect for that candidate for standing behind his/her attack.

I get to call them ridiculous attacks because this blog is opinion, never mind the fact I work with candidates in several states, usually challengers, and working with non-frontrunners means I’m the guy doing the attacking. After nearly 30 years in this business I know what a good attack looks like and the shots fired at Mehta have been weak.

As an example of the weak attacks, without naming names, the show received an email from one of the campaign managers:

I’ll share only the last line of my response to avoid naming names:

None of this is to say that I mind attacks. What I am trying to say is that if your campaign is going to take a shot at another – make it count. I don’t even care if you are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, just make it a good shot. Weak attacks simply make your candidate look weak. Grow a set, stand behind your attack, do it via press release, own it. At least if you own it you’ll get some respect.

So, with the convention/screening committee season under way, a 3 – 0 start in a five-person race, four of whom have appeared on a ballot in New Jersey at least once, and lots of incoming attacks is pretty impressive. At this point in the season Mehta has all the momentum and is the clear frontrunner in the Republican Senate primary. Let’s see if he can keep it going.

PRESS RELEASE: Donald Norcross Complains The President Is Guilty While Continuing To Ignore Camden Tax Incentive Scandal

Claire Gustafson, Republican candidate for Congress in CD1, said today that Congressman Donald Norcross should “stop whining about this impeachment nonsense.” He campaign’s press release follows:

Claire Gustafson, Republican candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s first congressional district, called out Congressman Donald Norcross over one of his campaign’s social media posts today. The post said, “The President is guilty & everybody knows it. Senate Republicans are sweeping this under the rug & trying to cover it up from the American people. #ImpeachmentDay”

“It’s laughable that Congressman Donald Norcross who bragged he ‘led the charge on getting the Economic Opportunity Act passed into law,’ the very law that led to the tax incentive scandals that Governor Phil Murphy said was ‘a rigged system’ and ‘was designed by special interests to benefit special interests’ has the guts to claim anyone is guilty of anything when some of the special interests the Governor was talking about were Donald Norcross’ family members,” Claire Gustafson said, “There was possibly wrongdoing involved with the tax breaks that went to companies that moved to Camden and everyone, including the Governor, knows it.”

Gustafson added, “If Donald Norcross is truly concerned with anyone being guilty of anything maybe he should stop whining about this impeachment nonsense and answer my challenge for him to use the bully pulpit of his congressional seat to have an honest investigation launched into exactly what led to the Camden tax incentive scandal and that if any wrongdoing is discovered those responsible are punished.”

“Maybe, while Governor Murphy is here in South Jersey to headline a fundraiser for Norcross, the Governor can explain why he is supporting the guy who bragged about getting the law passed that led to the ‘rigged system’ the Governor complained about. I and many other folks in South Jersey look forward to hearing the Governor explain it,” Gustafson said.

ICYMI: Three GOP Chairs Call Richter Move To CD3 “Boneheaded Play”

On January 28 three Republican County Chairs released a letter titled, “New Jersey Republicans Giveth and Taketh Away.” The letter was signed by Morris County Chair Laura Ali, Camden County Chair Rich Ambrosino and Hunterdon County Chair Patrick Torpey.

The chairs are obviously unhappy with congressional candidate David Richter moving from CD2 to CD3.

They open their letter with, “Two recent shake ups in the GOP congressional primary landscape can be summed up by Charles Dicken's opening salvo in the Tale of Two Cities. ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...’.” They definitely scored some points for creativity!

The chairs go on to explain how the “best of times” was the way “Party leaders worked hard to help a transition” of Rosemary Becchi from CD7 to CD11 and that thanks to the “selflessness of Larry Casha the Republican Candidate in CD-11, the field was cleared for Ms. Becchi.”

Then the letter moves on to describe “the worst of times.” The chairs explain, “Another candidate switched districts, this time in South Jersey, with the exact opposite effect. The odd man out when Congressman Jeff Van Drew switched parties in the 2nd Congressional District (CD-2) was David Richter, a self- funder, so we are led to believe, who was hanging on to his candidacy in CD 2. He has decided to run in the 3rd Congressional District (CD-3) where the presumptive GOP candidate is a millennial woman…”

The chairs go on to ask, “For a Party that preaches the need to support younger female candidates, what are we thinking by pushing for this boneheaded play?” They end the letter doing something I’ve been known to do from time-to-time, they take a shot at party insiders writing, “We are hopeful that as the candidate selection process moves forward in Ocean County {Gibbs has the endorsement in Burlington), the rank and file County Committee Members will make sure the Party does the right thing, even if other Party insiders do not.”

It's highly unusual for a group of county chairs to publicly voice their displeasure at a move by party insiders. I asked Chairman Ambrosino about it and he explained, “The optics of this are horrible, rich white guy moves to run for office, gets forced out of the race and announces he’s moving again to force a young woman out of another race. A woman who who has held elected office and cut taxes. The rich district shopper has done neither. It’s terrible optics that could cause us to lose a race we could win.”

So now I’ll let the letter speak for itself, view it below: