Middlesex County Democratic Committee Chairman Peter Barnes said the GOP can produce any number of big names in his hometown of Edison, including Gov. Chris Christie.
“It’s simply not as powerful as knocking on doors and engaging in a conversation with voters,” said Barnes, regarding this morning’s local diner presence of the Republican governor in the 18th District.
“I think the personal contact beats anybody else – any godlike figures – they have an opportunity to bring in here,” added Barnes, a former assemblyman and FBI guy recruited to lead the Middlesex County Dems as an antidote to former leader, Joe Spicuzzo, who melted down earlier this year amid pending corruption charges.
“Bottom line is we’re doing a very good job with GOTV,” Barnes said of the storied Middlesex County Democratic machine, which took a chunk out of when he won in 2009.
“The things that count in an election like the one tomorrow are GOTV and the personal contact by the candidate, and we have done that,” Barnes said.
In trying to elect its Assembly candidates, Marcia Silva and Joe Sinagra, the GOP has launched an especially fierce series of mailers against incumbent Assemblyman Pat Diegnan (D-18).
A Republican source today told PolitickerNJ.com there’s a tracking poll that shows Diegnan just five points up on the GOP.
Barnes wouldn’t confirm the existence of the poll.
“Our polling is pretty good on everybody,” the chairman said. “We’re hanging in there.”
On the same week that South Jersey Democrats are chest thumping over their ability to line up the Assembly speaker leadership posts, Barnes told PolitickerNJ.com that he didn’t get involved.
“I have been up front telling people ‘I am not going to call all those Assembly people and tell them this is what you’re going to do.’ These Assembly people will make up their own minds. That’s the gospel truth. If people don’t like that, then they should find a new chairman.”
