One of four Republicans who voted for the override vote championed by the Democrats, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-16) tonight explained his vote to PolitickerNJ.
“The expungement bill may not have been perfect, but, in my mind, it wasn’t perfectly unacceptable,” Ciattarelli said. “In the end, I voted my conscience.”
A former Somerset County freeholder from Hillsborough, Ciattarelli may be sizing up a 2017 guv run, GOP sources tell PolitickerNJ. He also occupies a competitive general election district in which his running mate, Assemblywoman Donna Simon (R-16) just lost by about 70 votes to Assemblyman-elect Andrew Zwicker.
Ciattarelli’s slate mate, state Senator Kip Bateman (R-16) also voted for the override on the senate side. The senator and assemblyman may have to play a game of cheat sheeting each other’s votes as Zwicker muses over whom of the two – or which office, assembly or senate – he’ll decide to pursue in 2017.
The one of the pair of Republicans who leans farther right may become the Democrat’s preferred target.
For Assemblyman Chris Brown’s (R-2) explanation on his vote, go here.
For Assemblyman Jay Webber’s (R-26) explanation on his vote, go here.
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-13) also voted with the Democrats – and with state Senator Joe Kyrillos (R-13), who embraced the veto override in the upper house.
