Good morning. It’s Monday, so before you head out to see if they’ve plowed your office parking lot this snowy workday, check out our list of last week’s winners and losers in state politics and peruse the rest of political news in the frost-covered Garden State.
First Candidate Declares Intent to Run for O’Toole’s Seat
State Senator Kevin O’Toole (R-40) announced last week that he did not intent to pursue reelection in 2017. But, before that announcement was even made, Republican Edward Buttimore decided to throw his hat in the ring in an attempt to win the seat.
Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
Tale of the Tape: Potential VPs Cory Booker Versus Julian Castro
With Hillary Clinton encountering very chopping campaign weather in national polls and trying to gut out a must-win in Iowa in anticipation of a Bernie Sanders victory in New Hampshire, PolitickerNJ finds itself scrambling to paste together those what if scenarios as long as she remains the front-runner.
PolitickerNJ Editor, PolitickerNJ Read more
As Bush Struggles Against Rubio, State and Federal PAC Spending Show Uneven Results
In 2016’s bizarre, Trump-dominated presidential cycle, PAC money has flowed freely but failed to do any more than keep establishment candidates afloat as the reality star dominates. At the same time, state and local elections have seen more and more races where independent groups bring a sledgehammer to pound a nail, often putting favored unknowns over the top in competitive districts and low-profile races.
JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more
Grassroots Bernie Organizer Talks About Campaign’s Future in NJ
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign has been defined by a grassroots anti-establishment effort. So far, the senator has broken the record for individual contributions (now over 2.3 million individual donations) with most of those contributions clocking in at under $25.
Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
Christie’s 2016 pitch at a New England Patriots party
Gov. Chris Christie knows there are no breaks during presidential campaigns.
Not even when New Hampshire voters are glued to their TV sets to watch their New England Patriots square off against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game.
Matt Arco, NJ.com Read more
Christie: New Jersey made it through the storm largely unscathed
Governor Christie said New Jersey made it through a major winter storm largely unscathed, thanking people for staying off the roads during heavy snowfall on Saturday and patting himself on the back for what he called a smooth response by state transportation and safety officials.
Salvador Rizzo, The Record Read more
Shore shop owner to Christie: Come down here and live my life
The third high tide of Jonas came and went in Stone Harbor, but shop owners and residents with damage they say rivals Sandy were still mad at Gov. Christie for minimizing the event.
Amy S. Rosenberg, Inquirer, Read more
Opinion: Christie returns
As New Jerseyans awake this morning there are probably two unusual sights for them to behold. The first is significant snowfall. The second is the governor of New Jersey.
The Record, Read more
Opinion: Why Chris Christie had to get back to New Jersey
With megastorm Jonas bearing down on the East Coast, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie first told reporters he didn’t plan to leave the presidential campaign trail in New Hampshire to return home. Then he had a timely change of heart and said he planned to skedaddle back to the state before the storm threatened to bury not only his state, but his political future.
Errol Louis, CNN Read more
New Jersey towns still underwater from severe flooding as Chris Christie compares dealing with a blizzard to fighting ISIS – after leaving the state to campaign in New Hampshire
New Jersey coastal towns are dealing with a second day of massive flooding brought on by Winter Storm Jonas in a situation that has become frighteningly similar to what happened to the same areas in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy.
Chris Spargo, The Daily Mail Read more
With governor back in N.J., Mary Pat Christie fills in for him in N.H.
Not long after she entered Chez Vachon, a Manchester, N.H., restaurant known for its poutine – and visits by presidential candidates – Mary Pat Christie was hearing about attack ads featuring her husband
Maddie Hanna, Inquirer Read more
Weinberg, Teret: Christie veto of gun bill was wrong
Last year, there were more than 265 unintentional shootings in the country carried out by kids that left 83 people dead. Already in 2016, there have been at least 13 accidental shootings by children, including a 3-year-old who shot and killed himself after getting hold of a firearm kept behind the counter of his family’s convenience store.
Loretta Weinberg and Stephen Teret, The Record Read more
Christie uses blizzard to slam towns fighting sand dunes
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says flooding and other damage caused by a blizzard shows the state needs to build protective sand dunes.
Associated Press, Read more
Faison to Guardian: Been there, seen that
If Trenton takes over Atlantic City, Mayor Don Guardian might want to hear – and perhaps heed – the advice of his former counterpart in Camden.
Kevin Riordan, Inquirer Read more
