NJ-09: Rep. Rothman (D) to challenge Rep. Pascrell (D) in June primary

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I figured I'd move the news over here, since it's no longer about redistricting.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/Rothman_to_challenge_Pascrell_for_9th_District.html

Both congressmen have well over $1,000,000 in the bank, so this fight could be absolutely epic.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

The facts:

The district went 64.2% for Obama, but was the type of district that could have gone Republican in the early 1990s. It's a suburban/urban mix.
Both were first elected in 1996.
54% of the new district used to belong to Rothman.
61% of the Democrats in the new district used to belong to Rothman.
Rothman has $1.74m, Pascrell has $1.43.
Pascrell, arguably, has the better relationship with NJ Democratic leadership. Both parties essentially agreed to f*** Rothman over in the redistricting process.
The district is minority majority. Whites only make up 46% of voters.

[minionofmidas]

Rothman lives just outside the district?

[krazen1211]

Rothman lives just outside the district?

Yes. The mashup basically put his hometown of Fair Lawn (Dem leaning but not horrendously so) in the 5th district. I'm not sure why the GOP took Hackensack out in favor of Creskill/Tenafly, though.

Rothman will have the support of the Bergen Democrats, and Rothman is on appropriations. He can win this no problem.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Rothman lives just outside the district?

Rothman currently lives outside this district, yes. But he'll be moving to Englewood, a town in the new 9th that he used to be mayor of.

[Niemeyerite]

Is it possible that a Latino democrat (any state representative or senator) enters the primary and defeats these two?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Their records are about the same, both somewhat more conservative than the median Democrat in Congress. Nothing to get excited about here.

[Keystone Phil]

Is it possible that a Latino democrat (any state representative or senator) enters the primary and defeats these two?

Jumping into a race against two non-scandal plagued, well established incumbents with each having at least $1 million in the bank? No chance.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Is it possible that a Latino democrat (any state representative or senator) enters the primary and defeats these two?

Jumping into a race against two non-scandal plagued, well established incumbents with each having at least $1 million in the bank? No chance.

It would be impossible for a Latino to win without the benefit of at least one of those county's lines. And the incumbents already have those under serious lock and key. You're looking at Pascrell winning Passaic by 80-20, and Rothman winning Bergen by similar margins. That's how powerful county endorsements are.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Oooh, should be fun. Rothman would seem be favoured on balance, yes?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Both seem pretty generic D to me, which makes this hard to get excited about. I'd rather have one be clearly preferable. I suppose I'll root for Rothman since it's pretty unfair how he sort of got tossed under the bus.

[krazen1211]

Both seem pretty generic D to me, which makes this hard to get excited about. I'd rather have one be clearly preferable. I suppose I'll root for Rothman since it's pretty unfair how he sort of got tossed under the bus.

His own party tossed him under the bus in their own map.

Rothman comes out with his endorsement list. Basically every known Democrat in Bergen County.

http://vmmi.net/media-room/press-releases/rothman-reelection-announcement/


In addition, the DCCC offered Rothman $1 million upfront and another $1 million if Rothman proved himself viable in polling in NJ-05. He declined.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In addition, the DCCC offered Rothman $1 million upfront and another $1 million if Rothman proved himself viable in polling in NJ-05. He declined.

Meanwhile, the picking for Democrats in NJ-05 without Rothman are kinda small. Passaic Freeholder Terry Duffy is looking, as is ...

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[Brittain33]

In addition, the DCCC offered Rothman $1 million upfront and another $1 million if Rothman proved himself viable in polling in NJ-05. He declined.

Meanwhile, the picking for Democrats in NJ-05 without Rothman are kinda small. Passaic Freeholder Terry Duffy is looking, as is ...

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What about Anne Sumers?

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In addition, the DCCC offered Rothman $1 million upfront and another $1 million if Rothman proved himself viable in polling in NJ-05. He declined.

Meanwhile, the picking for Democrats in NJ-05 without Rothman are kinda small. Passaic Freeholder Terry Duffy is looking, as is ...

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What about Anne Sumers?

Save for 2010, Sumers wound up being the weakest of all Garrett's challengers based on final electoral performance. Not sure why Democrats would want her -- the only real experience she's had with politics was that time she ran for office against Garrett.

I'd say Democrats need a big name from Bergen County. Some suggested former Bergen County Exec Dennis McNerney. His negatives probably still outpace his favorables at this point, but it's still a step in the right direction.

[krazen1211]

In addition, the DCCC offered Rothman $1 million upfront and another $1 million if Rothman proved himself viable in polling in NJ-05. He declined.

Meanwhile, the picking for Democrats in NJ-05 without Rothman are kinda small. Passaic Freeholder Terry Duffy is looking, as is ...

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First primary problem for him is that there are few Democrats in the Passaic portion of this district.

The discussed candidates are LD-38 Assemblywoman Connie Wagner and Assemblyman-elect Tim Eustace. Wagner is really talked about mainly for being female and not because she has much of a shot.



Another interesting note of course is how Cherry Hill was retained in the 3rd district in both 1990 and 2000. Norcross was insistent that Cherry Hill remain in the 3rd in order to keep John Adler and Susan Levin out of the 1st district. Incidentally both Adler and Levin ran against Jim Saxton in the 3rd and lost by large margins.

Also, Woodbridge was placed into the 7th primarily to screw over Joe Vittale, and of course the attempt was made to protect Marge Roukema from Scott Garrett.

[RRusso1982]

I live in the 5th Congressional District of New Jersey.  Back in 2002, when Garrett was first elected after nearly knocking off Marge Roukema twice in the Republican primary, I predicted right.  I said that Garrett would never get the 70% or better Roukema would routinely get, but the 5th is too Republican to elect a Democrat.  Garrett's lowest vote share ever was 55% in 2006.  He now goes from an R+7 to an R+4 district.  I would say Garrett should still be OK most years, but in the next 2006 type Democratic wave election, the Democrats could really smell blood in the water.  After all, R+4 were exactly the type of districts the Republicans were losing in 2006.  If Garrett is ever defeated in the GOP primary by someone from Bergen County, like David Russo or Kathy Donovan, the district will be much safer. 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Gary Schaer, an Assemblyman from Passaic representing both Passaic and Bergen endorsed Rothman. Blood is in the water.

[Skill and Chance]

Gary Schaer, an Assemblyman from Passaic representing both Passaic and Bergen endorsed Rothman. Blood is in the water.

Maybe Pascrell just ends up retiring?

[zorkpolitics]

Gary Schaer, an Assemblyman from Passaic representing both Passaic and Bergen endorsed Rothman. Blood is in the water.

Maybe Pascrell just ends up retiring?

I Hope so, I met Pascrell, he is a pure machine party hack.

[krazen1211]

Gary Schaer, an Assemblyman from Passaic representing both Passaic and Bergen endorsed Rothman. Blood is in the water.

Maybe Pascrell just ends up retiring?

Pascrell has 238,000 people of his old district in the new NJ-11. Rothman has 150,000 people of his old district in the new NJ-05. Funny how Pascrell and his backers are not moving districts and are blaming Rothman.

[krazen1211]

And Pascrell calls down the union lords on Rothman.


http://www.politickernj.com/53576/mullen-rothman-moving-your-home-challenge-one-your-own-doesnt-make-sense
New Jersey State Building and Constructions Trades Council - Bill
Mullen, President
United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA)
New Jersey State Association of Pipe Trades - James Kehoe, President
UA Pipefitters Local 274 - John Wende, Business Manager, Financial
Secretary-Treasurer
UA Sprinkler Fitters 696 - Kevin Bellew, Business Manager
UA Plumbers Local 24 - Eric Boyce, Business Manager, Financial Secretary
Laborers International Union of North America, Raymond M. Pocino, Vice
President and Eastern Regional Manager
Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters, United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joners of America; Michael Capelli, Executive
Secretary-Treasure; John Ballantyne, Assistant Executive
Secretary-Treasurer
Sheet Metal Workers State Council - New Jersey
Sheet Metal Workers Local 25 - Joe Demark, Business Manager
IBEW Local 102 - Patrick Delle Cava, Business Manager
Ironworkers, Local 11, Ray Woodall, Business Manager
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) NJ State Joint Council - Ray Greaves, Chair
ATU Local 819, Benjamin Evans, President/Business Agent
ATU Local 820, Lou Castro, President/Business Agent
ATU Local 821, Earl Hardy, Jr., President/Business Agent
ATU Local 822, Sherman Ariel, President/Business Agent
ATU Local 823, Nancy Spence, President/Business Agent
ATU Local 824, Jack Hill, President/Business Agent
ATU Local 825, Richard Star, President/Business Agent
ATU Local 880, Steve Knestaut, President/Business Agent
National Association of Letter Carriers Local Branch 120 - Paterson,
Don Hill, President

[krazen1211]

This is going to get ugly, fast. Pascrell crashes Rothman's party with the Bergen County Freeholders.

Plus, Pascrell's list is bigger than Rothman's list.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Pascrell_releases_list_of_Democratic_officials_who_back_him.html


http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/136719483_Can_Pascrell_win_Bergen_hearts_before_the_election_.html

http://www.politickernj.com/53533/bergen-county-reorganization-meeting-becomes-setpiece-pascrell-v-rothman

"Good evening, everybody," Rothman told the chamber. "Welcome to all visiting dignitaries. Welcome to Bergen County - the county I have lived in all my life, and where I look forward to continuing to serve."   



"Personalities," Pascrell said when asked how voters will be able to distinguish him from his opponent on the issues. 

"We have different personalities," he added. 

Pascrell said he didn't like the way Rothman challenged him. 

"The night he decided he was going to run he called me and told me 'you're my friend, I love you.' If you love me, you don't run against me," the congressman said. "You don't treat friends like that." 

[krazen1211]

http://www.politickernj.com/54313/pascrell-will-not-cease-be-thorn-rothman-s-side-bcdc-celebrates-county-sweep

http://www.realdemsstandandfight.com/

Pascrell crashes Rothman again. I wonder if he's having him followed.



http://www.politickernj.com/54237/pascrell-goes-after-garrett-and-rothman-one-swoop


Infuriated, Pascrell tonight charged Rothman with dereliction of duty.

"As a proud military veteran," the 15-year incumbent said, "I remember what the acronym AWOL means."






This is so fun.

[Torie]

Pascrell seems like a piece of work. Is he always this demagogically perferid?