
Gerry Scharfenberger
MMM has learned that Monmouth County Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger will seek the Republican nomination for State Assembly in the 13th legislative district for the seat currently held by Assemblywoman Amy Handlin. Handlin announced last fall that she will not seek reelection.
Scharfenberger is expected to join Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso on the top the the ballot in LD 13 in the June 4 primary and the November 5 general election. DiMaso filed her petition for the nomination last week.
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Posted: February 1st, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Monmouth County News | Tags: Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, Gerry Scharfenberger, LD 13, Monmouth County News, Senator Declan O'Scanlon, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Tom Arnone | 10 Comments »

Kim Guadagno
Former Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today said Republicans have asked her to run for State Assembly in the 13th legislative district.
So far, Guadagno has politely turned down the overtures, citing family issues and her commitment to her job as a partner as at the Connell Foley law firm. “Too many non billable hours,” she said in a text when MMM raised the issue with her last month, “Thank you for thinking of me, but the timing is not good for me or my family.” She also said she would run if she won the lottery.
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Posted: January 21st, 2019 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County | Tags: 2019 elections, Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger, Kevin Settembrino, Kim Guadagno, LD 13, Senator Declan O'Scanlon | 20 Comments »

Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso
Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso was elected President of the National Foundation for Women Legislators on Friday in Washington during the organization’s 80th annual conference.
NFWL is a non-partisan 501c3, educational foundation for elected women on the state, county, and municipal levels. Its is to provide strategic resources to elected women for leadership development, exchange of diverse legislative ideas, and effective governance through conferences, state outreach, educational materials, professional and personal relationships, and networking. They encourage the election and/or appointment of women to public office. Membership is automatically granted to the over 5000 elected women throughout the United States on the state, county and municipal levels.
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Posted: November 17th, 2018 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County News, New Jersey, Serena DiMaso | Tags: Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, LD 13, Monmouth County News, National Foundation for Women Legislators, NFWL | 36 Comments »

Josh Welle and Amber Gesslein could run for the Dem nominations for Assembly in LD 13 next year.
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin’s announcement that she will not seek reelection next year inevitably creates speculation on who will run to replace her. While party leaders on both sides of the aisle would rather their troops stay focused on the election coming up next month, the jockeying has started given how infrequently a vacancy occurs in the 13th district.
Democrats, who normally lose badly in the district will likely have a contest for the two Assembly nominations next year, given Handlin’s vacancy and Serena DiMaso serving her freshman term. DiMaso put something of a target on her back with the Dems when she made a robocall criticizing LD 11 Assemblymembers Eric Hougtaling and Joann Downey for voting for Governor Murphy’s tax increases. Houghtaling and Downey responded to DiMaso’s robocall with an ethics complaint.
With the Assembly on top of the ballot next year, Dems will likely be motivated and funded, even in LD 13.
Potential Democrat Candidates for LD 13 Assembly in 2019 who are running for other offices this year:
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Posted: October 8th, 2018 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 13th Legislative District, Monmouth County News, NJ Politics, NJ State Legislature | Tags: 2019 elections, Amber Gesslein, Amy Handlin, Danielle Walsh, John Curley, Josh Welle, Larry Luttrell, LD 13, Lorna Phillipson, Monmouth County News, NJ Legislature, Sean Byrnes, Tom Giaimo, Vincent Solomeno | 2 Comments »

Senator-elect Declan O’Scanlon
Sean Byrnes conceded the LD13 Senate race to Senator-elect Declan O’Scanlon at 9:10 pm
With 86% of the precincts in the district reporting, O’Scanlon has a 9.5% lead.
“Sean Byrnes ran a spirited race. I thank him for his gracious phone call,” O’Scanlon said.
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin and Freeholder Serena DiMaso are leading comfortalbly
Posted: November 7th, 2017 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County | Tags: LD 13 | 1 Comment »
The race between Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Democrat Sean Byrnes, a former one term Middletown Township Committeeman, to succeed Senator Joe Kyillos, has gone to the dogs. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: November 3rd, 2017 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 13th Legislative District, 2017 Elections, Declan O'Scanlon, Monmouth County News | Tags: 2017 Legislative election, Declan O'Scanlon, LD 13, Monmouth County News, Sean Byrnes | 1 Comment »
Who will govern women?

Posted: October 27th, 2017 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 13th Legislative District, 2017 Elections, LD 13, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News | Tags: 2010 Election, 2017 elections, Byrnes for Freeholer, Governmen, LD 13, Monmouth County News, Sean Byrnes | 2 Comments »

Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini
We haven’t heard from Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop since Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon challenged him to pressure Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto to put the extension of the 2% limit on arbitration awards for police and firefighter salary contracts up for a vote. But Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini, a Democrat, called to say that he supports O’Scanlon’s effort.
“The 2% arbitration cap is a very powerful tool in stabilizing property taxes,” Tagliarini said in a phone interview with MMM. “I don’t know any mayor, Democrat or Republican, who wants it to expire. The cap should be extended before it expires in December.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: October 14th, 2017 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County | Tags: 13th legislative district, Aberdeen, Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini, Arbitration Award Task Force, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon, Interest Arbitration Cap, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, LD 13, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, NJ Legislature, NJ Property Taxes | Comments Off on Aberdeen Mayor Supports O’Scanlon’s Efforts To Limit Property Tax Hikes
TRENTON, N.J. – Calling the arbitration award cap one of the most important reforms implemented to control property taxes, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon said today that if the cap isn’t permanently extended taxpayers will face tax increases, draconian cuts to municipal services or both. O’Scanlon was a prime sponsor of the original cap law and vocal advocate of the extension. He was the only legislator appointed by the governor to sit on the Interest Arbitration Task Force.
“There’s no question that the cap has been successful and is an essential tool for municipalities to keep expenses and property taxes contained,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “Every report we’ve done to date has been absolutely consistent and shows the arbitration and tax cap are working together as intended. You can’t keep the tax cap in place without the arbitration cap. You would create a mathematically untenable situation. And it isn’t just police and fire salary costs that are affected, there is a ripple effect throughout all salary expenses.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: September 22nd, 2017 | Author: admin | Filed under: Declan O'Scanlon, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, Property Taxes | Tags: 13th legislative district, Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon, Declan O'Scanlon, Interest Arbitration Cap, LD 13, New Jersey, Property Taxes | 1 Comment »
Monmouth Dems Expand Relationship With Hate Group
Former Goldman Sachs banker Phil Murphy, the Democrat running for governor of New Jersey, does not want to talk about his plan to raise taxes by $1.3 billion. He also doesn’t want to talk about renewing the law that is keeping a lid on New Jersey property taxes which expires at the end of this year.
Murphy really doesn’t want Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, the GOP nominee for governor, to talk about taxes either. Murphy wants to talk the Confederate flag. He wants Guadagno to talk about it too, according to a report at NJ.com. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: September 7th, 2017 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2017 Elections, 2017 NJ Gubernatorial Politics, Monmouth County News | Tags: 2017 elections, 2017 Legislative election, Confederate flag, District 4 Coalition for Change, Eric Houghtaling, Joann Downey, LD 11, LD 13, Middletown, Monmouth County News, Parker Space, Phil Murphy, Rebel flag, Tricia Maguire, Vin Gopal | 1 Comment »