| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | | Good Monday morning! State Sen. Jon Bramnick, one of the few Republicans even here in New Jersey willing to publicly break with Donald Trump, is running for governor. “I don’t think one person, whether it’s Donald Trump or anyone else, should dictate the future of the Republican Party,” Bramnick told me just before launching his bid. Today we call Bramnick a moderate. Twenty years ago, he’d be pretty close to a mainstream Northeastern Republican. So how does a candidate running on an explicitly anti-Trump, pro-abortion rights mention get through a primary? Especially when he’s likely going to be running against Jack Ciattarelli, who tries to walk a fine line on Trump, and perhaps Bill Spadea, who uses his high-powered microphone to spread Trump election lies and anti-vaccine rhetoric. In today’s political landscape — one where Trump has all but clinched the GOP presidential nomination— Bramnick doesn’t stand a chance in the primary. But maybe his prospects next year are inversely proportional to Trump’s performance this year. If Trump wins back the presidency, the GOP loyalty to him isn’t going away. But would a Trump loss will finally break the spell with Republicans who are sick of being tied to a candidate who’s under numerous federal indictments, whose specter has haunted Republicans in elections where he hasn’t even been on the ballot, who’s been found liable for sexual abuse? In the latter case, I could see Bramnick’s message of being a Republican who can actually win a general election in New Jersey resonating with at least a decent portion of the primary voters who are sick of all-Democratic control. Or maybe I’m thinking about it all too rationally. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Certainly, of the family of pepperoni, salami. Exactly what, I cannot be certain … As an Italian, it hurts the heart.” — Manville Pizza owner Anthony D’Aniello on vandals spreading mystery meat around a local woman’s property. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Karin Elkis, Lauren Dezenski, Glen Gilmore WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule
| | | | A message from Amazon: Sylvia started USimplySeason to help people spice up their meals. When demand went global, she turned to Fulfillment by Amazon to help with shipping, which costs 70% less on average than comparable two-day shipping options. Amazon invests billions of dollars in people, resources, and tools that support selling partners like Sylvia at every stage of the process, from advertising to shipping. Learn how Amazon tools help sellers thrive. | | | | | | | JOIN 1/31 FOR A TALK ON THE RACE TO SOLVE ALZHEIMER’S: Breakthrough drugs and treatments are giving new hope for slowing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. But if that progress slows, the societal and economic cost to the U.S. could be high. Join POLITICO, alongside lawmakers, official and experts, on Jan. 31 to discuss a path forward for better collaboration among health systems, industry and government. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
FIGHT THE POWER — NJ Transit gives up on controversial power plant, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: NJ Transit gives up on controversial power plant, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: New Jersey Transit is killing its plans to build a controversial gas-fired backup power plant in Kearny. The decision, announced Friday, makes it easier for NJ Transit to help the state meet its ambitious climate change goals and ends a fight that has consumed the agency for years. Federal officials approved the agency’s request to spend a half-billion dollars earmarked for the plant on other resiliency projects. … Environmental groups quickly hailed the death of the power plant, which they said was both unnecessary and would have contributed to poor air quality that violated the state’s landmark law to protect communities burdened by legacy pollution.
FRANSPORTATION — “Murphy taps a second former NJ Turnpike veteran as Transportation Commissioner,” by NJ Advance Media’s Larry Higgs: “Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday he plans to nominate another former New Jersey Turnpike veteran who has four decades of toll road and industry experience to be his administration’s second transportation commissioner. Murphy picked Francis K. O’Connor to head the state Department of Transportation, allowing current Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti to switch to her new role as his chief of staff full time. Among O’Connor’s Garden State credentials is a bachelors degree in accounting he earned at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City and a 16-year career at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, according to biographical information from the International Bridge Tunnel and Turnpike Association, which he is a member of.” OUT OF THEIR DEP — “N.J. legislative leaders unhappy with DEP’s direction on Liberty State Park revitalization plan,” by The Jersey Journal’s Mark Koosau: “New Jersey’s top legislative leaders are unhappy with the way the state Department of Environmental Protection is overseeing the revitalization of Liberty State Park and are pushing to have a controversial task force they created to have more say on the park’s future. The leaders, Senate President Nick Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, went as far as to say that the DEP should reconsider the plan to remediate the interior of the state park and to add more active recreation to the northern end, all with significant input from the advisory task force. That task force is filled with allies of billionaire Paul Fireman who have called for a sports-and-entertainment mecca makeover of the park that environmental and park activists have opposed in favor of the DEP’s current plan.”
| | | | A message from Amazon:   | | | —Stile: ”GOP has golden opportunity in NJ governor's race. But will they pick a winner?” —Moran: “Gov. Jon Bramnick? He has a path to win’” —Snowflack “Bramnick dives into ‘the middle’ of the fray” —“Proposed 15% fare hike won’t avoid NJ Transit’s next fiscal cliff. What can the state do?” —“Brace yourself, Jersey. Higher taxes possible as tough state budget looms” —“New NJ law says websites must ask about using your data. Businesses, news orgs worry about lawsuits” —“Flood risks keep rising in N.J. Will more homeowners be paid to leave?” —“‘Coercive control’ is now a form of domestic violence under N.J. law. Here’s what it means” —“54 dolphins died along Jersey Shore in 2023, 3rd deadliest year in decades” —“Virtual, digital driver's licenses in New Jersey might become available” —“Too few affordable homes? Yes, but squeezing the middle-class, seniors out isn’t the answer. | Opinion”
| | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | BIDEN TIME | | HOW TAMMY MURPHY APPEALS TO THE AVERAGE JOE — Tammy Murphy’s connection to Joe Biden could give her a big advantage in Senate primary, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: It took Tammy Murphy just weeks to win the backing of key New Jersey Democratic leaders in her bid for Senate. In a state where party bosses still carry strong influence in elections, that could ordinarily be enough to ensure her nomination — giving the New Jersey first lady preferential ballot positioning right below President Joe Biden in many critical counties. But Murphy is leaving nothing to chance in her battle against Rep. Andy Kim and is now looking to possibly take even greater advantage of New Jersey’s unusual primary ballot system to give her an edge. To do so, Murphy is considering appearing with Biden on the primary ballot across the state even in counties where she doesn’t gain party endorsements, according to three people familiar with the private discussions among Democrats. It is a seemingly small visual distinction but one that could lead many voters to ignore Kim, who would be forced into a separate column without the president. MENENDEZ IMPORTED THE BANANAS FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON A PRIVATE JET — “New Jersey political races, often raucous, are bananas this year,” by The New York Times’ Tracey Tully: “New Jersey’s first lady is running for U.S. Senate. A former governor who resigned in disgrace is trying to make a political comeback, as a mayor. Two members of Congress and a half-dozen other political luminaries are preparing to campaign for governor. The state’s senior U.S. senator and his wife are charged with taking bribes, with a trial in federal court set to begin shortly before the June primary. That has forced the senator’s son, a first-term member of Congress, to fight harder to hold onto his seat. Campaign cycles in New Jersey are typically raucous and long. They are also frequently entertaining. But the number of high-profile political fights taking shape this year, combined with an array of atypical candidates running under extraordinary circumstances, have set an early, take-your-breath-away pace. ‘It really is one of those instances where you have to have a scorecard on hand to keep track of who is in and who is out and who is trying to accomplish what,’ Patrick Murray, Monmouth University’s director of polling, said.” IF MENENDEZ IS CONVICTED HE’LL BE BOB FETTEREDMAN — “Fetterman tries to ban indicted Sen. Menendez from classified briefings as the two Democrats trade barbs,” by CNN’s Sam Fossum and Manu Raju: “Sen. John Fetterman told CNN he plans to try to force a vote this week to prevent indicted Sen. Bob Menendez from receiving classified briefings if that isn’t dealt with internally as the two men trade barbs over the bribery and fraud charges facing the New Jersey Democrat. ‘He’s a schoolyard bully,’ Menendez told CNN’s Manu Raju. ‘And I call him ‘about to be a felon,’’ Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, shot back in an interview with CNN that aired Sunday. ’“I’m picking on him? No, it’s like, I’m just asking you to resign. And you need to resign.’" DU. DU HAIME. DU HAIME MICH — “Bashaw set to announce Senate bid next week,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Curtis Bashaw will announce his bid for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination next week and continue to build his campaign team. Joshua Zoppina has left his post as executive director of the Burlington County Republicans to serve as Bashaw’s political director. Two political veterans, Michael DuHaime, who was Chris Christie’s strategist for two successful governor’s races and a pair of losing presidential campaigns, and Jeanette Hoffman, a former executive director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, are advising Bashaw. Bashaw has also brought on a respected, by-the-book campaign treasurer, Ronald Gravino, and is using Adam Geller, a top national GOP pollster.” —“Justin Murphy announces bid for U.S. Senate in N.J. GOP primary”
| | | | A message from Amazon: Small and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon employ more than 1.5 million Americans.
That’s why Amazon helps small business partners grow, so they can continue to invest in communities across the country.
Learn how Amazon supports independent sellers. | | | | | LOCAL | |
RICHARD BERDNIK — “Seven days shook the Passaic County Sheriff's Office: What comes after Berdnik's death?” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The storm started with the FBI's arrests of three corrections officers at the Passaic County Jail on Jan. 17. That was followed the next day with the announcement of impending officer layoffs, and it all culminated in Berdnik’s stunning apparent death by suicide on Jan. 23, when he reportedly shot himself in the bathroom of a popular Clifton restaurant where he had dined countless times before. Political friends and law enforcement colleagues are still searching for an explanation for what could have driven a man who stood as a pillar of the community for more than four decades to take his own life, just minutes after smiling for a photo with the restaurant’s owner. Meanwhile, questions loom about the future of the Sheriff’s Office, involving issues that go beyond the perplexing personal tragedy of Berdnik’s death.”
PEDESTRIAN DEATHS ALREADY REDUCED BY DYING OF SECOND HAND SMOKE BEFORE THEY COULD CROSS THE STREET — “Judge green-lights narrowing of main road through Atlantic City despite opposition from casinos, by The AP’s Wayne Parry: “Atlantic City got a green light Friday to proceed with a project to reduce the width of its main street from four lanes to two, despite fears from casinos and a hospital that the plan could tie the city into gridlocked knots, scare away gamblers and delay emergency vehicles. Superior Court Judge Michael Blee rejected arguments from five casinos and a hospital that the half-finished project to narrow Atlantic Avenue in the name of pedestrian safety could cause irreparable harm if allowed to be completed. … The Casino Association of New Jersey, the trade group for the city’s casinos, wanted the judge to block the plan.’ SUPERMARKET WEEP — “Can Atlantic City’s original failed supermarket site be the key to its revival?” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy S. Rosenberg: “The pols, naturally, wanted ShopRite. They grabbed shovels. They threw money, lots of it, at the corporation. They drove down from Trenton to break ground. They waited. They considered the existing Save A Lot and dubiously named Renaissance Plaza on Atlantic Avenue a lost cause, with its history of ballyhooed and failed markets, an abandoned CVS, a problem liquor store that serves as the backdrop for an entrenched group of loiterers, a plasma donation center, and a location that should be the centerpiece of downtown A.C. but is more an emblem of its intractable problems. Nonetheless, perhaps by default, it is now Renaissance Plaza, owned by a New York real estate investment firm, that the pols and money controllers are looking toward to solve the problem of the lack of a big-name, full-service supermarket in Atlantic City, a city of 38,500 people and a 32% poverty rate. But is it enough? What will it take?” THE SACK IS TORN — “Tensions rise between Hackensack and police at meeting where cops are called 'the enemy',” by The Record’s Megan Burrow: “Rising tensions between the city’s police officers and the leadership of the city and the department boiled over at a council meeting Tuesday night, as the groups offered starkly different views on the state of the department and its future. Ray Guidetti, who was appointed police director in August 2022, spoke of the progress that’s been made and the work that still needs to be done to change a culture he described as ‘underpinned by fear and intimidation and favoritism.’ At one point during the meeting, Mayor John Labrosse referred to the officers as ‘the enemy’ as they filed out of the meeting while Deputy Mayor Kathy Canestrino talked about the accomplishments made under Guidetti's leadership.” OCEAN GATE GATE — “'It was a big mistake' - ex-Ocean Gate mayor goes to prison for stealing from borough,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Kathleen Hopkins: “The former mayor of Ocean Gate was led out of a courtroom in handcuffs Friday, bound for prison for siphoning tens of thousands of dollars from the town during the 15 years he served as its top elected official. Superior Court Judge Kimarie Rahill sentenced Paul Kennedy, 68, to three years in prison for engaging in a pattern of official misconduct. She ordered that Kennedy serve two years in prison before he can be considered for release on parole … The former mayor of Ocean Gate was led out of a courtroom in handcuffs Friday, bound for prison for siphoning tens of thousands of dollars from the town during the 15 years he served as its top elected official. ... Kennedy was arrested and charged in March 2022 as a result of an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office that revealed he failed to turn over proceeds of government assets sold at auction, pocketing the money for himself.” —“How [Caldwell’s] redevelopment plan turned into metal trailers and a mountain of debt” —“Like father like son: [Saddle River] mayor swears in son to borough council” —“Developer with N.Y.C. address gets tax deal on 10-story project in Newark” —“NJ school superintendents joined Israel 'fact-finding' delegation. Who paid?” —“Opponents of [Trenton-Mercer] airport’s expansion will push ahead after losing federal case” | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
OPIE AND ANTHONY — “Painting stolen by N.J. mobsters in 1969 ended up in St. George. The FBI just returned it to its rightful owner,” by The Salt Lake Tribune’s Scott D. Pierce: “An 18th century painting stolen in 1969 — a theft tied to mobsters and linked to a New Jersey politician — has been returned to its rightful owner after decades in the possession of a Utah man … The painting, titled ‘The Schoolmistress,’ is the work of English painter John Opie … and dates to about 1784. … Decades later, according to court documents, three men — who ‘were all involved in organized crime,’ France said — tried to steal a coin collection from Wood’s home [but] Gerald Festa, Gerald Donnerstag and Austin Costiglione were thwarted by a burglar alarm. Police and then-Newark City Councilman Anthony Imperiale responded to the burglary, and the home’s caretaker reportedly told Imperiale that the Opie painting was ‘priceless.’ … Eighteen days later, Festa, Donnerstag and Costiglione returned to Woods’ home and stole the painting. … Festa confessed to the burglary and said that he and the two other men had acted under the direction of Imperiale. … And, Festa added, Imperiale had the painting … The FBI believes that because of Festa’s testimony, the painting was transferred to another mobster.’”
THE BRAND IS LITERALLY CALLED ‘SKIMS’ — “Kim Kardashian's Skims charging tax on NJ clothing. Not allowed. What are NJ tax rules?” by The Asbury Park Press’ Juan Carlos Castillo: “Skims customers in New Jersey are uptight. The Kim Kardashian shapewear and clothing brand has been collecting sale tax on online purchases delivering to NJ addresses, even though clothing is tax-exempt in the state. Through multiple forums on social media, Skims customers have complained and said that for years they've had to contact the company to request refunds. And anecdotally, it seems the multi-billion dollar company has typically issued those refunds … Still, some customers don't see the issue in a good light. ‘It's sketchy that they haven't fixed it after all this time,’ a Reddit user said.” —“For $50, a New Jersey animal shelter will 'neuter your ex'”
| | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment