| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | | Good Monday morning! Perhaps you’ve noticed that the Democratic Senate primary between Tammy Murphy and Andy Kim has gotten heated. It nearly melted the internet on Friday. Today may be its most intense day yet. Bergen County Democrats hold their convention, with around 1,300 delegates eligible to vote based on a pretty complicated formula on how delegates are awarded that seems to be breeding mistrust. Murphy is coming off a string of losses in conventions where regular county committee have a vote with a secret ballot, and another victory — this time in Union County — in the contests decided by a select few party leaders. But while Bergen County Democratic Chair Paul Juliano has endorsed Murphy, that convention is done through a secret ballot. The conventional wisdom is that Murphy is favored to win Bergen, but the fact that there’s any doubt at all shows just how much Kim, who by traditional standards should be the underdog, has been dominating this race so far. Another example of lowered expectations for Murphy: In Sussex County, which doesn’t award a line, Andy Kim beat Murphy 56.7 percent to 42.6 percent at the Democrats' convention. But a Murphy campaign staffer highlighted that the loss was Murphy's first finish above 40 percent. Granted, the Sussex County Democratic organization is considered one of the most liberal in the state, so that’s a pretty strong showing against the candidate like Kim who’s energized the progressive base. But when Tammy Murphy kicked off her campaign in November, could you imagine it looking for silver linings? On Sunday, Warren County Democrats — who do award the line — voted overwhelmingly for Kim. Bergen County is potentially do-or-die for Murphy. The stakes are high for both campaigns, but Kim can survive a loss. Can Murphy? If she can't win there, and win it convincingly, some party bosses may have to think about “cutting bait,” as one influential municipal chair put it to me. Read more about this here. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m Italian, what do you want me to do?” — Retired Bradley Beach Police Chief Leonard Guida to investigators, admitting he put his hands on an unidentified man over Hillary Clinton’s emails. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — My lovely wife Emily, Chris Smith, Clinton Calabrese WHERE’S MURPHY? — No public schedule | | A message from Alibaba: American businesses sold $66B worth of products in 2022 on Alibaba’s online marketplace. New Jersey-based companies such as Phyto-C partner with Alibaba to reach one billion consumers globally. The impact: U.S. sales on Alibaba supported over 10 thousand local jobs and contributed $1.3B to New Jersey's GDP in one year. Explore Alibaba’s local impact. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | | PUTTING THE QUIET PART IN WRITING — Murphy ally says county party helps influence government jobs, judges, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Somerset County Democratic Chair Peg Schaffer — a key backer of first lady Tammy Murphy's Senate candidacy — said that the political rise of Democrats in her county has allowed her organization to help influence government jobs and judgeships. The remarks, made in a letter to delegates for the Somerset County Democratic convention in support of Murphy, says out loud what is often whispered: That powerful county party organizations in New Jersey carry significant sway over key parts of government. … “Due to the success of the [Somerset County Democratic] organization we have worked with the administration and local officials to put many of our members on the Superior Court,” Schaffer said in a letter obtained by POLITICO, parts of which had been circulating on social media. “We have gotten our local members responsible, rewarding positions with State and County government. … In an interview with POLITICO, Schaffer rejected the idea of political patronage and said that the county Democratic organization is well equipped to suggest people for positions.” NOTHING SAYS ‘THE PEOPLE’ LIKE HOLDING MEETINGS IN PRIVATE — “Liberty State Park design task force presents some new options, but nothing that would appease critics,” by The Jersey Journal’s Mark Koosau: “A group of Liberty State Park Design Task Force members lobbying for a fresh start to the redesign process offered few new ideas when the task force met for a much-anticipated public forum Saturday at the state park on the Jersey City waterfront. … Hurley was one of a number of task force members associated with the People’s Park Foundation who wants to hold private discussions on the park, although he and others did not explain what could not be debated or discussed in public. The PPF, which amped up a disinformation campaign this week by saying on social media that the DEP plans to ‘flood’ 180 acres of the park and ‘any hope of active recreation will never happen under (the DEP) plan,’ had urged its supporters to voice their support at meeting. But Hurley and task force members aligned with the group backed by billionaire Liberty National Golf Club owner Paul Fireman … left the meeting prior to the four hours of public comment. … Saturday’s meeting drew approximately 150 people in person and another 270 via livestreaming platforms. Almost every public comment was in favor the DEP’s plan and many called out Fireman, who has spent millions in lobbying.”
| | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | | | BIDEN TIME | |
THE ENDEZ IS NIGH — Defendant in Menendez bribery case pleads guilty, by POLITICO’s Dustin Racioppi: Jose Uribe, one of the three businesspeople charged in the corruption case focused on Sen. Bob Menendez, pleaded guilty Friday to bribery and other charges in a Manhattan federal court. Uribe was an insurance broker and central player in a yearslong scheme to bribe New Jersey’s senior senator with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold in exchange for favors to enrich themselves and the government of Egypt, according to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. Uribe and the two other businesspeople, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, also purchased a new Mercedes-Benz for Menendez’s wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and helped pay her mortgage, according to prosecutors. … In court Friday, Uribe withdrew his initial plea and pleaded guilty to seven charges, which include conspiracy to commit bribery, tax evasion and wire fraud. He faces a maximum of 95 years in prison on all counts, according to court papers. He also agreed to fully cooperate with investigators.
HUNTER S. JOHNSON — “Fear and loathing in New Jersey. U.S. Senate race featuring governor’s wife at a boiling point,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: “With a new narrative that the seemingly invincible first lady is in for a real race, there is real fear Gov. Murphy and party leaders could punish those who openly support Kim over his wife, Democrats told NJ Advance Media, which interviewed three dozen local officials, delegates, political insiders, and experts over the past three frenetic weeks. One Monmouth County Democratic official who backed Kim said it ‘feels like we’re talking about the mafia.’ Veteran environmentalist Jeff Tittel agrees. ‘I’ve heard people say: This is like Tony Soprano having a sitdown. You don’t know if you’re be gonna hugged or shot,’ joked Tittel, a longtime critic of the Murphy administration. ‘Trenton is really like fear city.’ ‘But underneath, there is this anger and rebellion boiling more toward the surface.’” —“Andy Kim is battling Tammy Murphy and the machine in the race to replace Sen. Bob Menendez. There’s Jersey drama every weekend” —“It's not just Michigan. Some NJ voters vow to ‘abandon Biden’ in presidential primary” —“Alex Zdan Wins Monmouth GOP Convention For U.S. Senate” —“EVs tear up N.J. roads. They should pay their fair share to fix them | Opinion”
| | A message from Alibaba: New Jersey skin care company Phyto-C grew revenue 600% after launching on Alibaba's online marketplace, which reaches over one billion consumers in China. This small business is among thousands of American brands growing global sales on Alibaba. In New Jersey alone, U.S. sales on Alibaba added $1.3B to the state GDP while supporting over 10 thousand full-time jobs in 2022.
“As a small business, none of this would have been possible without Alibaba. From day one, Alibaba supported our entry into the Chinese market by providing data-driven consumer insights that helped shape our marketing strategy and proactive guidance on supply chain and logistical hurdles,” said Dr. Eddie Omar, CEO of Phyto-C.
Learn more. | | | | | LOCAL | |
THE CHIEF PROBLEM — “'Not pretty': Monmouth County prosecutor releases report on Bradley Beach police chief,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Ken Serrano: “He ridiculed employees, sometimes in front of borough residents, hurled expletives at staff, physically accosted a few officers, spit on one and he showed up drunk at a crash scene, authorities said. The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office made public a laundry list of infractions of departmental rules and regulations Friday committed by now-retired Bradley Beach Police Chief Leonard Guida. Guida was recently shown on police body camera footage starting a fight with a sergeant in the department during a motor vehicle crash in November. But in a heavily redacted report released Friday, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago delved into far more than just the fight. It details the behavior of Guida in nine alleged incidents from July 2022 through November, finding Guida at fault in seven of them.”
BUSES ACTUALLY FILLED WITH BOOKS MEANT TO TURN KIDS GAY. AND VACCINES — “Toms River cops investigate Facebook rumor of busloads of migrants. Here's what they found,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Jean Mikle: “A false rumor about busloads of immigrants being dropped off at a Motel 6 here spread rapidly on social media, even though it was debunked by the police department. A post of two buses parked at the Route 37 motel started the furor appeared Feb. 28 on Jersey Coast Emergency News, along with a report claiming a motel worker said migrants were staying there and had been dropped off at the property. But there were no photos of immigrants. Toms River police looked into the rumor, posting on the official police Facebook page, ‘The report of bus loads of immigrants being dropped off at Motel 6 was investigated and found to be just the 2 bus drivers staying the night between their regular shifts.’” THE ARTICLE MIKIE SHERRILL, JOSH GOTTHEIMER, RAS BARAKA AND STEVE SWEENEY WANT YOU TO READ — “Jersey City credit rating downgraded; emergency spending and control issues cited,” by The Jersey Journal’s Mark Koosau: “Jersey City’s credit ratings took a hit across multiple agencies last year due to a multitude of factors, including a damning audit and more than $27 million in debt it had deferred from 2022. Moody’s, S&P Global and Fitch all downgraded the city’s bond ratings at least once in 2023, although the city’s rating is still considered above average. In late October, Fitch lowered Jersey City from ‘AA-’ to ‘A+,’ citing “the city’s reduced level of financial flexibility due to the impact of pandemic-related operating deficits and projected operating budget pressures for 2023 necessitating the need for the issuance of special emergency financing notes, which Fitch considers akin to deficit financing. The ratings drop came in a year where Jersey City’s finance controls were called into question, particularly after an audit last November revealed that overspending and unreliable finance reporting in 2021 and 2022 led the city to the $27.3 million debt being carried.” BOE EDGES CLOSER TO UFC — “Jersey City BOE meeting devolves into chaos as new pres., VP named. Is it legal?” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: ''[Thursday’s] Jersey City Board of Education meeting devolved into chaos, with a new president and vice president named as the legalities of the proceedings were called into question. … ’If you go out to dinner and you’re bragging about that the board got a hotel at Borgata and these people are buying you dinner, well it raises a red flag,’ Jersey City Education Association President Ron Greco said about then-Trustee-elect Morris meeting with individuals from the law firm Souder, Shabazz and Woolridge Law Group. … He then gave the floor to Trustee Younass Barkouch, who made a motion to remove Trustee Noemi Velazquez as vice president, which Morris seconded as the crowd began to get rowdy, prompting [Board President Natalia] Ioffe to call for order.” PEDESTRIAN SAFETY: BOTHERING JORDAN PETERSON SINCE 2024 — “A New Jersey city that limited street parking hasn’t had a traffic death in 7 years,” by The AP’s Jeff McMurray: “Street parking was already scarce in Hoboken, New Jersey, when the death of an elderly pedestrian spurred city leaders to remove even more spaces in a bid to end traffic fatalities. For seven years now, the city of nearly 60,000 people has reported resounding success: Not a single automobile occupant, bicyclist or pedestrian has died in a traffic crash since January 2017, elevating Hoboken as a national model for roadway safety.”
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The stakes are high as America's health care community strives to meet the evolving needs of patients and practitioners, adopt new technologies and navigate skeptical public attitudes toward science. Join POLITICO’s annual Health Care Summit on March 13 where we will discuss the future of medicine, including the latest in health tech, new drugs and brain treatments, diagnostics, health equity, workforce strains and more. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | YOUR TOWN IS NAMED ‘HIGHLAND PARK’ SO JUST DEAL WITH IT — “Marijuana legalization law at center of legal fight waged by anti-cannabis group,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “A group of New Jersey residents is waging a legal battle against a Middlesex County borough over the town’s approval of cannabis sales, a fight the state Attorney General’s Office says could improperly nullify the state’s marijuana legalization law. The anti-cannabis group — seven Highland Park residents and a group called Cannabis Industry Victims Educating Litigators — say the town’s leaders are violating federal law by green-lighting the sale of marijuana within its borders and are ignoring the’“insidious and minimized’ hazards of cannabis.” GILMORE POWER — “Ocean County GOP boss George Gilmore is the biggest winner at last night’s convention,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Erik Larsen: “George R. Gilmore has solidified his hold on power as Ocean County’s political boss after the annual county GOP convention on Thursday night, which saw the Toms River Regular Republican Club restored to its status as the party’s official municipal organization. Gilmore’s handpicked candidates to run for the county Board of Commissioners — Manchester Mayor Robert Arace and Berkeley Board of Education President Jennifier Bacchione — also were endorsed to succeed incumbents Gary Quinn and Barbara Jo Crea … This was Gilmore’s second attempt to wrestle back control of the GOP’s flagship municipal organization here in the county seat, after losing the same vote at last year’s convention.” —“18 Atlantic Highlands voters forced into court by defeated mayor candidate seeking overturn” —“A year after Najee Seabrooks’ shooting at the hands of police, Paterson seeks answers” —“[Lyndhurst] police department must reinstate fired cop, judge rules” —“Newark schools would get $1.25 billion in aid under Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 budget plan” —“Jackson council OKs public safety director job, who will oversee the police chief” —“Can green infrastructures help alleviate flooding in Hackensack? Yes, says nonprofit” —“Average Spring Lake home costs $3M. Here's how they're trying to build affordable housing”
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‘DOH!TEC — “Holtec broke spending rules, must pay back Oyster Creek decommissioning trust fund,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Amanda Oglesby: “Holtec Decommissioning International, the Camden-based company that is taking apart the closed Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, is facing a violation for spending part of the power plant's decommissioning trust fund for public outreach. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the Notice of Violation against the company Thursday, saying Holtec used $62,000 for activities that were not part of decommissioning the plant. The spending included a contribution toward a celebration event for Lacey Township, a donation to a local food bank and money for community upgrades. Rules governing Oyster Creek's decommissioning trust fund say that money can only be used for expenses and "legitimate decommissioning activities" such as removing a building or reducing radioactivity on site, according to the NRC.”
—“Steep salary of Rutgers medical school chair stirs fresh fears of Newark, New Brunswick inequities” —“N.J. libraries are branching out and offering more than books and videos”
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