| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Good Monday morning! Sorry, Republicans. Election Day in New Jersey will feature a Bobless ballot. At least in the Senate race. On Friday afternoon, hours before the deadline to drop out, U.S. Sen. Sen. Robert Menendez sent a terse email to the New Jersey Division of Elections withdrawing his name from the ballot. “By means of this email please be advised that as an Independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in this November’s election I am advising you that I wish to have my name withdrawn from the ballot,” Menendez wrote. Sending this email must have painful for Menendez, who probably didn’t envision this as the way he’d end his 50-year career as a New Jersey elected official and boss. Two years ago, he had so much influence over New Jersey Democrats that he slipped his son into Congress with only political outsiders protesting. He sat atop the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Now he’s disgraced and, at 70, could potentially spend the rest of his good years in prison. Now Menendez will have no chance of playing spoiler against Andy Kim — not that there was much of one after his conviction and the switch at the top of the ticket. Menendez was politically done the day he was indicted. But this letter was the first time he publicly acknowledged that he has no future in the Senate. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Mr. G has died 1,000 times over the stealing of his name, the stealing of his legacy … Anyone who knows about this theft and took part in this theft should be ashamed of themselves.” — Leslie Graddy, daughter of the late “Mr. G.” Russell Graddy, on the continued use of his nickname at the reopened restaurant under new, politically-connected ownership. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Dan Bryan, Analilia Mejia, Mishael Azam, Charity Jeffries, Carlos Merino, Liam Ryan, Brendan Middleton WHERE’S MURPHY? Acting Gov. Way has no public schedule. | | | | Did you miss it? This month, POLITICO and AARP NY convened New York lawmakers Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), and industry experts to discuss the impacts of changing social security measures on New Yorkers. The conversations focused on the the future of Social Security, how the the 2024 elections could change the options and how Social Security impacts the housing crisis facing aging New Yorkers. Watch the highlights here. | | | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
FRIDAY NEWS DUNK — “Patrick Hobbs’ abrupt resignation at Rutgers leaves too many unanswered questions,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steve Politi: “The phone calls and texts have continued almost nonstop from the moment the stunning news broke on Friday afternoon, coming from people within the Rutgers community and curious rubberneckers on the outside. And nearly all of them asked some variation of the same question. So what really happened? They had seen the official story. Patrick Hobbs cited health reasons for his abrupt resignation as Rutgers athletic director, telling his staff in an email that troubling results from his ‘latest round of testing’ after a meeting with cardiologists led him to reach the sudden decision … If Hobbs, 62, received truly disturbing news from his doctors, then it is understandable that he would put his wellness above everything else. Everyone should wish him nothing but a quick and full recovery. Still ... So much of this doesn’t make any sense. The weird timing. The clumsy announcement. The resignation itself, for that matter. ‘Leaves are taken for health issues, not resignations,’ is how one college sports lifer put it. Rutgers is a major university with top-notch benefits. Why is Hobbs quitting effective immediately and not taking advantage of his sick time?”
— “Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs abruptly resigns” — “Rutgers’ Greg Schiano addresses AD Pat Hobbs’ sudden resignation” I WROTE NO LAW AND THE DEMS WON — “The Singing Lawmaker: Meet the rock star turned Jersey politician,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: “These days, 1701 Calhoun Street in Trenton looks like an abandoned warehouse, with its pink facade crumbling, surrounded by weeds and ignored by people walking by. But every now and then, Erik Simonsen tells me, he’ll drive by it on his way to work at the New Jersey Statehouse and pay his respects. The long-vacant site was once home to City Gardens, one of Jersey’s most storied live music venues. Simonsen now spends a lot of time just 1.7 miles away, as a member of the state Assembly, tasked with crafting and casting votes on new laws … Simonsen played there, too. He and his Trenton-based rock band, Twelve:01, opened for groups like The Feelies and They Might Be Giants a few decades ago when the venue was still humming. ‘It was phenomenal,’ remembers Simonsen, a Republican who represents a swath of Jersey’s southern tip … Simonsen, now 55, has never stopped playing. You can catch an acoustic set of his alt-rock tunes — mostly originals, some covers — at bars near his home base of Cape May. You can listen to the children’s albums he’s made, a side project that got him shortlisted for a Grammy award. And you may soon be able to hear the latest record by his longtime band.” — McDonald: “NJ Transit needs a long-term fix, not a weeklong gimmick” | | BIDEN TIME | |
HE’LL BE GONE IN NOVEMBER — NJ governor goes for neutrality filling Menendez’s seat while downplaying rift with Andy Kim, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy formally announced Friday he will appoint his former top aide to fill convicted Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat — but in a twist, the governor made clear he’ll appoint the winner of November’s election early. Murphy’s former chief of staff George Helmy will serve in the Senate once Menendez resigns on Aug. 20 after being found guilty last month on all 16 counts in his corruption trial. Shortly after Murphy made the announcement, Menendez also ended his independent run for reelection. While Helmy is expected to join the Senate in early September, Murphy said that Helmy will resign once the Nov. 5 election results are certified about three weeks later. The Democratic governor will appoint the winner of that race between Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and GOP hotelier Curtis Bashaw. Kim is strongly favored to win.
KIM ‘N PLAY — “Kim: Never made a play for US Senate appointment,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Briana Vannozzi: “If appointed to the job early, it could have given Kim a leg up in terms of that election. But some fellow Democrats have remained frustrated with the congressman after he took on the state’s political establishment to abolish the so-called ‘party line’ ballot system. Kim spoke with [Vannozzi] on Friday, and said Helmy ‘knows how to navigate the Senate’ from his years as state director for U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). ‘He knows the building, and we’re looking for someone that’s going to be able to jump in immediately [and] able to fill that role for New Jersey for a couple of months,’ Kim said. 'So, I certainly support that. And I look forward to working with him at the Capitol for the next few months.' Kim also said he never made a play for the governor’s appointment. ‘I never made any asks,’ he said. ‘Honestly, I didn’t even have any conversations about that with the governor’s team. For me, it was just about November 5th.’” — Snowflack: “Marine confronts Sherrill on Afghanistan withdrawal" — Gottheimer: “Yes, NJ is a beacon for maternal health progress. But we have to do more — and faster” | | LOCAL | |
FORT LEE POLICE SHOOTING — “State releases bodycam footage of police officer who shot woman in Fort Lee,” by The Record’s Amanda Wallace, Kyle Morel, Lucas Frau: “On Friday afternoon, the state Office of the Attorney General released the body camera footage and 911 calls from the night a Fort Lee police officer shot and killed Victoria Lee, 25, last month, a moment that has sparked demonstrations and demands for answers. The released audio includes two 911 calls made by Lee's brother early on the morning of July 28 stating that his sister was having a mental health crisis. Near the end of the first call, the dispatcher informs him that an ambulance and officers would be sent. The brother states that ‘just an ambulance’ would be fine, but the dispatcher informs him that the officers must be sent for the safety of ambulance personnel.”
— “Video shows police errors in fatal Fort Lee shooting, experts say,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Taylor Jung and Bobby Brier: “The recordings released Friday, which typically are made public within 20 days of witness interviews by the attorney general, amplify questions about the police response in Fort Lee and efforts made over recent years to provide nonviolent responses to calls like the ones Lee’s family made. Policing experts and community advocates questioned why officers acted so quickly to shoot Lee, instead of taking steps to de-escalate her crisis. 'What sped up the timeline here? Why did they not continue to wait out in the hallway?' asked Brian Higgins, the former chief of police and director of public safety for Bergen County. 'What was [the officer’s] reasoning or justification for going through the door, breaking open that door, at that particular moment?'” — “Fort Lee police shooting body cam footage analyzed, minute by minute” DEDONE — “Jersey City’s hit-and-run councilwoman not expected to run for reelection in 2025,” by The Jersey Journal’s Joshua Rosario: “Jersey City Councilwoman-at-Large Amy DeGise is not expected to run for reelection after experiencing a turbulent freshman term that included a hit-and-run crash that made national headlines, insiders say. DeGise was just six months on the job when she thrust Jersey City into the national spotlight in July 2022 when she struck a delivery man on a bicycle with her SUV as he ignored a red light at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Forrest Street … Despite the fact that DeGise is current on paperwork to run next year, she won’t run, several insiders told The Jersey Journal. The prevailing logic says she’ll slip into the background and support Bill O’Dea from a distance, insiders say. ‘I would be very surprised if she is a candidate,’ one insider said … A few believe she will return in future elections, but right now she is an ‘albatross on anyone’s neck.’” — “Choices for council running mates provide insight into Jersey City mayoral candidates, insiders say” ESSEX COUNTY — “Abuse and neglect of young people with disabilities alleged at detention center,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Bobby Brier: “The state’s largest youth detention center is not providing records or access to speak with young people to a statewide nonprofit investigating allegations of abuse and neglect, according to a lawsuit the group filed. As New Jersey’s designated protection and advocacy system, Disability Rights New Jersey, a nonprofit corporation, is allowed by federal law to monitor and investigate settings where people with disabilities live and receive services, as they do in the detention center. Unannounced, unaccompanied access to facilities and access to records are ‘central to the investigation authority’ that Congress gave to protection and advocacy systems, the group said. Disability Rights New Jersey filed the lawsuit last week in the United States District Court of New Jersey against the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, and the center’s warden and director, to enforce its right to access the facility and investigate allegations of abuse and neglect, according to a recent news release from the nonprofit.” IF THEY DON’T PUT A WAWA THERE I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RIOT — “Redevelopment plan for iconic Sheraton Mahwah Hotel approved with revisions,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brianna Kudisch: “An amended redevelopment plan for the site of the former Sheraton Mahwah Hotel — an iconic 22-story Bergen County landmark slated for demolition — was recently approved by local officials. The new redevelopment plan allows for a maximum of 1.7 million square feet of ground floor non-residential development, and a maximum of 4 million total square feet on the property, according to the plan. ‘We’re not impeding on the neighbors,’ Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki told NJ Advance Media. ‘We’re just cutting the footprint in half almost, which I like.’” MILLIONAIRES BURNED — “One of NJ's richest towns continues to fight a directive to build affordable housing,” by WNYC’s Mike Hayes: “One of New Jersey’s wealthiest towns is doubling down on its efforts to scrap an affordable housing development in its downtown after years of ongoing litigation. Millburn Township officials are asking a judge to pause a court-issued mandate that they begin putting shovels in the ground for the project. On Wednesday night, the tony locale's attorneys filed a motion in Essex County Superior Court in hopes of appealing a judge’s ruling that ordered the township to move forward with an original agreement to build a 75-unit affordable housing development near shops, restaurants and an NJ Transit stop. The fight in a town where the average home price exceeds $1 million is part of broader statewide debates over spurring affordable housing in New Jersey.” — “Closing Kingsland Station in Lyndhurst will create a hardship, riders tell NJ Transit” — “[Colts Neck] to get first luxury apartment complex amid controversy” — “Newark expands AI in schools, continues tutoring, construction plans, Superintendent Roger León says” — “Dueling motions in Atlantic City Housing Authority lawsuit over Stanley Holmes Village” | | | | During unprecedented times, POLITICO Pro Analysis gives you the insights you need to focus your policy strategy. Live briefings, policy trackers, and and people intelligence secures your seat at the table. Learn more. | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
TO BE FRANK — “Intelligent, funny and a gentleman: How [Frank Guarini] forged a century-long legacy,” by The Jersey Journal’s Mark Koosau: “From Downtown development to pro football at MetLife Stadium to the advancement of multiple universities, few can boast the impact of Jersey City’s Frank Guarini. Born in 1924 across the street from Saint Peter’s University, he is a city success story: World War II veteran, lawyer, congressman, world traveler, real estate developer and a philanthropist. Tuesday will mark Guarini’s 100th birthday, and political colleagues and others described the soon-to-be centenarian as a man who’s intelligent, funny, humble and someone who’s committed to creating a positive impact.”
NOT LONG AFTER BOSS NORCROSS BOUGHT A BAKERY. HMMM... — “Carlo's Bakery of 'Cake Boss' fame has closed in Marlton,” by The Courier-Post’s Celeste E. Whittaker: “The Cake Boss has left South Jersey. Carlo’s Bakery has closed its Marlton Square shopping center location after opening nearly 10 years ago there to much fanfare … A Courier Post reporter called the Carlo's Bakery flagship store in Hoboken to inquire about the status of the Marlton store and got this response: “No, that one is closed permanently,” a Carlo’s Bakery employee confirmed. ‘We’re just evolving in different ways.’” BUT UNITED VAN LINES — “Young, wealthy households moving into New Jersey, study says,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Ilana Keller: “Lots of people say they plan to move out of New Jersey due to high taxes and an elevated cost of living. And certainly a large number do. But guess who's moving in? The ‘young and rich.’ That's what a study of IRS data by financial website SmartAsset found. Looking at tax years 2021 and 2022, the study found that the Garden State saw a net increase of 300 'young and rich' households — which the study defined as households with filers aged 26 to 35 with an adjusted gross income of $200,000 or more. That places it No. 8 in the country for states that gained the most 'young and rich' households.” — “NJ casino, sports and online gambling revenue up 8% in July; in-person win still down” — “Missing for nearly 80 years at Iwo Jima, Marine from N.J. to be laid to rest” | | | | 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 | | | | |
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