The New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police, which announced its endorsement of Republican Jack Ciattarelli for governor last week, is mainly endorsing incumbents in contests for eighty State Assembly seats on the ballot this year, but only one challenger: Republican Robert Kaiser, a Paramus councilman who spent thirty years as a police officer in South Hackensack.
Kaiser was the police union’s lone endorsement in the 38th legislative district, where incumbents Lisa Swain and Christopher Tully are seeking re-election.
Endorsements went to some of the legislature’s most conservative lawmakers, but also to progressive newcomers like Katie Brennan and Ravi Bhalla in the 32nd.
In the 8th district, the union went with both incumbents: Republican Michael Torrissi and Democrat Andrea Katz. The FOP endorsed only Republican Sean Kean in the 30th, staying out of the rematch between Democrat Avi Schnall and the Republican he ousted two years ago, Ned Thomson.
In the most competitive districts, the FOP is backing Democrats Heather Simmons and Dave Bailey in the 3rd and Luanne Peterpaul and Margie Donlon in the 11th; support also went to Republicans Michele Matsikoudis and Nancy Muñoz in the 21st.
Sixteen incumbents were passed over completely: Brian Rumpf and Greg Myhre in the 9th, Tennille McCoy in the 14th, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson in the 15th, Kevin Egan in the 17th, Robert Karabinchak and Sterley Stanley in the 18th, John DiMaio and Erik Peterson in the 23rd, Jay Webber in the 26th, Cleopatra Tucker in the 28th, Eliana Pintor Marin and Shanique Speight in the 29th, William Samson in the 31st, Gabriel Rodriguez in the 33rd, Carmen Morales in the 34th, Clinton Calabrese in the 36th, and Robert Auth in the 39th.
Democrats viewed as certain winners for open seats in safe districts were also not endorsed: Ed Rodriguez (20th), Chigozie Onyema (28th), Jerry Walker (31st), Larry Wainstein (33rd), and Kenyatta Stewart (35th) did not receive FOP support.
Also receiving FOP endorsements:
Democrats – Dan Hutchinson and Cody Miller (4th); William Spearman and Bill Moen (5th); Louis Greenwald and Melinda Kane (6th); Carol Murphy and Balvir Singh (7th); Wayne DeAngelo (14th); Anthony Verrelli (15th); Roy Freiman and Mitchelle Drulis (16th); Joe Danielsen (17th); Craig Coughlin and Yvonne Lopez (19th); Annette Quijano (20th); Linda Carter and James Kennedy (22nd); Rosy Bagolie and Alixon Collazos-Gill (27th); Michael Venezia (34th); Al Abdelaziz (35th); Gary Schaer (36th); and Shama Haider and Ellen Park (37th). Republicans – Erik Simonson and Antwan McClellan (1st); Don Guardian and Claire Swift (2nd); Paul Kanitra and Gregory McGuckin (10th); Robert Clifton and Alex Sauickie (12th); Gerry Scharfenberger and Victoria Flynn (13th); Dawn Fantasia and Michael Inganamort (24th); Christian Barranco and Aura Dunn (25th); Brian Bergen (26th); John Azzariti (39th); and Chris DePhillips and Al Barlas (40th).
