The Latest on Decision 2017 – New Jersey Legislature: District 1
By HARRY HURLEY
Political Columnist
A crucial General Election is now less than one month away. In both Atlantic and Cape May Counties, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
In District 1, New Jersey state senator Jeff Van Drew appears to hold an insurmountable lead; most probably beyond 25 points. Van Drew is poised for the biggest mandate of his storied electoral public service career.
Van Drew is almost too good to be true. He’s the rare registered Democrat, whom Republicans and Independents also like.
He’s a former Dennis Township Committeeman and Mayor; former Cape May County Freeholder (1994 to 1997); former New Jersey Assemblyman and current State Senator. Van Drew is also the former Dennis Township Fire Commissioner (1983 to 1986).
Van Drew can even pull your tooth – literally – as a Dentist, whereby he has also served as president of the New Jersey Dental Society and a board expert of the New Jersey Board of Dentistry.
Van Drew was largely responsible for the creation of the Atlantic Cape Community College, which had long been only Atlantic Community College. This finally gave Cape May fair representation at the region’s Community College.
Van Drew won his most recent re-election to the New Jersey state senate in 2013, winning 59.4 percent of the vote versus Susan Adelizzi Schmidt (39.2 percent). It was the highest percentage of the vote that Van Drew has earned. He won 55.7 percent in 2007 and 54.0 percent in 2011.
Van Drew has sponsored meaningful legislation since 2002 in the New Jersey General Assembly: Prohibiting unwanted telemarketing telephone calls; combating prescription drug errors; ban on self-service gas stations; predatory lending protections and the toughest legislation in state history regarding using the internet to prey upon children.
It is very likely that Van Drew will win more than 60 percent of the vote in the Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017 General Election. In our very divided America of 2017, this is nearly impossible.
District 1 Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczak leads the way for the two open Assembly seats. His current Assemblyman Bruce Land is holding the second spot at this time. Both lead comfortably, (moderate single digits), but, not nearly by the significant margin held by Van Drew.
Andrzejczak lost his leg; but not his heart in the Iraq War, while serving a Sergeant in the United States Army’s 25th Infantry Division. Andrzejczak lost his left leg from a grenade explosion (2009); which earned him The Purple Heart and The Bronze Star Medal.
Land served with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division and was twice awarded The Bronze Star for his service during the Vietnam War.
The Democratic ticket is poised to sweep. Andrzejczak has served in the New Jersey Legislature since March 21, 2013. Land has serves since Jan. 12, 2016.
Van Drew, Andrzejczak and Land are nearly the team from “Central Casting.” By any normal measurement, the 1st Legislative District should be a safe Republican District. Van Drew’s consistent ability to win and have enormous coattails is electorally supernatural.
All 40 State Senate seats are up for election. Van Drew will face Republican Mary Gruccio and Green Party candidate, Anthony Parisi Sanchez, who is running under the slogan, “Cannot Be Bought.” Gruccio is highly educated with multiple degrees, including her Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University. She has previously served two terms as a Cumberland County Freeholder.
Incumbents Andrzejczak and Land will face former Cumberland County Freeholder Director James Sauro and Robert Campbell. Sauro was first elected to the Freeholder Board in the election of 1999. He was elected, again many years later in 2012.
Sauro has long-owned his own plumbing and heating business. Campbell. Campbell served as mayor of Downe Township, Cumberland County in 2012. He served honorably in the United States Army Reserve from 1966 to 1972.
Realistically, Sauro is the only one of the three Republicans running, who has a chance to win this year. Two years ago, Sauro ran with then incumbent Republican Sam Fiocchi. Andrzejczak won with 20,231 votes. Land grabbed the second spot with 19,140. Fiocchi (16,818) and Sauro 16,395 votes finished third and fourth.
This is a tougher year for Sauro because it is a gubernatorial election year, which many times benefits the Democratic candidates in New Jersey.
Independent candidate Heather Gordon and Green Party candidate Mico Lucide are also running in the 2nd District race for the New Jersey General Assembly. Gordon is a small business owner and author.
In two weeks, we will take a close look at the District 2 Legislative races, featuring Assemblyman Chris Brown, R-2 and Colin Bell, the Democrat running for the state senate and the Assembly race, featuring Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo, D-2, John Armato, D-Buena Vista Township Committeeman versus Republican candidates Vince Sera, a current Brigantine Councilman and Brenda Taube, former Margate City Commissioner.
Harry Hurley is the president of Harry Hurley Consulting and Communications, LLC. He hosts the daily talk radio program “Hurley in the Morning” 6-10 a.m., weekdays on Townsquare Media, WPG Talk Radio 104.1 FM & 1450 AM, where he also serves as the senior programming consultant. Harry was elected to both the Philadelphia (2014) and New Jersey (2015) Radio Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He has hosted various programs for local television and is the editor and publisher of his news and information website, www.harryhurley.com. Send comments to HarryHurley@aol.com
