Hudson Dems now taking District 8 ‘Siresly’

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Good Monday morning!

I haven’t seen any polls on Rep. Albio Sires’ (D-8th Dist.) reelection, public or internal. But one only needs to look at the behavior of Hudson County Democrats to see that the machine doesn’t have the primary locked down as tightly as it would like.

The earliest sign was when Hudson County Democrats, clearly concerned about the Bernie Sanders-aligned candidates, decided to have an open primary for president — then reneged and bracketed themselves with Biden, deadlines be damned.

Then last week, Hudson County Democrats dropped some questionable opposition research on Sires challenger Hector Oseguera: Voter records that said he was a registered Republican from age 18 to 21. While Oseguera calls this a clerical error, the bigger point is it served to highlight that Sires not only used to be a Republican, but actually ran for office as one when he was in his 30s.

But what was more odd was the fact that they were attacking him at all. Invulnerable incumbents don’t generally punch down. The signs kept picking up: On Thursday, Gov. Murphy, Lt. Gov. Oliver, Sen. Menendez and Sen. Booker released an endorsement of Sires. And on Friday, Sires’ campaign put out a press release slamming Oseguera for getting $1,000 from a Trump donor.

Sires has never been a prolific fundraiser, but he has a big cash advantage over Oseguera and huge party resources to draw from. I don’t know if the machine is going after Oseguera over an abundance of caution or because it’s real.

But if you’re looking for the New Jersey congressional district with the highest possibility of an incumbent upset in the primary, the HCDO’s actions have made it clear it’s this one. You might even say they’re taking it ... Siresly. (Thank you. I’ll be writing Playbook all week.)

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He is losing and if he doesn’t change course, both in terms of the substance of what he is discussing and the way that he approaches the American people, then he will lose.” — Former Gov. Christie on President Trump

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Gottheimer adviser Max Virkus

WHERE’S MURPHY?: In Trenton for his daily press conference at 2:30 p.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 354 newly-diagnosed cases for a total of 171,182. 30 more deaths for a total of 13,121 (not counting 1,854 probable cases).

WHAT TRENTON MADE


MURPHY ALSO SWITCHES TO METRIC SYSTEM, ORDERS ALL STUDENTS MUST STAY 183 CM APART — New Jersey schools will reopen in person this fall, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: Gov. Phil Murphy and state Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet announced New Jersey schools will open for in-person instruction “in some capacity” this fall but punted much of the specific decision-making to local leaders. The K-12 “Restart and Recovery” guidance released Friday requires schools to conduct some form of in-person class with an option to meld online learning into a hybrid “flexible” reopening plan that will vary from district to district and school to school across the state. The guidance uses national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines as its foundation and includes minimum standards for social distancing, disinfection and face coverings. Students and staff must remain at least 6 feet apart at all times possible and staff and visitors will be mandated to wear face coverings at all times. Masks for students will be “strongly encouraged” but not required except in situations where social distancing is not possible.

IT GUARANTEES SAVING EVEN MORE THAN NJEA SPENT AGAINST SWEENEY — Murphy, legislative leaders strike deal on school health plan overhaul, by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton: Senate President Steve Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Gov. Phil Murphy’s office said Friday they had hashed out a deal on legislation to overhaul health plans offered to New Jersey educators, potentially generating hundreds of millions of dollars in annual savings for New Jersey taxpayers. An amended version of legislation, introduced by Sweeney earlier this year, cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee unanimously on Friday. The bill was amended to incorporate elements of a separate bill, NJ A5814 (18R), Coughlin introduced last year that would guarantee taxpayers $300 million in annual savings through the health plans.

THE OPPOSITE OF A DICK MOVE — “How this former N.J. governor is helping businesses hurt by the pandemic,” by NJ Advance Media’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “Regla Cathy Gonzalez wasn’t sure how her fine dining restaurant would fare after three months of being shut down in the coronavirus pandemic. On one particular day, she said, she was feeling at her worst and extremely depressed over the downturn of the business. But suddenly, she said her prayers were answered. Standing in the middle of a Costco parking lot while aimlessly searching for her car, Gonzalez received a call from state Sen. Richard Codey, a former governor, who told her he wanted to visit the restaurant and help out — he’d give a check to the owner, and pick up the first $10 off any meal on a slow day … The Morris County restaurant wasn’t the only one Codey, D-Essex has lent a hand. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, he has helped out at least eight restaurants and countless people, by giving them money out of his own pocket — roughly $40,000, by his estimates.”

R.I.P. — “Movers and Shakers: The political wisdom of Nick Acocella from the upper deck,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Yes, he agreed some are odious miscreants who had no business in public life, and yes, he allowed, some bosses did rig the system to their own benefit. But Nick also expressed a sweep-of-history perspective. In his view, people were drawn to the political life for a number of reasons — some were driven by raw ambition or a desperate desire for validation. Others, he said, were idealists. And, of course, he said, there are those who enter politics as a means to amass wealth and power. Most politicians, Nick explained, were driven by a combination of all those things.”

BUDGET — “Balancing New Jersey’s budget with bonds will leave negative impact for years,” by Richard F. Keevey for The Record: “The governor has suggested the sale of $ 5 billion of bonds — and perhaps up to $10 billion. In my judgment, that is a bad option. Under any scenario the state must make significant spending reductions. Unfortunately, all existing programs cannot and perhaps should not be continued. Each budget reduction will have its constituents and objectors. But, it is difficult to argue that all spending is critical and should be funded simply by borrowing , especially when many citizens are losing jobs and businesses are closing.”

PRIMARY — “Some voters won’t get their ballots until after Election Day, officials say,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Thousands of New Jerseyans might not receive their ballots until after the July 7 primary election, the result of massive computer issues and U.S. Postal Service delays. The Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) has been crashing several times a day for the last few days, leaving local election officials without the ability to process thousands of vote-by-mail ballots just eleven days before the New Jersey primary election. Computer malfunctions have become so dire that state Division of Elections director Bob Giles has told election officials to stop processing ballot requests because of network overloads, the New Jersey Globe has learned. That has left counties without the ability to quickly turn around ballots at the time the number of requests seem to be expanding exponentially.”

BOB AUTH URGED TO LEAVE VIOLIN AT HOME — State lawmakers to convene in-person for the first time since March on Monday, by Sam: The state Legislature will reconvene in person for the first time since March on Monday, with votes scheduled for a short-term funding bill that will extend the state’s fiscal year and a major overhaul of the state’s health benefits program for school employees. The last time the Senate convened in person was on March 19

CONTACT TRACING — States scramble to contain Covid spikes without enough workers to track outbreaks, by POLITICO’s Dan Goldberg and Alice Miranda Ollstein: But elsewhere, officials are still putting together their tracing programs months after stay-at-home orders were lifted — and training new hires as spikes threaten to overwhelm local health systems. Even those states that have hired hundreds or thousands of people have struggled to find new infections quickly and elicit useful information. ... New Jersey, one of the hardest hit states, has brought on almost no new contact tracers since the pandemic began. The state has roughly 900 and needs somewhere between 2,500 and 4,000, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday. The state’s digital platform to track the program is only running in two counties, so statewide data on how successful the program has been so far is not yet available.

—“NJ MVC reopening delayed until July for testing of text notification system”

—Oliver, Pou and Cunningham: “NJ must correct the failures of our criminal justice system”

—“Travelers confront New Jersey’s COVID-19 quarantine”

—Moran: “Black Lives Matter. Don’t cut prisoner re-entry programs”

—“Bill would mandate NJ police departments create minority hiring programs”


TRUMP ERA


GOLF — Trump cancels weekend trip to his private New Jersey golf club as coronavirus cases spike, by POLITICO’s Max Cohen: President Donald Trump on Friday morning canceled his scheduled weekend trip to his private golf club in Bedminster, N.J. The trip had drawn criticism as Trump said he would not follow New Jersey guidelines and would ignore a mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers coming from states with coronavirus spikes.

CD3 — “In South Jersey, it’s a Kennedy against a power broker favorite to challenge turncoat Rep. Van Drew,” by The Washington Post’s Paul Kane: “As voters check off their mail ballots in this pandemic-era July 7 primary election, the battle is coming down to two powerful, yet very different political machines: the Kennedys versus South Jersey power brokers … What has ensued is an increasingly bitter, personal campaign that is befitting of this state’s bare-knuckle traditions. Moreover, with Gov. Phil Murphy (D) endorsing Kennedy, New Jersey’s intensely myopic insider class has lost focus on defeating Van Drew and instead see this primary as a proxy fight in a long-running civil war.”

—Will Cunningham press release: “Frankly, I am disgusted, fed-up, and astounded by the intentional erasure of my candidacy by the Washington Post and countless other media outlets over the course of this race. This article did not mention the name Will Cunningham a single time. In this nation, black men shouldn’t have to die on camera in front of the nation to have their voices and stories heard or their substance recognized. The actions of the press throughout this entire campaign reek of implicit bias bordering on racism and utter whitewashing.”

KIMCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE — “Kim enters primary with large money advantage over Gibbs, Richter,” by The Burlington County Ties’ David Levinsky: “Kim reported raising $718,433 during the period between April 1 and June 18 — the 20-day mark before the primary election. As of the 18th, his campaign had raised $4.2 million total and spent about $1.11 million, leaving him with close to $3.25 million in available cash entering the general election cycle. Richter and Gibbs are both far behind Kim in fundraising, and their own war chests are far from flush after being tapped during their bruising primary contest.”

MISSED LAST WEEK — Former Morris County GOP Chairman John Sette dropped his challenge to Christie confidant Bill Palatucci for Republican National Committeeman. Ginny Haines was reelected committeewoman as well. From Art Gallagher at More Monmouth Musings

LOCAL


SOME FENCES CAN’T BE MENDEZ’D — “Opponent tries to block Paterson councilman-elect from taking office after fraud charges,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “A beat-the-clock legal battle has begun over whether councilman-elect Alex Mendez, who was charged with election fraud last week, should be allowed to take office at the city inauguration July 1. A lawyer representing William McKoy, the 20-year incumbent who was defeated by Mendez by 240 votes in the city’s 3rd Ward council race in May, filed a seven-page request late Friday night for a court injunction that would block the accused from serving on the council unless and until he gets cleared of the criminal charges. ‘The question presented by this matter is simple,’ wrote McKoy’s lawyer, Scott Salmon, ‘should an individual be allowed to be sworn in and take office while facing criminal charges for unlawfully interfering in the very election that gave him the right to the seat? For the sake of the sanctity of the democratic process, we hope not.’”

—“Phil Murphy urges Paterson politicians accused of election fraud to ‘step aside’”

—Kelly: “Paterson election fraud is textbook example of tampering, and could be gift to Trump”

HOW BORGATA GOT HER GROOVE BACK — “Casinos, pop-up yoga, free-flowing booze: Can Atlantic City find its groove again?” by The Philadelphia Inquier’s Amy S. Rosenberg: “Without its casinos, especially as it began to feel like summer, you could make a case that Atlantic City itself found a bit of an unexpected groove. Alcohol restrictions on the Boardwalk were ended, and what better place to go for banana-daiquiri-hopping? Old stalwarts like Dock’s Oyster House set up tents for outdoor diners. Unlike other Shore towns, Atlantic City never closed its beaches or Boardwalk during the coronavirus shutdown. Beer gardens sported rooftop DJs and drive-up comedy shows. The much-touted Orange Loop, three Monopoly-themed blocks of bars and restaurants, suddenly seemed essential in a town with nine closed casinos … Woah, stop that rose-colored jitney! Could this really be a glimpse of Atlantic City’s laid-back future? There were plenty of reality checks, none more sobering than the frequent food distributions aimed at the 26,000 casino employees put out of work when casinos were ordered closed March 16, giveaways sponsored by the Casino Reinvestment Development Association, churches, and other donors.”

INTRODUCING THE NEW MASCOT: PANDERER THE POLITICIAN — “Mayors criticize decision by Pascack Valley school board to scrap Indians, Cowboys mascots,” by The Record’s Shaylah Brown: “The mayors of Hillsdale, Montvale, Woodcliff Lake and River Vale issued a joint statement to school board members that called the removal of the Cowboys and Indians monikers ‘knee-jerk reactions.’ ‘Unfortunately, as has been the case too many times before, some elected officials have rejected real conversations for knee-jerk reactions,’ the mayors wrote in the letter. ‘Perhaps this is a symptom of the 24-hour news cycle we find ourselves in, or what has become an almost insatiable need by some to score points on social media’ The district comprises two high schools: Pascack Valley, whose sports teams are known as the Indians, and Pascack Hills, dubbed the Cowboys. The Board of Education on Monday night voted unanimously to change the names of the teams.”

LAKE OH NO — “From bar fights to chill fire pits, Jersey’ Shore nightlife remains a coronavirus work in progress,” by NJ Advance Media’s Josh Axelrod: “NJ Advance Media sent reporters out Friday and Saturday to check out the nightlife first hand…. at Bar Anticipation in Lake Como, the big crowd outside waiting to get in seemed to negate the well-managed social distancing efforts beyond the bouncers ... Officials from more than a dozen towns told me earlier in the week that bars were pretty much playing by the rules. The list of requirements is long — 29 in total broken into three sections. Most are focused on attempts to keep people at least 6 feet apart with seating limits of eight people per table. On Tuesday, Sea Bright Mayor Brian P. Kelly told me that Donovan’s was catching flak from residents and officials nudged the bar’s management, reminding them to keep patrons 6 feet apart. He called the folks at Donovan’s ‘great people’ and said he’d stop in later that week to chat with them. But just before midnight on Saturday, social distancing seemed a distant memory. There were some modest efforts by staff to shuffle the crowd about, but they were barely and begrudgingly acknowledged.”

IN THE SUMMER SNOWFLAKES ARE RAINDROPS — “Trump boat parade on NJ’s largest lake postponed because of rain,” by The New Jersey Herald’s Kyle Morel: “Mother Nature intervened with a planned boat parade in support of President Donald Trump on Saturday, with the threat of severe storms postponing an event that was expected to bring several hundred to New Jersey’s largest lake. A post on the event’s Facebook page shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday by the Sussex County GOP — whose chairman, Jerry Scanlan, was set to be in the front boat of the procession — said that the decision was made ‘out of an abundance of caution and in consultation with law enforcement and safety personnel.’ There was light rain in the area Saturday morning, with forecasts calling for much heavier precipitation and a chance of thunderstorms around 11 a.m., the time the parade was scheduled to begin.”

—“Pascack Valley officials alert police after Instagram comments on mascot change turn hateful”

—“Black Trenton Police sergeant says white sergeant called her the N-word during training in 2018”

—“Another Christopher Columbus statue removed from [Newark] park”

—“Christopher Columbus statue to come down in Atlantic City”

—“[Hopewell] rallies around biracial cop suing own department for discrimination”


EVERYTHING ELSE


LIKE RIGHTING HISTORY WITH LIGHTNING — “Princeton removes Woodrow Wilson’s name from school, citing his ‘racist thinking and policies,’ by POLITICO’s Jordan Muller: Princeton University on Saturday announced it will remove former President Woodrow Wilson’s name from its public and international affairs school in the wake of nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. “The trustees concluded that Woodrow Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must stand firmly against racism in all its forms,” said Christopher Eisgruber, Princeton’s president, in a statement. Students had long called for the removal of the 28th president’s name from Princeton’s public affairs school.

—“Brick nurse who treated COVID-19 patients refused service at beauty salon on eve of wedding”