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| By Matt Friedman |
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Good Friday morning! A bill redesigning the New Jersey primary ballot passed the Assembly Thursday without debate and just one vote of opposition. We’re still waiting for the Senate to decide what to do. But it was an accompanying bill to increase signature requirements for candidates that proved controversial, passing 45 to 27, mainly along party lines. The bill’s sponsor, Assembly Majority Lou Greenwald, said that during the Assembly Select Committee on Ballot Design hearings, they heard from “members of the public who voiced concerns that too many what they consider frivolous candidates would clutter our ballots, making them unnecessarily long and confusing. “As stated by the Supreme Court, a place on the ballot should be reserved for candidates who are serious contenders — those who merit public time, attention and research,” Greenwald said. | | A message from Alibaba:
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The number of signatures New Jersey requires candidates to collect to get on the primary ballot is quite low: 1,000 for statewide offices, 200 for the U.S. House and 100 for state Senate and Assembly, and just 50 for towns with populations of over 14,000. This bill would up those numbers, increasing the statewide, U.S. House and state Legislature signature threshold to 2,500, 500 and 250, respectively, and on a sliding scale for municipal candidates depending on the size of the town.
Assemblymember Brian Bergen, a Republican from Morris County, called the bill “sickening.” “There are members of this body, the sponsor potentially one of them, that have operated with impunity in a system that allows you to get the support of one person and translates that into decades of ballot security for yourself,” Bergen said. “And now things are changing. Now the competition is getting real. In your districts, you will be challenged … But this bill says to me ... If you can’t beat them, use your privileged position to squash them.” There are legitimate arguments for increasing the signature requirements. But I have to note the irony in Greenwald, a Democrat from Camden County, talking about “frivolous candidates.” Camden County Democratic operatives for years circulated petitions and worked in other ways to get fake candidates on the ballot in order to confuse voters or push legitimate challengers into “ballot Siberia.” The low signature requirements made running “phantom candidates” easy. Now, when crowded ballots could mean the machine-backed candidates have to work harder to stand out in the crowd, a Camden County Democrat wants to make it harder to run unserious candidates. I’m not saying that’s the reason Greenwald wanted this bill. But I couldn’t ignore the irony. TIPS? FEEDBACK Email me at mfriedman@politico.com PROGRAMMING NOTE: New Jersey Playbook will be off for the holidays until Monday, Jan. 6. I'll still be reporting, so feel free to get in touch.
| | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The Indictment paints George Norcross as a villain who used political influence to advance his own private interests. Many others would call him a hero who used sheer force of personality to save the City of Camden.” — George Norcross attorneys Yaakov Roth and Michael Critchley in their latest legal brief. (For what it’s worth, since we’re talking about South Jersey, if anything, I think Norcross is a hoagie.) (Sorry.) HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Shama Haider, Holly Schepisi, Mike Frasinelli, John Froonjian, John Reitmeyer. Saturday for Craig LeMoult. Sunday for Mark Di Ionno, Tom Moran, Udi Ofer, Adam Malamut WHERE’S MURPHY? Leaving the state for personal travel until Dec. 30. |  |
WHAT TRENTON MADE | | THE FIX IS NOT IN — Scutari: Assembly ballot bill is ‘good framework’, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Senate President Nick Scutari told reporters that the primary ballot design bill the state Assembly approved on Thursday is a “good framework” and that he doesn’t have a “major issue” with it. The comments made by Scutari are his most substantive remarks on what his vision is for primary ballot design legislation. The Senate has not yet introduced a companion version of the Assembly primary ballot design bill, A5116, which writes into law office block ballots and allows candidates to be grouped together if they are running mates seeking an office for which there are multiple seats open. “I think they have a pretty good framework and we had some input on
it,” Scutari said. “So I think we're in a pretty good place. But I don't know if it's going to be exactly the same, I can tell you that.” He added: “I don't have a real major issue with it in its holistic form.” Scutari did not go into great detail on what changes he would seek, although he suggested that technical fixes may be needed. —New Jersey's 2025 primary just one step from being pushed back a week | | | | You read POLITICO for trusted reporting. Now follow every twist of the lame duck session with Inside Congress. We track the committee meetings, hallway conversations, and leadership signals that show where crucial year-end deals are heading. Subscribe now. | | | | | CORRECTIONS — “Inside a N.J. lockup where advocate says 90% are hooked on drugs,” by Matt Gray for NJ.com: “One attorney who represents civilly committed sex offenders believes 90% of the detainees in the facility have a substance abuse issue. But he said the facility doesn’t provide the kind of help they need to conquer their addictions. That sentiment is shared by multiple people NJ Advance Media interviewed as part of its ongoing investigation into the state’s civil commitment program for sex offenders … For detainees with addiction problems, being held indefinitely in the Special Treatment Unit is even more fraught. Critics say detainees who could qualify for discharge after their sex offense treatment is completed should not be held longer in the unit because they
have a substance abuse issue, especially when there are better treatment options for addiction elsewhere. The state health and corrections departments jointly run the Special Treatment Unit, and have declined NJ Advance Media’s requests to tour the unit or to speak to officials regarding treatment services.” —“How Porrino, Sentencing Commission are working to create a fairer criminal justice system” —“This N.J. commuter knows: Congestion pricing will benefit the entire region | Opinion” —“New Jersey leads the way in banning book bans. Other states should follow | Opinion” —“NJ Transit trains are getting new windows you can see through” | |
BIDEN TIME | | JEFF VAN DREW’S WARDROBE IS A NOT FLY ZONE — “F.A.A. bans drone flights near ‘critical infrastructure’ in New Jersey,” by The New York Times’ Tracey Tully: “The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a monthlong ban on drone flights over a large swath of New Jersey, the first broad prohibition of its kind since the authorities began investigating a spate of sightings last month that set off fear and speculation. The ban began late on Wednesday and will continue through Jan. 17, according to an F.A.A. alert. The notification cited “special security reasons” for prohibiting flights in airspace near 22 New Jersey communities, including three of the state’s largest cities, Camden, Elizabeth and Jersey City … The F.A.A. said in a statement that it had temporarily restricted drone flights over ‘critical New
Jersey infrastructure’ at the request of what it described as federal security partners.” —“Drone fever highlights lagging federal regulation” —“Federal officials' authority to track and disable drones set to expire, snared in budget battle” RAW ADEEL — “Booker concedes defeat on Mangi nomination: ‘Shameful for America’,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “The saga of Adeel Mangi’s nomination to a seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has come to an end – and not in the way Senator Cory Booker or most of his fellow Democrats were hoping for. In an impassioned speech on the Senate floor tonight, Booker conceded for the first time that Mangi’s nomination will not be successful, which has been increasingly clear for months. Booker’s speech, addressed to Mangi’s two teenage sons, hailed Mangi as an outstanding American and condemned the Senate for allowing his nomination to falter in the face of an onslaught of attacks on Mangi’s character. ‘This great body failed your father,’ Booker
said. ‘It failed the American people. It is one of the most painful chapters I’ve had in public life. The American people deserve a government that … upholds the ideals that are so core to this country: that everyone is created equal, that there should be liberty and justice for all. That’s not what happened in this episode. It’s not what happened to your dad. He was treated differently because of his faith.’” —“An interview with Frank Pallone” —“After appeal, dating coach from N.J. not going back to prison for Jan. 6 offenses” —“Rep. Menendez: GOP will shut down our gov’t ‘because Elon Musk told them to’” —“NJ readies schools for Trump immigration changes” | |
LOCAL | | ‘CAUSE CROOKS LIKE US, BABY WE WERE BANNED TO RUN — “Former Paterson mayor pleads guilty to violating court order, avoids jail time,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “In a deal that will allow him to avoid jail time, former mayor Jose ‘Joey’ Torres pleaded guilty on Thursday morning to violating a court order from his 2017 conspiracy conviction. Under a plea agreement reached with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Torres faces probation and fines at his upcoming sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 22. Torres, 66, on Thursday stood before Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark and admitted committing the fourth-degree crime of contempt by trying to run for mayor of Paterson in 2022 even though his previous conviction disqualified him from holding that office. Torres previously asserted that he was doing nothing wrong by
trying to submit nominating petitions for mayor in March 2022. But on Thursday, he said in court that he knew was breaking the terms of a court order from the 2017 conviction. After Thursday’s court session, Torres said he had ‘made a mistake interpreting the language’ of the 2017 court order. That document said Torres could not hold office or apply for public employment.”
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| POLITICO Pro's unique analysis combines exclusive transition intelligence and data visualization to help you understand not just what's changing, but why it matters for your organization. Explore how POLITICO Pro will make a difference for you. | | | | | THE COWARDLY LEÓN — “Newark school board seeks to unseat board member after daughter files legal claim against district,” by Chalkbeat’s Jessie Gómez: “A Newark Board of Education member whose family has spoken out about racial harassment and tensions at a controversial district high school may be facing removal from her seat, Chalkbeat has learned. In November, the school board voted to ask the state education department to recommend the removal of six-year board member Dawn Haynes, according to a source who has seen the petition. The petition, which was discussed in a closed-door session not open to the public last month, has not been made public by the district … The board’s petition, signed by Superintendent Roger León, comes after Haynes’ daughter, Akela Haynes, filed a legal claim in October against the
district alleging religious, racial, and gender discrimination and other harassment during her time as a Newark School of Global Studies student. The claim also alleges León and principal Nelson Ruiz are liable for violating their obligation to protect Akela Haynes from ‘the physical and psychological harms’ she experienced at the school.” AC — “Atlantic City mayor preparing to seek another term,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. is planning to seek re-election next year despite indictments for child abuse and witness tampering – and there’s a decent chance he will win. Sources with knowledge of Small’s plans say he will announce his candidacy during the first week of 2025 and has already assembled a slate of city council candidates. So far, no one has entered the race to challenge Small in the June Democratic primary or the general election. One possible opponent is Bob McDevitt, who retired in 2023 after 26 years as president of Local 54 Unite here, the casino workers union.” |
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JUST AS NEW JERSEYANS MOST NEED TO LEARN WHAT AIRPLANES LOOK LIKE — “Atlantic City Airshow canceled for 2025,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Nicholas Huba and John O’Connor: “The 2025 Atlantic City Airshow has been canceled, according to a statement Thursday from the Greater Atlantic City Chamber. “After careful consideration, the Atlantic City Airshow will take a strategic pause for 2025. We will use this time to reevaluate the overall operations of the show — reevaluating community engagement, assessing costs, reviewing logistics and creatively considering what future Atlantic City Airshows could look like," the chamber said in a statement. ‘It is our sincere hope that we will once again be in a position to hold an airshow in 2026.’ The midweek show regularly brought more than 400,000 people to the resort and featured acts like
the Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels.”
— “A Hail Mary idea emerges to save Freehold Raceway. Will it work?” — Scutari vows to crack down on cannabis ‘gray market’ in 2025 — “Feds get an earful from Trenton residents, who want cops punished for actions in report” —“Ex-health officer sues [Dover] mayor … town for alleged misogynistic, unlawful behavior” —“Charlotte animal sanctuary in Berkeley handed a $10,000 tax bill, a threat of tax sale” —“'Shame!': Upper Freehold OKs warehouses after 10-month hearing, but Allentown will fight” —“Hoboken City Council votes down measure prohibiting ‘unconscionable’ rent hikes” —“Middle Township redevelopment plan moves forward, though not without raising tempers first” —“Student and driver injured as school bus crashes into pharmacy in Wayne” | |
EVERYTHING ELSE | |
TAYLOR SHAM — “The deli was real. Its $100M value was baloney, admit father and son behind scheme,” by NJ Advance Media’s Ted Sherman: “More than three years after a little hole-in-the-wall deli in South Jersey became the unlikely focus of an international investment scam stretching all the way to Hong Kong and Thailand, the father-and-son team who orchestrated the complicated financial scheme pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom on Thursday. Peter Coker, Sr., 82, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and his son, Peter Coker, Jr., 56, formerly of Hong Kong, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden to securities fraud and conspiracy charges. They each face up to 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine when they are sentenced next year.”
CAMDEN 76ERS HOPE 86’D — “After protesters removed from chambers, Philly Council votes 12-5 to approve Sixers’ arena proposal,” by WHYY’s Aaron Moselle and Tom MacDonald: “Philadelphia lawmakers on Thursday passed a package of bills authorizing the 76ers to build a new arena in Center City, ending a contentious legislative process featuring hours of public testimony, intense closed-door negotiations, and the forcible removal of several arena opponents from council chambers. The 12-5 vote was largely expected … The $1.3 billion development is backed by Mayor Cherelle Parker, meaning she is almost guaranteed to sign any related bills when they reach her desk … The 18,500-seat arena will sit at 10th and Market streets atop SEPTA’s Jefferson’s Station.” —“Who killed Frankie? A N.J. man was strangled to death. But who’s really to blame?” —“Water company unearths a bit of North Jersey's history during excavation” CORRECTION: The acting comptroller’s first name is Kevin. I knew that. My fingers didn’t.
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