Politics NJ is reporting that the 14th District was selected as the clean elections district by a 3-2 vote along party lines.
It’s a good decision, though both districts could make a good case. In the end, the decision came down to the number of incumbents running — according to former Gov. Jim Florio, who cast the deciding vote. Just one incumbent is running in the 14th, while two are running in the 12th. Incumbent Assembly Republicans in both districts are making bids for the Senate — Bill Baroni in the 14th is seeking the seat left vacant by Sen. Peter Inverso, a Republican, while Jennifer Beck is challenging incumbent Ellen Karcher in the 12th.
Ms. Beck says the decision opens up the 12th to oodles of special interest money — a view that Sen. Karcher seconds. Seems there is room for some kind of truce. (I suspect the GOP would prefer not to have to spend money in the 12th, but that is just me.)
The key, as I’ve written many times in the last week, is that the 14th has been the most expensive in the state in recent years and the program’s primary sponsors — Baroni and Linda Greenstein, a Democrat — are running in the 14th.
So let’s get this thing going and prove that clean elections can work in New Jersey.
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Hank Kalet 