Who’s Up

Janice Mironov

The respected Mercer County Democratic Committee chair – a good government and League of Municipalities star and the long-serving mayor of East Windsor –  buried her challenger, 261-115, in this week’s virtual convention tilt.

Britnee Timberlake

Up against very credible veteran inquistors in Assemblyman Jay Webber and Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, the East Orange-based assemblywoman made an impassioned and detail-oriented case on the floor of the Assembly for her COVID-19 tenant protection bill. The meausre passed, 46-22-3.

Brendan Sciarra

The Cape May Democratic Committee chairman this week received the unaninmous backing from fellow committee members for another term.

Ras Baraka

The Newark Mayor has long advocated for a bill giving municipalities the option of imposing a five year residency requirement for police and fire. This week, the Senate Budget Committee moved the Senator M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29)-sponsored bill out of ccommittee with the personal “aye” vote of Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3).

Amy Kennedy

As she seeks traction for her challenge of incumbent U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2), the CD2 Democratic candidate won the backing this week of the NJ Building Trades Council, which had backed a Senate President Steve Sweeney rival in the CD2 Democratic Primary. Maybe the establishment fix isn’t in for Van Drew. Or maybe Kennedy’s July 7th victory was so convincing that it can’t be.

Who’s Down

David Schroth 

The Ewing Twp. Councilman came up woefully short in his bid to oust incumbent Mercer County Democratic Committee chair Mironov on Wednesday night.

Charles Geter and Margaret Nicol 

Prior to the Mercer County Democratic Convention, the two committee members made an unsuccessful attempt to stop the party convention to elect a county chair by filing a legal challenge. It went nowhere as Assignment Judge Mary Jacobson ruled that the voting session could move forward.

The Children of New Jersey

As we stagger into August amid an ominous COVID-19 “winter is coming” legislative debate, there is no evidence that New Jersey has significantly improved its virtual learning program for students. Despite the bravest efforts of educators, it was a horror show in the spring. With no credible action plan in place, our kids face the prospect of another snow-on-the-TV school screen term. It’s not enough to laugh off the coming year as “different”. New Jersey’s children deserve better. By a longshot. Get it together.

Pat Colligan and Sean Lavin

Their fight’s not over yet – the admission by Senate Budget Chairman Paul Sarlo that he can’t support the bill on the floor, an abstention by Senator Joe Cryan, sit-out by Senator Pat Diegnan and Senator Linda Greenstein reserving the right oppose it signaled as much – but the Budget Committee this week did move a police and fire residency bill over the vociferous opposition of the two police labor leaders.

Bruce Cooper

The establishment-backed Cumberland County Freeholder candidate finally lost – ok, it was last week, but this is InsiderNJ’s return edition of Who’s up and Who’s Down – in a nailbiter of election where off-the-line candidate Donna M. Pearson finally prevailed.