WHO’S UP

Brian Donnelly

In a bizarre twist for New Jersey politics, the new councilman in Moorsetown demonstrated talents beyond simply milking the system as he authored an award-winning comic book.

Derek Armstead

Wanting the seat to remain vacant until the November general election, the mayor of Linden on Thursday stared down state Senator Nick Scutari’s (D-22) effort to fill a council vacancy with one of the senator’s allies.

Mike Vieira

Members of the Livingston Democratic County Committee on Wednesday night “voted overwhelmingly” to have Michael Vieira sworn in to fill the vacancy created by Michael Silverman’s resignation.

Jay Lassiter

Our own columnist won a New Jersey Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Award this week for a package of his columns. We already knew his work was great, but what an honor it is to have the NJPA also see it that way.

Cindy Burton

One of the state’s great political reporters announced her retirement, effective next month, from The Philadelphia Inquirer. We’re going to miss her.

WHO’S DOWN

Joe Howarth

Caught in the tractor beam of state Senator Dawn Addiegio’s defection to the Democratic Party, the 8th District Republican insisted he never considered letting himself get dragged into her wake, but his party chairman (see below) says otherwise, and plans to dump him.

Sean Earlen

New to the job, the Burlington County GOP chairman weathered the defection loss of state Senator Addiego, then had to cut loose the apparently recalcitrantly wobbly incumbent Republican Assemblyman Howarth. Party bedlam in BurlCo.

Stephen Reid

You never want to be saddled by a lawsuit as you try to charge out of the gate in a run for the assembly, but that’s the condition of the Point Pleasant Mayor, who has to attempt to ward off suspicions about his improper use of his government position to advance the agenda of an anti-marijuana legalization group. Reid wants to try to succeed retiring Assemblyman David Wolfe (R-10).

Nick Scutari

The state senator (and Union County Democratic Committee chair) on Thursday lost his case to seat Paul Coates to fill the vacant 8th Ward seat in his home town of Linden. Scutari had argued the illegality of the resolution passed by the council to keep the seat vacant. But he came up short.

Jack Kelly

The former Ocean County Freeholder cast in the James Bond villain role in Freeheld is back, this time as freeholder liaison to the Ocean County Correctional Facility with a sexual harassment scandal on its hands right now, as award-winning InsiderNJ columnist Jay Lassiter noted here.