LD25 Flashpoint: Carroll Suits up for Showdown with Civil War-Rended Dems
A Civil War reenactor in Union Blue (NOT Confederate gray), Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-25) is aware of the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee’s efforts to turn him and his running mate, Assemblyman Tony Bucco (R-25) out for replacements who will back the re-upping of Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32).
For what it’s worth, Thomas Moran and Richard Corcoran got almost as many votes as the incumbents in the primaries in a Republican-dominant district, and have sugarplum aspirations just hours ahead of a Prieto fundraiser at Nanina’s.
“They’ve got a lot of their own money,” Carroll told InsiderNJ. “But it’s a tough sell when your message to your constituents is ‘vote for us and we’ll blow your taxes through the ceiling.’
“It occurs to me: if the challengers are Prieto loyalists, can I expect Craig’s full throated endorsement and a generous campaign contribution,” the GOP assemblyman cracked.
An animated Bucco made his own case to InsiderNJ on Monday at the business community’s Affordability Summit.
But Democrats insist on opportunity. Hillary Clinton last year won the 25th 51,945-51,723 against Donald Trump. The district is changing and there are more opportunities to win for Democrats in years they haven’t before, a source said. You have Morristown – scene of a mayoral election with popular Mayor Tim Dougherty on the ballot in November – which will deliver big numbers. You have a Democratic Councilman in Roxbury, Dan Kline, who can get his Democrats out, Mountain Lakes is now a Democratic town. Dover too. “Things are moving in the right direction,” said the source. Morris County Democratic Chairman Chip Robinson is doing a good job there turning town by town. Infrastructure is building there. Murphy is going to bury Guadagno and the Democratic vote will come out in November. You’ll see down ballot races get affected and LD 25 is primed to flip. Plus you have three hard working candidates: Lisa Bhimani is an OB/GYN (running for senate against veteran incumbent Tony Bucco) who has lived in Mendham Township for 13 years, with her husband and her two children. She graduated from Brown University, and received her M.D. from Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. She practiced medicine in Providence, RI, and at Overlook Hospital in Summit. After recovering from a battle with Lyme disease, which solidified her position as a staunch advocate for affordable health care, Corcoran has been a resident of Boonton since 2009. He works for O’Connor Davies, LP a large regional accounting firm as a Senior Manager in the Litigation and Forensic Department. He is a graduate of Monmouth University and is a licensed CPA, holding additional accreditation in business valuation. Moran has lived in Randolph for 24 years with his wife Leslie. Their three daughters attended the Randolph Public Schools. A retired IT professional at a fortune 100 company, he has Master’s degrees from Columbia University and Montclair State University.
Republicans note that Moran was on the ballot in Randolph last year, and while Clinton squeaked out her anti-Trump victory, got absolutely crushed in his own home town. But Prieto Democrats are adamant.
“The numbers are turning and especially if CD 11 is going to be in play next year,” the Dems source insisted. “You will see a number of towns flip to the Dem column this year which will set up a competitive general next cycle. It’s one of the seats most prime to flip. LD 25 this year is what LD 16 was in 2015. In 2015, LD 25 got close. Now it’s time to win. And the difference between LD 16 in 2015 and LD 25 today is that LD 25 is on the DACC radar.”
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This “small government” advocate makes his entire income from, guess where, that’s right, government. Start with $48,000 plus health benefits for his assembly position and then add in various planning and zoning boards. He just loves pocketing our tax money while he whines about high taxes.
My property taxes in NC are $1480 a YEAR!