Prieto Campaigns in LD39 over the Weekend
Against the backdrop of Craig Coughlin forces jousting with those of Vincent Prieto, the sitting speaker went into LD39 over the weekend to campaign for the Democratic challengers – and infuriated a Coughlin backer.
“What the hell is Vinny doing?” seethed a source, who sees Prieto’s decision to spend money on LD25, LD39 and LD40 as little more than a demolition job on the candidacies of those with a real shot at victory, including the challengers in LD11 and LD16.
Prieto on Saturday introduced the challengers at in event.
In LD39, while Assemblyman Robert Auth (R-39) might appear to be the more vulnerable GOP incumbent, Democrats are targeting the higher profile Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi (R-39) with Prieto-connected Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC) cash.
Schepisi outperformed Auth by about 2,000 votes in the 2015 elections, when the two Republicans beat their Democratic rivals by around 8,000 and 6,000 votes.
Prieto wasting money up north, the NJEA in the south. If it wasn’t for districts that were totally gerrymandered, these efforts might bear fruit, but in NJ it’s almost impossible to overturn incumbents in these tailor-made districts.