Candidates: Legislative District 14

This article was written by Joe Tyrrell from NJ Spotlight.

It’s a competitive legislative race in the heart of New Jersey, yet Democratic incumbents and Republican challengers alike entered the final days with seeming good cheer.

Perhaps that's because the contest in the 14th District, covering parts of Mercer and Middlesex counties, so far has been clean and polite. Just as likely, it's because the two sides have totally different views of the attitude of the electorate.

"Unfortunately, New Jersey is the worst off (economically) of the surrounding states, and people want the incumbents out," said Robbinsville Councilwoman Sheree McGowan, a Republican Assembly candidate.

"Sometimes, that's all they ask, ‘Are you an incumbent?'" said her Assembly running mate, former Cranbury Mayor Wayne Wittman. "They're fed up with high property taxes. They just want government out of their lives. They want things simplified."

The Democrats see things differently.

“The voters are focused," said Democratic Assemblyman Wayne DeAnglo. "But it's not jobs, jobs, jobs. They know that. They don't want to hear you repeat it. They want to know what you're going to do in the next two years to create jobs."

"Voters really want to hear where the candidates stand on the issues," said Assemblyman Daniel Benson, the other Democrat representing the 14th. "Our message of job creation, keeping New Jersey affordable and strong constituent services is resonating."

"It's such a classic swing district that people value independence," said Democratic state Sen. Linda Greenstein. "On a number of issues, I've stood alone or almost alone and that's what people talk to me about. They are really happy when I stand up."

Greenstein won a special election last year to move up from the Assembly to replace Republican Bill Baroni, who became an executive in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Benson was chosen to take over her seat. DeAngelo is completing his second term.

As everywhere in New Jersey, the economy trumps other issues. But in this homeland of state workers, some families remain aggrieved over the reductions in pension and health benefits pushed through by Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic legislative leaders.

Here, Benson, DeAngelo and Greenstein voted against those changes, making their re-election a top priority for labor.

"It's not like everything here is just about the unions," Greenstein said, noting district voters share general concerns about property taxes and the cost of government. But many do believe the legislature should not have shunted aside contracts and collective bargaining to impose the changes, she said.

Benson and Greenstein both said teachers seem particularly grateful that someone spoke up for them. "They felt like they were being vilified," Greenstein said.

Republicans can count on goodwill and name recognition from another issue. Their Senate candidate is Richard Kanka, father of the namesake of Megan's Law. After their seven-year-old daughter was abducted and killed by a convicted sex offender living in their neighborhood, Kanka and his wife Maureen pushed for the registration law that has become a model nationally and internationally.

"If someone working as a volunteer can take a horrific event and make something good of it for the benefit of everyone, just think what he'll be able to do in elected office," McGowan said.

In launching his campaign, Kanka called New Jersey "a state in clear need of leadership and direction." He voiced support for Christie's steps "to reduce the tax burden on state residents and businesses, and to control spending." A member of the plumbers and pipefitters union who has served on the Hamilton school board, Kanka presents himself as an independent.

"I will vote for what is right and not what the party bosses want," he said. Citing a "need to change the way the legislature works," Kanka, who did not return requests for comment, said at his campaign kickoff that voters should "elect people who believe in solutions."

Even Greenstein supports Megan’s Law, and sponsored an amendment to strengthen it. Her resume includes a wide range of legislative solutions, including "the largest small business tax cut in New Jersey's history," and another bill cutting corporate taxes by 25 percent on some companies.

She has also been a leader on some open government and ethics issues, such as the law giving municipalities the right to impose stricter "pay to play" restrictions on campaign contributors. 

But in Wittman's view, Republicans have an advantage with a clear message of holding the line on taxes, particularly in a poor economy. The state needs to improve efficiencies, and give towns and schools districts the tools to do the same. It needs to take the same approach to attract business, he said.

"I'm not saying not to enforce rules ... but you can't keep saying we're going to have more rules to make things harder" to develop or expand, Wittman said.

"We're just trying to keep people in the state," without facing higher costs, Wittman said. "I think that's the big difference between my opponents and myself."

Continue reading this story on NJ Spotlight.

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