's blog

State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio lost his bid for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination
While dozens of candidates were making last minute appeals on primary day, Republican Senate candidate Joe Pennacchio spent the afternoon working on dental fillings and root canals. The next day, about 12 hours after congratulating rival Dick Zimmer on his victory, Pennacchio was at his Mount Arlington dental practice again, engaging in his pre and post-election routine: going to work.

“I make a habit of working my regular job on election day and the next morning,” he said. “It grounds me. It tells me who I am, gets me back with the people and in the mix.”

Pennacchio, a conservative, lost to the more moderate Zimmer, 46% to 40%, with Murray Sabrin, a finance professor at Ramapo College, taking 14% of the vote. But despite a respectable showing, Pennacchio was true to the persona he cultivated during the campaign, exemplified by his “Jersey Joe” moniker and the slogan that accompanied it: “He’s one of us!”

William Jobes, the Director of News and Public Affairs at NJN for the last 21 years, is retiring next month, according to the network.

Network spokeswoman JoAnne Ruscio said that a successor has not yet been named.

“From Governor Tom Kean to Governor Jon Corzine, Jobes has guided the newsroom in its coverage of issues and policies and legislative actions – providing facts and commentary to keep NJN’s viewers and the state’s residents well-informed about their government,” read a statement from the network.

It’s a rough day on Grove Street.

The Jersey Journal reports that Jersey City Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari was arrested yesterday for driving a rental car that was reported stolen.

Tayari, who was charged under his original name, Randy Brown, had reportedly failed to return a car he had rented from an agency at Newark Airport.

“This is purely a civil matter where clearly there was no intent to take the rented vehicle beyond the contracted time limit. We believe this issue will be resolved amicably between both parties,” read a statement by Healy spokesman Stan H. Eason.

The Associated Press reports that Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy lost his latest appeal today on his conviction for resisting arrest and obstruction of justice.

Healy was arrested in Bradley Beach two years ago after he tried to play peacemaker in a lovers’ quarrel outside of a bar owned by his sister.  Today’s decision marks Healy’s second appeal loss.

Healy chief-of-staff Dominick Pandolfo said that while Healy is aware of the decision, he has not yet received it in full.  It’s unclear whether Healy will once again appeal the appeal. 

A campaign consultant for Rep. E. Scott Garrett (R-05) called out Democratic challenger Dennis Shulman for hypocrisy today regarding the influence of lobbyists in his campaign.

A week after Shulman’s campaign criticized Garrett for hiring a new chief of staff who used to lobby for mortgage giant Countrywide Financial, Garrett consultant Matt Leonardo sent out a blistering email pointing out that Shulman Campaign Manager Jeff Hauser was a lobbyist for the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) last year.

“It appears Dennis Shulman and Jeff Hauser have egg on their faces,” said Leonardo.

Former Bergen County Republican Chairman Rob Ortiz has landed as the Republican State Committee’s new finance chairman.

Ortiz, who was ousted two weeks ago as the Republican chairman in Bergen County, wrote an email to his friends and supporters announcing the news, and said that he would make Bergen County one of his fundraising priorities.

“As the largest county with the largest number of registered Republicans in the state, Bergen is crucial not only to reinvigorating the GOP from the grassroots up and identifying future candidates, but is also a crucial must-win county in any statewide campaign effort,” he wrote. “As such, Bergen will remain a key concern for me — as it should for every Republican around the state.”

Hundreds of Perth Amboy residents, several legislators, four mayors from neighboring towns, two congressmen and one U.S. Attorney filled the local high school’s auditorium to near capacity today to inaugurate the city’s new mayor, Wilda Diaz, for a four year term.

Diaz, the first female mayor of Perth Amboy and first Latina mayor in the state, won an upset victory against 18-year incumbent Joe Vas, who remains an Assemblyman. Also sworn in today were Diaz’s two council running mates, Kenneth Balut and Fernando Gonzales.

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, who faced a primary challenge by Vas for his seat in 2006, introduced Diaz to a standing ovation.

Diaz, 43, began her speech by thanking Vas for his service as mayor, and acknowledged his role in the waterfront development that has revitalized parts of this old this old, industrial town of 48,000.

U.S. Rep. E. Scott Garrett has won a 2008 Thomas Jefferson Award from the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA). 

The award, according to the group, is presented to legislators who “demonstrate their commitment to increasing opportunity and reducing government regulation through their votes on issues such as reducing taxes, workplace regulations, and other economic matters.”