We Call It The Silly Season For A Reason

BettyLou DeCroce

When we launched the Bob & Steve Show nearly three years ago Bob and I decided we were going to focus on South Jersey politics, but something happened that I simply cannot ignore.

Way up north in LD26 (Essex, Morris, Passaic) a Democrat has decided to, unsolicited I suspect, offer his endorsement in the Republican primary election for state Assembly.

Yesterday, our friends over at New Jersey Globe reported that:

Former Gov. Richard Codey, a Democrat, says he wants Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce to win the Republican primary for State Assembly in the next-door 26th district.

I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence and try to pretend that BettyLou DeCroce is the most conservative member of the state Assembly – she’s not. But one has to wonder why Richard Codey, a former Governor and sitting state Senator, who happens to be a Democrat, would make an endorsement in a competitive Republican primary in a district he doesn’t represent.

There are four candidates in the LD26 Primary, most of the votes come out of Morris where Assemblyman Jay Webber and Christian Barranco have the line, the first time Morris has awarded a line. DeCroce is running off the line as is Morris County Commissioner Tom Mastrangelo.

I don’t live in LD26 and will not offer an endorsement of any candidate, though, admittedly, there is no way in hell I would ever encourage anyone to vote for Mastrangelo. I would rather stab myself in the eye with a rusty needle! I’m fairly certain the feeling is mutual. We have a history and I have a framed court dismissal thanks to the Commissioner.

As to the others in the race I honestly have no preference because, like I said, I don’t live there. But I do have to wonder what motivation Codey would have to endorse DeCroce.

Codey is not stupid, to the contrary the guy is borderline genius, at least politically. He had to know his endorsement of DeCroce does not help her. Codey even went the extra mile and said, “I hope I don’t lose her votes.” Codey knows that is the least helpful statement he could make!

My guess is Codey is looking for what he views as an easier matchup for the Democrats in November by getting rid of the one candidate in the race viewed as a moderate, DeCroce.

Melissa Brown Blaeuer and Pamela Fadden are the only Democrats on the LD26 primary election ballot and appear to be extremely left. According to their website they are “bringing the Blue Wave to 2021 with bold solutions and a people-first agenda.” Fadden is President of the Hawthorne Teachers’ Association and a consultant to the NJEA in Morris County.

I’m pretty sure Codey would love to see an NJEA aligned candidate win in LD26. And I’m fairly certain Codey thinks getting rid of DeCroce could help make that happen.

Welcome to the silly season!