NJ Assembly Speaker: Voters Approve of Democrats' Agenda

New Jersey voters handed Democrats a victory in the general election because they approve of Assembly Democrats' policies, Speaker Vincent Prieto said.

Tuesday's victory, earned in part with the help of an outside political organization that spent millions of dollars to support Democrats, expands the party's majority by at least three seats.

"It just shows a sign of strength. I think this was a clear message to the Republicans," Prieto said.

Prieto downplayed the role of outside money in the contest, saying all sides spend money.

Majority Leader Louis Greenwald said that the party's two main priorities are funding the public pension and securing money to pay for road and bridge work, and Prieto said Assembly Democrats will attempt to override Gov. Chris Christie's veto of a bill dealing with mental health and guns.

The Democrats' victory is a blow to Christie and comes as he tries to persuade Republican presidential primary voters to make him the party's standard bearer nationally.

The losses also come after Senate Republicans sided with Democrats to override Christie's veto of a bill dealing with mental health and guns.

General Majority PAC, largely funded by allies of the state's biggest teacher's union, spent almost $4 million to aid the party.

Democrats knocked two Republicans out of office in central New Jersey's 11th District — putting Democrats in control for the first time in more than a decade — and also took a seat away from the GOP in southern New Jersey's 1st District.

Republican Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon blamed the party's loss on special interest money and said the spending overwhelmed the incumbents' message of pension reform.

"If you have a lot of money and you have virtually no morals apparently you can overwhelm the truth," O'Scanlon said.

All 80 seats in the Assembly were up for grabs Tuesday, the first time in 16 years the chamber was alone atop the ticket.

In the biggest surprise of the night, Democrats Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling defeated Republican incumbent Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande in New Jersey's Monmouth County-based 11th District.

Democrats had targeted the traditionally Republican district, which Republicans have controlled since 1992.

In the 1st District, Democratic incumbent Bob Andrzejczak and running mate Bruce Land defeated Republican incumbent Sam Fiocchi and running mate Jim Sauro.

In central New Jersey's 16th District, Republican incumbent Jack Ciattarelli won one of two seats, but the second seat was too close to call between Republican incumbent Donna Simon and Democrat Andrew Zwicker. Zwicker held a slim 29-vote lead Tuesday night, according to unofficial results.

Despite the low-wattage race, millions of dollars — mostly to help Democrats and with the support of the New Jersey Education Association — poured into the race.

An analysis released Tuesday by the Center for Public Integrity shows General Majority PAC had spent $3.1 million on broadcast TV ads that aired through Monday. That's up from the $2.6 million total reported last week.

The airwaves mostly reached voters in southern New Jersey's 1st and 2nd districts, where Democrats and Republicans each control one Assembly seat.

The latest state data available show nearly $8.5 million from so-called independent expenditure groups, accounting for 42 percent of spending. The Election Law Enforcement Commission says that's the biggest share ever in a statewide race.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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