Van Drew unseats Asselta Dems Albano, Milam win
The Daily Journal (Vineland, New Jersey)
November 7, 2007 Wednesday
VINELAND -- Jeff Van Drew decided not to seek another state Assembly term to shoot for higher office.
The gamble paid off Tuesday.
Van Drew, a Democrat from Dennis Township, defeated incumbent Republican Nicholas Asselta of Vineland in a race that started contentiously and got worse.
Van Drew showed up at the Ramada Inn about 10 minutes after Democrats watched Asselta issue his concession speech on television.
"We swept tonight," Van Drew said, despite the GOP hiring a political "hit man."
"It was clear right from the start we weren't going to have the kind of campaign we desired it to be," Van Drew said, referring to the negative aspects of the campaign. "We're not going to be human punching bags."
Van Drew thanked labor unions for their support.
"People are looking for new vision and new leadership," Van Drew said, saying residents are "facing the most unique challenges the state has ever seen."
Van Drew's running mates for Assembly, incumbent Nelson Albano and local businessman Matthew Milam, also defeated their Republican opponents.
Asselta's Assembly running mates were businessman R. Norris Clark and attorney Michael Donohue, both of Cape May County.
Albano went into the night feeling "confident" as a first-time incumbent. "I think I'm a little more polished and more educated about the whole system," he said.
Asselta, who conceded at about 10 p.m., said there were feelings against Republicans across the nation. Money was a big factor, too.
Asselta said Van Drew had "unlimited pockets and ran like a Republican."
"He never ran a fundraiser yet he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars," Asselta said. "Where did the money come from? I can't even win in Cumberland County."
Asselta pointed to his bipartisan voting record, including taking on Republican Gov. Christie Whitman.
"We got outspent," running mate Clark said. "We had no money."
"I'm going to miss him sitting next to me," said Albano, referring to Van Drew taking a seat in the upper house.
Albano said he's eager to continue work on issues that first compelled him into public service, including property tax reduction, protecting Abbott district designations and public law and safety.
Brendan Kavanagh, chairman of the Millville Democratic Party, announced at 8:45 that his city "had delivered."
"You can see across the board a message is being sent by the voters," Kavanagh said. "Voters were impressed with the job that Van Drew has done as an assemblyman and ecstatic at being in the Senate. The stars have lined up and the county is going Democratic."
Milam had no plans to run until six months ago, but Van Drew approached him looking for a businessman to balance the ticket.
Milam said he's hoping to bring a "street business" point of view to state government.