Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) and State Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) both said today that they don’t have any preference in the Democratic primary contest between Tennille McCoy and Rick Carabelli, the two Democratic Assembly candidates who have filed to run alongside them in the 14th legislative district.
“I’m going to let the convention process take place,” DeAngelo said. “Two very competent individuals, Tennille McCoy and Rick Carabelli. Both are very different.”
“Hopefully I’m one of the successful candidates,” he added; there is no real discussion of denying DeAngelo party support for a ninth term.
“I’d rather not [take sides],” agreed Greenstein. “Both of the people just started recently, and they’re both working very hard.”
With incumbent Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton) running for Mercer County Executive, McCoy and Carabelli – neither of whom have held elected office before – will compete for the Democratic organizational line at next Sunday’s Mercer County Democratic convention. They’ll also have to get the Democratic line in Middlesex County, but the loser of the Mercer convention may not take the fight that far.
The victor is likely favored in the general election, though Republicans are interested in targeting the Democratic-leaning district this year.
DeAngelo and Benson long had a troubled relationship as Assembly running mates, and DeAngelo is backing incumbent Brian Hughes instead of Benson in the bitterly fought county executive primary. (Greenstein has endorsed Benson.) That means that regardless of which of McCoy or Carabelli joins the 14th district ticket, the harmony of the district’s delegation is likely to soon improve.
This story was updated at 4:52 p.m. with comment from Senator Greenstein.
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