Pro-business PAC makes primary endorsements, skips five incumbents

New Jobs PAC, the largest pro-business political action committee in the state, has endorsed 26 incumbent members of the New Jersey State Assembly from both parties in districts that have primary challenges, but passed on four sitting lawmakers in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Middlesex counties.

The PAC, affiliated with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, endorsed no challengers in primaries.

In the 31st district, New Jobs PAC is backing William Sampson (D-Bayonne), but not his running mate-turned-opponent, Barbara McCann Stamato (D-Jersey City).  They’re backing Jessica Ramirez (D-Jersey City) in the 32nd and Gabriel Rodriguez (D-West New York) in the 33rd.  Sampson and Rodriguez are running on the Hudson County Democratic Organization slate, while Ramirez is allied with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City.

In the Bergen County-based 37th district, where six candidates are running for Assembly, New Jobs PAC has endorsed Ellen Park (D-Englewood Cliffs) but skipped Shama Haider (D-Tenafly).

In the 28th district, based in Essex, the PAC chose not to become involved in a Democratic primary between two incumbents, Cleopatra Tucker (D-Newark) and Garnet Hall (D-Maplewood), and Newark West Ward Chairman Chigozie Onyema.  Onyema is widely viewed as the top candidate in a race that essentially pits two incumbents against each other.

The lone endorsement in the Middlesex-based 18th went to Robert Karabinchak (D-Edison), with New Jobs PAC not offering support to Sterley Stanley (D-East Brunswick).

“NEW JOBS is pleased to back this slate of candidates for this year’s Assembly primary, which is an important first step to more pro-business policies in Trenton,” said Tony Bawidamann, the PAC chairman.

Other incumbent endorsements went to: Dan Hutchison and Cody Miller, Democrats, 4th district; Louis Greenwald and Melinda Kane, Democrats, 6th district; Carol Murphy and Balvir Singh, Democrats, 7th district; Andrea Katz, Democrat, 8th district; Michael Torrissi, Republican, 8th district; Gerard Scharfenberger and Vicky Flynn, Republicans, 13th district; Roy Freiman and Mitchelle Drulis, Democrats, 16th district; Yvonne Lopez and Craig Coughlin, Democrats, 19th district; Carmen Morales and Michael Venezia, Democrats, 34th district; Al Abdelaziz, Democrat, 35th district; Lisa Swain and Chris Tully, Democrats, 38th district; and Robert Auth and John Azzariti, Republicans, 39th district.

Torrissi is the lone incumbent without a primary to be endorsed.