Trades union group backs Burzichelli, Moriarty and Gopal, but stays out of race to unseat Piperno, Eulner

The New Jersey State Building & Construction Trades Council has endorsed Democrats in most of the state’s competitive legislative races, but is not taking sides in the 11th district State Assembly race, where two freshman Republicans are seeking re-election.

The labor group is backing Democrat John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) in the 3rd district against State Sen. Ed Durr (R-Logan) and Democrat Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Township) against Republican Christopher Del Borrello for the open Senate seat in the 4th district.

But in the contest for two open Assembly seats in the 4th, the building trades council passed over Republican Matt Walker, an Operating Engineers Local 825 board member, and is backing Democrats Dan Hutchison and Codey Miller.

In the 11th, the group endorsed State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) for re-election but passed on his two running mates.   That’s good news for Republican Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno (R-Colts Neck) and Kim Eulner (R-Shrewsbury), who want to return to Trenton for second terms.

The state building trades, which has strong ties to South Jersey Democrats, are staying out of the 1st and 2nd districts, where six Republican incumbents are seeing re-election, but are supporting Republican Latham Tiver, an Operating Engineers Local 825 official, for the open 8th district Senate seat; Republican Assemblymen Michael Torrissi (R-Hammonton) and Brandon Umba (R-Medford) were also endorsed.

The endorsements largely favor sitting legislators, regardless of ideology: the building trades are backing some of the state’s most liberal Democrats, like Britnee Timberlake (D-East Orange) and Shavonda Sumter (D-Paterson), and the most conservative Republicans, like Parker Space (R-Wantage), Joseph Pennacchio (R-Montville), and Doug Steinhardt (R-Lopatcong).

In total, the building trades council endorsed 73 Democrats and 21 Republicans but made no endorsement in 23 races.

“Both numbers indicate our Council’s insistence on maintaining a bipartisan approach in our nomination process,” said Council President Bill Mullen.  “All of our endorsed candidates have stood with us on matters of vital importance to our livelihoods and to the future of the building and construction trades.”

Mullen added, “They also recognize that they must play a critical role in finally ending the irrational fears and partisanship that dominate the political dialogue.  It’s the only way we can hope to resolve the daunting social and economic issues that confront all of us.”

Bethanne McCarthy Patrick (R-Mannington) and Christopher DePhillips (R-Wyckoff) are the only incumbent Assembly members in the state to have the building trades endorsement go directly to a challenger.  In addition to Burzichelli, the building trades is backing Democrat Heather Simmons and Dave Bailey, Jr. for Assembly in the 3rd.  While the group is backing State Sen. Kristen Corrado (R-Totowa) for re-election in the 40th, they endorsed Democrats Giovanna Irizarry and Jennifer Marrinan over DePhillips.

The lone Democratic incumbent not to get a building trades council endorsement is Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park).

The winners of the Republican Assembly primary in the 24th, Dawn Fantasia and Mike Inganamort, also received building trades endorsements.   Endorsements also went to Democrats seeking open seats in potentially competitive districts: Mitchelle Drulis in the 16h and Tennille McCoy in the 14th.  Drulis is a former chief of staff to Assembly Labor Committee Chairman Joseph Egan, the business manager of IBEW Local 456.

Berkeley Township Mayor Carmen Amato, Jr. and Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry, seeking open Senate seats in the 9th and 12th districts, respectively, received building trades endorsements. Still, no endorsements were made for Assembly candidates in those districts.

There are several noticeable outliers:

* New Jersey State Building & Construction Trades Council opted not to endorse two minority candidates despite their own push to expand diversity in the trades unions: Walker and Al Barlas, the Essex County GOP chairman seeking an open seat in the 40th district  But both have received contributions building trades unions.

* Endorsements went to Pennacchio in the 26th, but not to any Assembly candidates.  The building trades are with State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) and one of his running mates, former North Bergen Commissioner Julio Marenco, in the 32nd, but passed on former West New York Mayor Gabe Rodriguez for the other Assembly seat.

* In addition to Steinhardt, the building trades is backing Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio in the 23rd, but isn’t supporting or opposing Assemblyman Erik Peterson (R-Franklin).

* Besides the 1st and 2nd, no endorsements were made in the 10th, 13th, and 39th districts – all Republicans.