Harry Hurley’s Commentary: Stubborn and Persistent Rumors in Atlantic County

There has been a stubborn and persistent rumor that has been viciously circulating throughout Atlantic County for several weeks. It is being perpetrated by a few bad actors, who have ulterior motives. It is my pleasure to set the record straight ... so that when you hear this baloney again ... you can refute it with confidence ... armed with the absolute truth.

The rumor that has been circulating is that New Jersey Assemblyman Chris Brown will not be running for re-election in 2015.

This is patently false. Assemblyman Brown will be running for re-election after this term. Anything that you may hear contrary to this is not true.

So there is no question about who my source is ... my source is Assemblyman Brown himself. I telephoned Assemblyman Brown after hearing this rumor again and again and again.

Brown was unambiguous. He immediately denied the rumor and acknowledged that he had heard it himself. He confirmed without any conditions that he will be a candidate for re-election next term.

Chris Brown is still the same fresh and different kind of elected official that he's always been. Some ambitious politicians are jealous of him because of this.

I expect Chris Brown to have a great next two years and he is positioned well for re-election in 2015.

What will be very important is who will be Brown's running mate in 2015? My desired choice is former Assemblyman Vince Polistina, if he wants it ... and, I hope he does. Vince did not and would not have lost his Assembly seat in a re-election bid for that office.

Vince also deserves supreme Party loyalty in that he stepped up at great personal risk and took on Senator Jim Whelan in a political death match ... putting his beyond safe seat on the line.

If Vince doesn't step up ... and, I repeat ... I hope he does ... my next choice would be former Assemblyman John Amodeo. He lost an absolute heart-breaker ... that never should have happened in the first place. An unlikely convergence of factors came together in a perfect political storm to sweep John out of office.

When you lose your seat ... sometimes it's hard to get the nomination back. If Vince doesn't run ... John deserves a second chance. Also, John won't take this one for granted. John failed to observe the Gormley-Cappella Rule of Electoral Politics. He has paid a heavy price for this.

You never dismiss any electoral opponent. And, you never take any election lightly. The voting public is capable of shocking any incumbent who thinks they have a walk-over election.

Atlantic County Freeholder at Large Alex Marino is also in the serious mix. He's a fantastic person and a great elected public official. If Vince and John do not run ... Alex is definite upper tier timber.

His fellow Atlantic County Freeholder at Large, John Risley is also a contender. He came a whisker away from defeating Vince Polistina at the Republican Convention a number of years ago. Vince wound up taking  the second Assembly nomination a few ballots later in a closely contested overtime contest.

So, you have to take Risley seriously.

Get ready ... the jockeying and the scheduled fundraisers have already begun. This is going to be a wild year in the run-up to the national mid-term elections, featuring Congressman Frank LoBiondo versus Bill Hughes, Jr. race. And, it's going to be a crazy two years here in Atlantic County (in general), as both honorable and unscrupulous politicians work their magic and voodoo right before your very eyes.