BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer
Joseph Azzolina Voting down party lines was never so confusing. The Republican primary for District 13 State Assembly this year features two tickets: In Middlesex County, the GOP Committee endorsed incumbents Sam Thompson and Joseph Azzolina on the same line. In Monmouth County, the Republicans endorsed Thompson and Freeholder Amy Handlin.
Confused yet?
Voters have the opportunity to choose two of the three candidates on June 7. And while Thompson, a member of the Assembly since 1997, has been endorsed by both counties, the split over Azzolina and Handlin has made for a messy political campaign.
Amy Handlin It has left many to wonder, what if Handlin and Azzolina both get elected? Can they work together as a team to represent District 13?
Azzolina chose not to comment on the subject. Thompson, caught in the political conundrum of running both for and against each of his fellow candidates, has pledged to work amicably with whoever is elected.
According to Handlin, “If elected along with Azzolina, I will of course respect the will of the voters. However, my priorities and my positions on the issues will be unchanged regardless of who my running mate — or my opponents — might be.”
Sam Thompson
Joseph Azzolina
Azzolina, a 24-year veteran of the Assembly, said his top concern is protecting children.
“We need to impose legislation that strengthens Megan’s Law,” Azzolina said.
The incumbent would like to see a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years for felons convicted of aggravated assault on a child under 13. Additionally, he’d like to prohibit former child sex offenders from living 1,000 feet from a school, playground or day care facility.
Azzolina is also interested in property tax reform and cleaning up corruption within government.
“We should prohibit simultaneous office holding of certain state, county and municipal level positions. If you’re a legislator, that should be it. But if you’re on the Planning Board, too, that’s OK. In some municipalities, it’s required by law [for some elected officials] to serve on two committees.”
Putting an end to the hiring of relatives for certain government positions is also on Azzolina’s to-do list.
“This package bill will hopefully stop the endless cycle of corruption, nepotism and pay-to-play,” Azzolina said.
Azzolina, of Middletown, is president of Food Circus Supermarkets Inc., which operates several Foodtown stores throughout the area, and holds degrees from Holy Cross College and New York University. He is a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict, and remained in the reserves until retiring with the rank of captain in 1986.
Amy Handlin
Handlin has served on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders for 18 years. Her platform focuses on lowering property taxes, government reform and controlling sprawl and overdevelopment.
This is her first run for Assembly.
“By pushing serious reforms on the county level, I have tackled such problems as nepotism, patronage and no-bid contracts. But the most egregious abuses — including the pension system, dual office holding, and pay-to-play — can only be rectified in Trenton, by changing the laws that prop them up. … I believe we can never be too extreme in rooting out wrongdoing and unethical behavior.”
Handlin believes sprawl and overdevelopment are “spoiling our quality of life.”
“I support laws that would slow growth,” according to Handlin. “I oppose Fast Track and other laws that promote accelerated developments or limit community input.”
Handlin, of Middletown, is an author and associate professor of marketing at Monmouth University. She holds degrees from Harvard, Columbia and New York universities and serves on several boards, including the New Jersey League of Women Voters.
Sam Thompson
Thompson says lowering property taxes is No. one on his list of priorities.
“I had a couple in my office this morning from Matawan who can’t afford to live in their house anymore,” Thompson said on Tuesday. “They’ve lived there 10 years in their dream house, but they can’t afford it anymore.”
Pay-to-play and corruption are also high on Thompson’s hit-list.
“Overall, the economic situation of the state government” is something Thompson is interested in tackling. “The amount of debt we’ve generated and how we’re going to get that straightened out.”
Thompson, of Old Bridge, is a former research chemist and scientist who holds degrees from University of Arkansas-Little Rock and Louisiana State University. He served in the Army from 1955 to 1957.