Sen. Booker hit the phones, met with volunteers and touted Democratic legislative, county and municipal candidates at Democratic county headquarters on Route 33 in the township on Nov. 2.
by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
HAMILTON — Days before any Election Day it is typical to receive robocalls from state or national figures touting local candidates.
However, for a select few in the 14th Legislative District, they got the real thing when recently-sworn in U.S. Senator Cory Booker dialed their number.
Sen. Booker hit the phones, met with volunteers and touted Democratic legislative, county and municipal candidates at Democratic county headquarters on Route 33 in the township on Nov. 2.
Democratic State Sen. Linda Greenstein and Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson are being challenged by Republican candidate and former state Sen. Peter Inverso and Assemblymen candidates Steve Cook and Ron Haas.
Locally, Democrat Barbara Plumeri is challenging incumbent Republican Mayor Kelly A. Yaede.
Antonio Gambino, and independent candidate, is also running for mayor.
Democratic council candidates Dan Keelan, Joe Santo, Nina Melker and Tennille McCoy are also challenging incumbent Republicans David Kenny, Dennis Pone, Edward Gore and Ileana Schirmer, all Republicans, respectively.
Ms. Plumeri, Mr. Keelan, Ms. Melker and Ms. McCoy were also on hand for Sen. Booker’s appearance.
Sen. Booker said, while touting the platform of candidates, that movements move from bottom up, not the other way around – referring to the grassroots effort that first propelled him to his first council seat in 1998.
”I’m so proud to be here,” he said. “We’re all in this together. We have a declaration of independence, but really the spirit of our nation is a declaration of interdependence. We need each other. We rely on each other. We lean on each other.
”For everybody here in this room right now you all understand that this is what this campaign is about,” he added. “Alone we can’t do it, but it doesn’t stop us because it’s our collective action that will win this election.”
Sen. Greenstein said Sen. Booker’s presence and support was an affirmation of candidates and their platforms.
”It’s a honor to have him here,” she said. “To come here to our campaign shows the importance of our campaign. It’s one of the few competitive campaigns in the state and its the kind of campaign that makes a difference in terms of whether the Democrats will remain in control and whether we’ll be able to put forth the agenda that we feel is so important to helping the state.”
Ms. Plumeri concurred, noting Mr. Booker’s efforts to support Democratic candidates all over the state.
”I think it’s wonderful that’s he come,” she said.