by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
Peter Inverso will try to regain the 14th District Senate seat he held for 16 years prior to retiring from the senate in 2008.
Mr. Inverso, a Republican, will challenge incumbent Democrat Linda Greenstein of Plainsboro.
The 14th District represents Cranbury, East Windsor, Hamilton, Hightstown, Jamesburg, Monroe, Plainsboro, Robbinsville and Spotswood in Middlesex and Mercer counties.
In a press release, Mr. Inverso said he hopes to work to promote reform, specifically regarding the economy.
”The principal concerns of the people in the 14th District mirror those of our entire state, and they are their growing tax burden, jobs and the economy,” he said. “The 14th District needs a legislator who can work in unison with the governor to advance those programs and reforms which will help remedy these concerns.
”I eagerly look forward to the privilege of again serving the people of the 14th District,” he added.
During his previous senate tenure, Mr. Inverso served as vice-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and as assistant majority leader from 1998 until 2001.
He additionally served as deputy minority leader from 2004 to 2008.
Ms. Greenstein, a longtime member of the state Assembly, has served in the senate since 2010 and is vice chair of the Environment and Energy and Law and Public Safety committees, respectively.
Also vying for the seat is Libertarian Don Dezarn, an Iraq War veteran and senior operations manager for Princeton University, according to a biography on his campaign’s website.
In addition to Mr. Inverso, Republicans Ronald Haas and Steve Cook have announced they would run a joint campaign to seek Assembly seats in the 14th District. Assemblymen Daniel R. Benson (D- Hamilton) and Wayne P. DeAngelo (D- Hamilton) currently serve the district.
Mr. Haas, a retired pharmaceutical executive, and Mr. Cook, executive director of the Mercer Arc, like Mr. Inverso, pointed toward various economic issues.
”New Jersey was once called the medicine chest of the world because pharmaceutical companies located their headquarters here,” said Mr. Haas, 68, of Monroe. “That changed as the politics of the state changed and many companies moved out of New Jersey.”
Mr. Cook, 45, of Hamilton, said in the release he hopes to help alleviate the burden on taxpayers by addressing corruption through insurance procurement practice reforms, pointing to the recent conviction of former Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo.
”After this experience, I believe the best path to protect the taxpayers from paying inflated insurance commissions is statewide laws requires transparent bidding such as the Citizens Campaign advocates,” said Mr. Cook. “I intend to make statewide mandates on public bidding reforms a top priority so taxpayers don’t have to pay a ‘corruption tax’ when politicians try to game the system.”
