GOP incumbent Donna Simon and Marie Corfield, her Democratic challenger, knocked on doors, speaking to residents
By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
Two of the 16th Legislative District candidates endured both the blazing sun and rain showers Saturday to meet constituents in both Princeton and South Brunswick.
GOP incumbent Assemblywoman Donna Simon spent the day knocking on doors in South Brunswick while her Democratic challenger, Marie Corfield, walked the streets of Princeton, speaking with residents.
”We have been very busy knocking on doors every day of the week,” Ms. Corfield said later Saturday night. “It was our first rollout of the campaign.”
Now a veteran of the political process, the art teacher from Flemington is making her third consecutive bid for a seat on the state Assembly in the recently formed 16th district.
”Things are going well; we are getting endorsements,” Ms. Corfield said. “I feel very confident.”
Last year, Ms. Corfield came about 1,000 votes shy of beating Ms. Simon for the seat and was within 2,000 votes of winning in 2011 when she first ran for the office with fellow Democrat and South Brunswick Township Councilman Joe Camarota.
Ms. Simon, who first won election to the seat in November, also was out and about Saturday, looking to garner support for her re-election to the post.
”South Brunswick is an important and independent-minded community full of hardworking people,” Ms. Simon said in a statement Tuesday. “I enjoy knocking on doors and talking to residents about my record of working across the aisle to grow our economy, put people back to work and reduce the tax burden on families and seniors.”
As close as the contest was last year, neither candidate seems to be taking anything for granted in this cycle.
Even though Ms. Corfield easily defeated Ms. Simon in Democratically leaning Princeton by taking 75 percent of that community’s vote, that is the place she chose to really start her run.
”It is my base,” she said.
The district was restructured following the 2010 U.S. Census and gives an estimated 5,000 additional Democratic votes to what was a solidly Republican stronghold.
Those votes come primarily from both Princeton in Mercer County and South Brunswick, the lone Middlesex County municipality in the newly configured district.
The 16th District covers Branchburg, Hillsborough and Montgomery townships and Manville, Millstone, Rocky Hill and Somerville boroughs in Somerset County; Flemington and Stockton boroughs and Delaware, Raritan and Readington townships in Hunterdon; the consolidated Princeton in Mercer; and South Brunswick Township in Middlesex.
During the first campaign in the redrawn district in 2011, Ms. Corfield and Mr. Camarota faced off against longtime GOP legislator Assemblyman Peter Biondi and running mate Jack Ciattarelli, both of Hillsborough.
Mr. Biondi, however, died just two days after winning his re-election bid.
A special GOP convention in January 2012 selected Ms. Simon to fill out that year of Mr. Biondi’s term.
She ran for the seat on her own for the first time last year against Ms. Corfield in one of the state’s closest elections in that cycle.
Ms. Corfield said that is one of the reasons she is back for a third bite of the apple.
”To have come so close,” Ms. Corfield said. “I believe the votes are there (to win).”
Ms. Corfield is running with Democratic challenger Ida Ochoteco and state Senate candidate Christian Mastondrea, both of Hillsborough,
The team is trying to break the GOP stronghold of Sen. Kip Bateman, Mr. Ciattarelli and Ms. Simon.
Ms. Simon said she also was optimistic after visiting with South Brunswick voters during the weekend.
”As usual, the response was overwhelmingly positive and friendly,” she said. “I am happy to have the support of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825, based right here in Dayton, and look forward to spending more time in South Brunswick as the campaign progresses.”
No matter which way the election goes, one thing is certain for these two women — there finally will be a break in campaigning next year.