MAPLEWOOD ASSEMBLY MEMBERS JASEY, MCKEON IN TOUGH BATTLE

Jasey and McKeon

It was a Democratic Party lovefest at The Woodland on Wednesday night as Township Committee candidates Greg Lembrich and Nancy Adams, who are considered a lock to win the two open seats on the TC, joined other Democrats seeking to keep higher offices.  

And it's the higher offices that may be in trouble

Assemblymembers Mila Jasey and John McKeon, Democrats in the 27th District who have held their posts since 2007 and 2001 respectively, are facing a real challenge from the Republican party candidates.

With the 27th District, which includes Maplewood, having expanded after the 2010 census to include parts of Morris County, the GOP support is much bigger.

And their Republican opponents, Tayfun Selen of Chatham and Wonkyu "Q" Rim of Whppany, are making a major push.

So much so that at last night's event, Jasey and Lembrich urged residents to make sure to vote and urged others to stave off the GOP challenge:

 

Along with Adams and Lembrich, attendees supporting Jasey/McKeon at the event included Mayor Vic De Luca, former mayor Fred Profeta, South Orange Village President Sheena Collum, and Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin, a former Maplewood resident and Columbia High School graduate.

Republican Wonkyu "Q" Rim

And the race has heated up Jasey and McKeon campaigning, even in Maplewood, a Democratic stronghold where more signs than usual are out for them.

A look at campaign contributions and spending indicates McKeon and Jasey have a real fight on their hands as the state Republican Party has dumped thousands of dollars into the Selen and Rim campaigns.

Recent campaign disclosure documents reveal Rim has raised more than $146,000, with $15,000 of that from state GOP party funds. Selen, meanwhile, has raised about $61,000, with about $15,000 from similar Republican party coffers.

Republican Tayfun Selen

Jasey has an ample campaign warchest of her own, disclosing she has raised just over $137,000, with several prominent Maplewoodians among her contributors. Those include Profeta and School Board Member Beth Daugherty, who each gave $1,000.

The New Jersey State Democratic Committee also kicked in more than $16,000 to Jasey, along with two major political action committees representing the New Jersey Education Association and New Jersey Laborers, who gave her $8,200 each.

For McKeon, the campaign funds are larger, with more than $187,000 raised. The same NJEA and Labor's PACs also donated to McKeon, with $8,200 and $5,000 respectively, as did the state Policeman's Benevolent Association, who donated $1,000.

He also received more than $16,000 from the state Democratic Party.