New Jersey Herald Monday, April 7, 2008 ANDOVER TWP. — Two female politicians made some early strides toward Democratic Party nominations on Sunday as congressional candidates Camille Abate and Ellen Greenberg won endorsements from the Sussex County Democratic Committee. More than 100 county Democrats and campaign workers gathered at the Harmony Lodge on Route 206 to participate in what has been described as the first Democratic nomination convention in the county since 1984. "As an event, I couldn't be more pleased with how things turned out," said Ed Selby, chairman of the county party's Outreach and Development Committee. "Most of the people came here with an open mind, willing to be convinced." Candidates hoping to run against incumbent Republican Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen in New Jersey's 11th District, which includes Byram, Hopatcong, Sparta and Stanhope in Sussex County, all of Morris County, and portions of Essex, Passaic and Somerset counties, were addressed in the first hour. After being officially nominated by two county voters, the candidates were allowed eight minutes to lay out their campaign goals. Harry Hager, a retired banker and Vietnam veteran from Chester, spoke first, emphasizing his years of community service and the fact that he is the only candidate with first-hand war experience. Greenberg, a real estate attorney from Mendham, addressed problems with the economy, housing market and the growing gap between "the haves and have-nots," placing the general blame for all these issues on a poorly planned war in the Middle East. "This is Bush's war. This is Rodney's war," Greenberg said to raucous applause. "Rodney's wrong for this country and wrong for this district. He doesn't deserve another term." Parsippany candidate Tom Wyka then spoke about the kind of world he hopes to leave for his children, emphasizing the importance of being able to relate to voters on a personal level. Out of the 15 votes cast for 11th District candidates, Greenberg received 11, Wyka received four, and Hager received zero. Greenberg admitted she was surprised to receive the endorsement. "I feel very honored. We have three very good candidates and I am honored to have resonated with the people here. It feels good." Wantage Republican Scott Garrett is the current congressman in the Fifth District, which covers most of Sussex County, all of Warren, and portions of Bergen and Passaic counties. In the district's Democratic race, Glen Rock lawyer Abate faced Dennis Shulman, a blind rabbi from Demarest with strong support from noted politicians including former presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark and former county freeholder Howard Burrell, who was on site to endorse Shulman. Shulman spoke about the challenges of growing up poor and disabled, working his way through college when there was no system in place to assist him with reading textbooks or typing papers. "In Congress, I will fight with the same energy and insight I have used all my life," he said. Abate has received endorsements from many labor unions, as well as from Selby, who spoke on her behalf at the convention. In her speech, she pledged to end the "mindless militarism" of the last eight years, highlighting the alleged use of torture and abuse at Guantanamo Bay. "I could not sit idly by and allow everything I love about my country to be pounded into dust. Scott Garrett's reign will be over," Abate said. At the conclusion of her speech, members of the audience stood and cheered loudly. She won the committee endorsement with a final vote of 55 to 16. Each district's candidates also participated in a 15-minute question-and-answer session, where local Democrats were encouraged to submit questions on index cards. Popular issues included the war in Iraq, the struggling economy, universal health care, global climate change, education, stem cell research and illegal immigration. |
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Paid for by Ellen Greenberg For Congress, 88 East Main Street, Suite 301 Mendham, NJ 07945, (973)543-7171
