TRENTON — Candidates in the hotly contested Democratic primary in Union County’s 20th Legislative District have dominated political fundraising over the last three weeks, according to a report issued by the Election Law Enforcement Commission this morning. The primary election is Tuesday. The slate of state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Assembly incumbents Joseph Cryan (D-Union) and Annette Quijano...
Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and two other incumbents raised $174,000 in less than three weeks.TRENTON — Candidates in the hotly contested Democratic primary in Union County’s 20th Legislative District have dominated political fundraising over the last three weeks, according to a report issued by the Election Law Enforcement Commission this morning.
The primary election is Tuesday.
The slate of state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Assembly incumbents Joseph Cryan (D-Union) and Annette Quijano (D-Union) topped the list of money raised at $174,000 between May 6 and May 24. Cryan’s separate Assembly campaign committee reported raising an $74,388, while Lesniak’s separate Senate account reported $77,775.
The three face a slate led by Elizabeth Schools Assistant Superintendent Jerome Dunn, who’s running with Elizabeth Councilman Carlos Cedeno, a former Elizabeth School Board member, and Tony Monteiro, a former councilman and school board member. Their candidate committee, which had its campaign funds partially frozen last month after a challenge by their opponents in state Superior Court alleging they failed to adequately report their campaign contributions, raised $122,722.
Many of the challengers’ donations are from employees of Elizabeth public schools.
State Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Hudson), who faces no opposition in the primary on Tuesday, raised the second most of any candidate, taking in $136,983.
State Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Morris), who faces a primary challenge by Morris County freeholder and Wharton Mayor William Chegwidden, raised more than any other Republican at $88,465.
Demcrats raised about twice as much as Republicans during that period, with all their candidates taking in almost $1.4 million to Republicans’ $690,000. Since the beginning of the campaigns, Democratic candidates have raised $20.6 million to Republicans’ $10.5 million.
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