Received this e-mail from Congressman Frank Pallone (D. NJ-6) who is calling out Governor Chris Christie's (R. NJ) cuts to the Clean Energy Fund and campaigns for Christie's opponent, Barbara Buono (D):
Developing Story: Just this week, we found out Christie planned to divert another $10 million dollars from the Clean Energy Fund to close his budget gap– making the total $160 million dollars. While the Governor relies on gimmicks to balance the budget, New Jersey’s progress toward energy efficiency suffers the consequences. It’s time we show Christie exactly what we think of this plan. Add your name to send Christie a message:
http://www.buonoforgovernor.com/...
Throughout my career in public service, I have been committed to fighting for our environment, protecting our shores, demanding polluter accountability, and incentivizing smart, clean energy. The effort to protect our environment needs allies - from New Jersey's neighborhoods to Washington, DC - in order to succeed.
This November here in New Jersey, we have a choice. Barbara Buono, a true environmental advocate.
Or Governor Christie, who believes that we have to decide between strengthening our economy or standing up for our environment, a faulty choice I hear echoed by Washington Republicans out to gut our nation’s environmental protections.
But we know we can do both. In fact –if we expect to be competitive in a 21st century global green economy – we must.
Please sign our petition urging Governor Christie to restore funding for the Clean Energy Fund and show real leadership on protecting the environment:
http://www.buonoforgovernor.com/...
I’ve known Barbara for years. When she first ran for Assembly in 1994, we even shared a campaign office. I’ve watched her champion issues that matter most to New Jersey, like bringing jobs back to our state, fighting for a living wage, and advocating for marriage equality. When it comes to the issue of the environment – Barbara has been a leader. As prime sponsor of the Global Warming Response Act and a co-sponsor of the Safe Playing Fields Act, Barbara’s fought tirelessly to create a safer environment for the next generation.
Here in the Garden State – from our farmland and our forests to our shore towns and our wetlands – our open spaces define us. They make us who we are. And that is why we need to send Barbara to the Governor’s office.
We began this week with Earth Day, an annual reminder of how important our environment is. Join me and Barbara in ending the week urging Governor Christie to fully fund the Clean Energy Fund. Please sign our petition today:
http://www.buonoforgovernor.com/...
Thank you,
Frank Pallone, Jr.
Member of Congress
You can sign Buono's petition here:
http://www.buonoforgovernor.com/...
I have this diary in the NJ-Sen category as well as the NJ-Gov category because Pallone is considering running for Senator Frank Lautenberg's (D. NJ) seat:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said Thursday he is seriously considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2014, making him a possible challenger to Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D), the Asbury Park Press reports.
“I’m pursuing that and working on it on a daily basis,” Pallone said at a news conference. “It’s a very important part about what I want to do in the future.”
Pallone has represented New Jersey's sixth district since 1988.
In February, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) announced he would not be seeking reelection.
But in the month before Lautenberg made his announcement, Booker filed paper with the Federal Election Committee -- the first step toward pursuing a Senate seat. Booker has said he won't make an official statement about a Senate run until after the 2013 New Jersey gubernatorial race.
Pallone also said he won't be publicly declaring until after that race, hoping to focus his efforts on getting a Democrat elected to the governor's seat. - Huffington Post, 4/5/13
Pallone's building a war chest to challenge Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) in the primary but Booker has been raising cash for his Senate campaign like crazy:
http://thehill.com/...
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), a likely contender for Senate in New Jersey, raised just under $460,000 in the first quarter of this year.
According to Federal Election Commission reports, Pallone ends March with $3.7 million cash on hand, more than twice the $1.6 million cash on hand likely opponent, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, posted for the quarter. But the $459,550 he raised by the end of March is less than a quarter of what Booker raised during the same three-month period.
Pallone began the year with $3.4 million already amassed in his House campaign war chest, all of which can be transferred over to a Senate campaign committee if he does enter the race for retiring Sen. Frank Lautenberg's (D) seat.
His early start and substantial cushion in cash on hand may have given him some flexibility in first-quarter fundraising, but he'll need to step up his quarterly fundraising pace to meet Booker's pace if he hopes to post a strong challenge against him in 2014.
Booker raised nearly $2 million in the first quarter of the year, more than nearly every incumbent Senator up for reelection in 2014. - The Hill, 4/17/13
Booker recently raised more campaign money from a big pro-Israel PAC based in New Jersey:
http://www.njjewishnews.com/...
A pro-Israel PAC fund-raiser for Newark Mayor Cory Booker brought in $100,000, even though Booker has not yet made his intentions to run for United States senator in 2014 official.
The April 21 fund-raiser at a private home in Englewood was hosted by NORPAC, a nonpartisan PAC that backs pro-Israel congressional candidates.
Its president, Ben Chouake, said 40 people attended the event, where the 43-year-old mayor spoke to “our key concern, Iran.”
“He is a supporter of foreign aid and America’s partnership with Israel, and he talked specifically about Iran, saying it was extremely important that America prevent this terrible danger [of Iranian nuclear attack] from happening,” said Chouake, in a phone interview a day after the gathering.
The event was off-limits to reporters, but Chouake said the Democratic mayor of New Jersey’s largest city was especially popular among Jewish suburbanites.
“He is very well versed in Jewish customs and Jewish history and is deeply engaged with the community — not just going to a synagogue or a Holocaust memorial. On a weekly basis he has been deeply committed for 15 years, and you’ve got to consider it to some extent genuine. He has a proven track record with our community,” Chouake said.
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Dist. 6) is a potential rival to Booker in the Democratic race to succeed retiring Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Should he run, he would be able to transfer the $3.4 million raised for his House campaign to a Senate committee, according to USA Today.
But NORPAC’s Chouake said Pallone has not declared nor has he committed to a Senate run. “He has asked us to do an event for him” when he runs for another term in the House, said Chouake. - New Jersey Jewish News, 4/24/13
Booker has stated that he officially declare his candidacy after the New Jersey Governors race and has been campaign for Buono as well. Booker has already filed his paperwork to run. Though Pallone may have an edge in fundraising, Booker keeps raising money and his image while out on the campaign trail for Buono. I don't know what Pallone's big plan is in waiting until after the Governors race but hopefully it doesn't hurt his chances in the Senate race.