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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. Contact Stacey Simone Garfinkle Ellen Greenberg for Congress (202) 257-4285 stacey@ellenforcongress08.com
Democratic Congressional Candidate Ellen Greenberg (NJ-11) Sweeps Sussex County Democratic Convention The Ellen Greenberg for Congress campaign is pleased to announce the endorsement of the Sussex County Democratic Committee following a big win at the Sussex County Democratic Convention. The Democrats have a three-way congressional race in New Jersey’s 11th district. Sunday’s contest, which marks the first major test of the candidates, demonstrates that Ellen Greenberg’s message best resonates with voters. She won handily receiving two-thirds of the votes cast. Ellen’s remarks honed in on key campaign issues including the economy, the war in Iraq, and health care. Her speech received resounding applause from convention attendees. “Our inability to take care of our people here at home can all be traced back to two things…irresponsible spending on the war in Iraq, and a 1.3 trillion dollar tax break for the wealthiest Americans.” The win represents a major victory for Ellen Greenberg’s campaign which has steadily been gaining momentum in recent weeks. Sunday's win demonstrates she has strong support heading into the June Primary.
website at www.ellenforcongress08.com. County Democrats to hold convention By Stephen J. Novak New Jersey Herald Thursday, March 27, 2008 After more than 5,600 area voters declared as Democrats in the February presidential primaries, five of the party's Congressional candidates are looking to draw upon the new voter resource in Sussex County's two traditionally red districts. "I'm really, really impressed with the numbers of Democrats who came out to vote in Sussex County in the presidential primaries. There's a nice potential base in there," said Fifth Congressional District candidate Camille Abate, of Glen Rock. "Obviously, you want those people to become active in the Democratic Party. You hope they'll stay engaged." Members of the Democratic Party in Sussex County will have their say in who they want to continue to the November general election when the county Democratic Committee holds a nominating convention on April 6. There, party affiliates will determine which two of the five candidates for the Fifth and 11th Congressional Districts will receive the county Democrats' endorsements. It is the first time in recent years that the Sussex County branch of the party will hold such a meeting. "Every registered Democrat in Sussex County is eligible and urged to participate," said Ed Selby, chairman of the county party's outreach and development committee. "The convention will be their chance to hear from the candidates directly and consider who they would want to endorse as their candidate in November." The Fifth District, which covers most of Sussex County, portions of Bergen and Passaic counties and all of Warren County, is represented by Republican Congressman Scott Garrett, a resident of Wantage. The two Democratic candidates battling for the nomination are Abate and Dennis Shulman, both of whom are running campaigns based out of Bergen County. Both Abate and Shulman have received endorsements from officials in the more Democratic counties to the east, and they are now beginning to turn their attention to Sussex and Warren counties. Abate, like many of the candidates, has attended meetings of local Democrat groups. "My plan with Sussex County is to go to as many Democrat meetings as I can," Abate said. Shulman, a rabbi from Demarest, received the support of former Sussex County Freeholder and Democratic Chairman Howard Burrell shortly after announcing his candidacy last year, and Shulman's staff has embarked on a telephone campaign to registered Democrats in Sussex County. More campaigning is planned for May, spokesman Jeff Hauser said, and Shulman's staff is building its case against Garrett in preparation for the general election in November. "We feel good about where we're at. We're very well set for the primaries," Hauser said. New Jersey's 11th Congress-ional District, currently represented by Republican Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, of Harding, covers all of Morris County, portions of Essex, Passaic and Somerset counties and Byram, Hopatcong, Sparta and Stanhope in Sussex County. Three Democrats are competing for the chance to try and unseat Frelinghuysen, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994. District candidate Ellen Greenberg, a real estate attorney from Mendham, said Frelinghuy-sen is a "formidable, entrenched, well-liked" Congressman whose policies "are all wrong" for the state and country. Greenberg said she has been trying to spread her message through meetings of the Sussex Democrats and other events, including a peace vigil held recently in Sparta. She also has been trying to arrange "town meetings" in the district's four Sussex County municipalities. Candidate Tom Wyka, a Springfield resident who ran in the 11th District race in 2006, has been to party meetings and said he plans to start making phone calls within the next week. "April 6 will be pretty interesting," he said of the candidate pool. "It will be one more opportunity to talk to the party faithful." Candidate Harry Hager, a retired banker and Vietnam veteran from Chester, said he has not had much time to get to Sussex County as he has been looking toward his immediate area for the signatures necessary to appear on the primary election ballot. Candidates have until April 7 to file their petitions. Though registered Democrats and Independents outnumber Republicans two to one in Morris County, the Sussex County convention will serve as an opportunity to get into a new area, he said. "One of the three of us still needs to win the primary to get on the November ticket," Hager said. Morris Democrats lining up for Congress seat by Fred Snowflak, Editor The Daily Record March 23, 2008 There have been years when it took Morris County Democrats to the last moment to find candidates to run for Congress in the heavily Republican 11th District. In 1994, the selected candidate never filed a petition on time and the only Democrat on the ballot was a fringe candidate who had gained some notoriety by denying that the Holocaust ever happened. The party had to rally around write-in candidate Frank Herbert to beat that candidate in the primary. This year, Lew Candura, the Morris County Democratic chairman, ought to be overwhelmed with glee. There are three people who want the party's nomination for Congress. And you probably didn't think incumbent Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, R-Harding, was so easy to beat. The candidates are Tom Wyka of Parsippany, who ran against Frelinghuysen in 2006; Ellen Greenberg of Mendham Township and Harry Hager of Chester Township. All say they will file nominating petitions by the April 7 deadline. Wyka, you figure, has the most name recognition of the three in Democratic circles. His candidacy against Frelinghuysen in 2006 was a good one. Yes, that may sound dopey to say, considering that Frelinghuysen got 62 percent of the vote. But that 62 percent was about eight to 10 percentage points less than the congressman usually gets. Wyka, who formally kicked off his campaign a few months ago, probably wasn't counting on having to go through a contested primary. But he says he's ready. "I know that I have a lot of contacts, and that I have built up a tremendous amount of goodwill in the party," Wyka said. "People know I am the best to carry the message." Neither Greenberg nor Hager were overly critical of Wyka. Hager, a retired banker and former Chester school board member, said, "I credit Tom for standing up, but he's not a veteran; he doesn't have a business background." Hager had been an ardent Wyka supporter, although he did most of his work clandestinely. During the 2006 campaign, Hager was a familiar presence on my blog under the name "Vietvet," or "Vietvet for Wyka." He used that forum to write lengthy posts criticizing Frelinghuysen. Frelinghuysen is a ranking minority member on the House Appropriations Committee, and as such, Hager said last week that he bears some of the responsibility as to why money was not available to outfit U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with the proper equipment. Greenberg, an attorney, admits the difficulty that any Democrat will experience challenging Frelinghuysen in Morris County. The district includes all of Morris and small parts of Essex, Passaic, Somerset and Sussex counties. There are some Republicans who treat Frelinghuysen, whose family has been in public service literally since the birth of the United States, with great reverence. That seems odd to those outside the Republican inner circle. "We don't have kings, we don't have royalty," Greenberg said. She said of Frelinghuysen, "I perceive him as someone who seems like a nice guy, but who is out of touch." Regardless of party, primaries often come down to personalities and popularity more than issues. And, of course, politics. Morris County Democrats have a closed primary; county Republicans have an open primary. A so-called closed primary is when the Democratic committee endorses a candidate, who then gets a preferential ballot position and party support. That's usually a prescription for victory. Candura has the right to award the endorsement, or party line, unilaterally. Running the Morris Democrats is a powerful position indeed. Or, he can call a county convention of committee members and have them vote. Candura says he doesn't know yet what he will do. What's more pleasing to contemplate is how there are three Democrats running for Congress. "This to me is amazing," Candura said. "Our success has brought out the Democrats like never before." He noted that new Democratic registrations because of last month's presidential primary have increased party rolls in the county from 42,000 to 66,000. All, of course, is not rosy. Running for Congress is one thing, Democrats running for local office are another. In local elections, Candura said, "We still have trouble getting people to run." Fred Snowflack is editorial page editor of the Daily Record. Contact him at fsnowfla@gannett.com or (973) 428-6617. His column appears Sunday and Wednesday. 11th District Congressional Campaign--Greenberg presses for end to military presence in Iraq By Phil Garber, Staff Writer Interview in Recorder Newspapers Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:30 PM EST Ellen Greenberg hopes her passionate opposition to the war in Iraq wins her the 11th District Congressional seat. Greenberg of Mendham Township and Harry Hager of Chester are the latest Democrats hoping to win the seat from veteran incumbent, Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen of Harding Township. They join Tom Wyka of Parsippany in the race for the Democratic nomination in the June primary. Wyka lost to Frelinghuysen two years ago. Frelinghuysen has said he intends to campaign for an eighth, two-year term. A petition with at least 200 signatures must be submitted by April 7 to qualify for the primary. The 11th District includes all of Morris County; in Essex County, Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, Roseland and West Caldwell; and in Somerset County, Bernards Township and Raritan; and parts of Sussex and Passaic counties. Greenberg and her husband, Robert, moved to their Samantha Lane home in 2000. They have a son, Brian, 35, and a daughter, Monica, 38. First Run An attorney specializing in bankruptcy and real estate, Greenberg said she has never run for office before but has been involved in presidential campaigns since Jimmy Carter won in 1976. Greenberg said she considered running for Congress in 2006 but instead gave her support to Wyka. Now, she’s ready to try for herself. “I got tired of complaining,” Greenberg said. “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” She said she thinks many voters in the 11th District are fed up with Frelinghuysen. The addition of 22,000 formerly unaffiliated voters to the Democratic rolls in the February presidential primary is a further sign of the growing opposition to the Republican policies, she said. “It’s palpable that people are ready for a change and that this administration has nothing but failed policies,” Greenberg said. “A lot of people are angry about Congressman Frelinghuysen’s rubber stamp for war spending, tax cuts for the very wealth and voting against SCHIP (Supplemental Child Health Insurance Program).” Greenberg said she would begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq within two months. Like in Vietnam, she said the U.S. is waging a losing war. “I want the troops home and I want the money spent at home,” Greenberg said. “Who will be the last soldier to die in Iraq in a war we cannot win. How many generations will pass to get rid of the hostility this war has caused?” ‘A Lot Stronger’ Greenberg also said the U.S. occupation has attracted al Qaedain numbers that were not there before the invasion. “The terrorists are a lot stronger than before the war,” she said. “The Iraqi dictatorship at least served a purpose of keeping the religious fanatics out.” She said the war has made the U.S. less safe and that the nation should concentrate more on port and border security and should negotiate with Iran. “You negotiate with your friends and your enemies,” she said. “You don’t push your enemies away.” She said she was against the start of the war and believed in 2003 that Bush was misleading the American public when he claimed there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Greenberg also said the government has wrongly controlled the latitude for news coverage of the war. “Why can’t we at least get the coverage we had in Vietnam,” she said. “Americans have a right to see where the blood is spilled.” Country ‘Failing’ She said the Bush tax policies benefit the wealthiest 1 percent of the nation and that many of the rest of the nation are paying the price. “Our country is failing,” she said. “We don’t want to see other nations without democracy and yet we're losing that here. At what point do you look around and say that you are king of a nation that is crumbling.” She said she supports universal health care, stem cell research, efforts to slow global warming, rebuilding the economy and improving the U.S. reputation around the world. Greenberg said the Bush policies to make it harder to declare bankruptcy have hurt many Americans in a time when pensions are being cut, retirement portfolios are suffering and home sales have fallen. “War and the economy are inextricably interwoven,” Greenberg said. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Greenberg has her undergraduate degree from Montclair State University and a law degree from Brooklyn Law School. |
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Paid for by Ellen Greenberg For Congress, 88 East Main Street, Suite 301 Mendham, NJ 07945, (973)543-7171
