Endorsements

Given Bob Schroeder’s reaction to the Burlington County endorsement process, I decided to do a little digging and see what endorsements had actually been handed out. My primary source: each candidate’s web site press releases

DiGaetano

One endorsement

Most prominent so far: non-binding Essex County straw poll

Forrester:

11 announced endorsements

Most prominent so far: Frank LoBiondo

Lonegan

None

Most prominent so far: N/A

Murphy

Murphy posts a convenient endorsements page on his site. Looks like he’s got Morris County pretty much sewn up.

Most prominent so far: Rodney Frelinghuysen

Schroeder

Two endorsement press releases, one with a fairly long list of District 39 officials.

Most prominent so far: John Rooney & Charlotte Vandervalk (Dist 39 Assembly)

Schundler

None listed.

Most prominent so far: N/A

Endorsements are a way for the candidates to show that others feel they are qualified and deserving of the nomination. By gaining an affiliation with a known, local politician, the candidates believe that these endorsements open doors to volunteer organizations and potential contributors within communities where they are unknown.

Endorsements don’t sway my opinion one way or the other. I prefer to judge candidates based on what they say, and how they act in public. Simple things like responding to requests for information show that a candidate is interested in discussing my concerns. Who likes them is rather low on my priority list.