New Jersey
Pou emerging as clear frontrunner in race for Pascrell’s seat – New Jersey Globe
State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) has emerged as the leading candidate for the late Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson)’s seat, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed, with Pou picking up the backing of local Democratic party leaders in parts of Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties.
That makes her the candidate to beat at the convention to replace Pascrell on the ballot, which will be held on August 29 in Paterson. And it immediately raises the question of whether Pou’s three declared opponents will forge ahead with underdog campaigns.
Pascrell’s death last week at the age of 87 prompted a week-long scramble to fill his seat, which covers large parts of Bergen and Passaic Counties (including the city of Paterson) and a smaller portion of Hudson County. Democrats in the district have until a state deadline of August 29 to fill Pascrell’s vacant spot on the general election ballot, with no special election or opportunity for voters themselves to weigh in before November.
Within 48 hours of Pascrell’s death, four candidates from Passaic County – Pou, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon), Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson), and Paterson Mayor André Sayegh – entered the race. The district is typically seen as a Paterson-based district, and all four represent Paterson in either local office or the state legislature.
But Bergen County makes up a nearly equal portion of the district as Passaic, and in fact has more Democratic county committeemembers in place thanks to vacancies in Passaic. That made Bergen Democrats potential kingmakers in the race – and raised the possibility that they could attempt to swipe the seat away from Passaic County with one of their own candidates, like Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Silna Zur (D-Franklin Lakes) or Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-Cliffside Park).
Juliano’s support for Pou, however, nullifies that possibility and means that Zur and Calabrese won’t be mounting campaigns at Thursday’s convention.
The declarations of support for Pou are more generally part of a broad compromise. Bergen County doesn’t get to send one of its own to Congress, nor does Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie get his own first choice (Sumter) elected; instead, they’ll all come together on a candidate who’s broadly liked by all sides.
There’s a demographic angle to their choice, too: the 9th district is plurality Hispanic (around 42% Hispanic to 38% white), and Pou was the only Hispanic candidate running. If she’s elected to Congress, Pou will become the state’s first-ever Latina member of Congress (after three previous Latino members), as well as the first Hispanic member from outside Hudson County.
Assuming the 68-year-old Pou wins the convention, as now looks likely, she’ll go on to face Republican Billy Prempeh in the general election. Pou will be heavily favored in that race, although Prempeh did hold Pascrell to a modest 55%-44% win in 2022 thanks in large part to turnout discrepancies across the district.
Her victory in November would mean that the State Senate seat she’s held since 2012 would also become vacant. The field to succeed her would probably look similar to the one that’s already developed for the congressional seat, with Sumter, Wimberly, and Sayegh all likely to at least consider campaigns.
That’s jumping several steps ahead, since Pou hasn’t even won the convention to be on the ballot yet. But even if one or more of Sumter, Wimberly, or Sayegh does stay in the race, it will very much be an uphill battle with the unified strength of party leadership behind Pou.
The New Jersey Globe, along with On New Jersey and the Rebovich Institute of New Jersey Politics at Rider University, is sponsoring a candidate forum on Monday evening at 8 PM. Pou, Sayegh, Sumter and Wimberly are participating.
New Jersey
Garden State Equality director resigns amid child endangerment, assault charges
Christian Fuscarino resigned Tuesday as executive director of Garden State Equality amid charges of child endangerment and assault after an incident last month with a child in his Neptune City home.
“I resigned from Garden State Equality to ensure that the organization’s work is not impacted by a private family matter,” Fuscarino, a nationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, said in a statement on social media.
“While my loved ones and I have been working through this moment together with care and love, the press has turned a deeply personal situation into a public headline,” Fuscarino said.
“Everyone involved is safe and navigating this situation responsibly,” he added.
Fuscarino asked that the matter “be seen for what it is: a private family moment, not a public spectacle.”
Fuscarino, 35, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by a caretaker and two counts of simple assault, according to court documents.
An affidavit of probable cause alleges Fuscarino pulled the child from bed about 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 and struck the victim multiple times in the face with an open hand, pushing the child into a wall during the encounter.
The incident was captured on a home security video system, according to the affidavit.
The child was later taken to the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center in Freehold for a forensic interview. The child made no disclosure of physical abuse, the affidavit states.
However, another person living in the home told investigators they witnessed Fuscarino strike the child and intervened.
The state Division of Child Protection and Permanency obtained the video and notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Nov. 20.
A Neptune City police detective arrested Fuscarino on Nov. 21. The case has since been referred to the prosecutor’s office, court records show.
In a statement Tuesday, Garden State Equality said they had placed Fuscarino on leave after learning of the charges.
By Wednesday, Fuscarino’s bio on the Garden State Equality website had been removed.
“Garden State Equality takes allegations against our staff seriously and we oppose violence of any kind,” the agency said. “We respect the courts and will allow that process to be handled by them.”
Fuscarino had served since 2016 as the executive director of Garden State Equality, the largest LGBTQ+ organization in New Jersey, which is based in Asbury Park.
With 20 years of experience in LGBTQ+ advocacy, Fuscarino had been at the forefront of efforts to protect transgender rights, combat hate violence, and implement groundbreaking healthcare and education policies.
In a July 2018 story posted to NJ.com, Fuscarino said he wanted to dedicate his life to helping New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ community so that others would not have to suffer the indignities that he endured in adolescence.
New Jersey
10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.
The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.
Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.
“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.
The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.
School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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New Jersey
Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper
An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
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