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CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
At diners across N.J., voters sound off on gubernatorial primary election. What's on their minds is consistent.
At diners across New Jersey, voters sound off on primary races At diners across New Jersey, voters sound off on primary races At diners across New Jersey, voters sound off on primary races Early voting begins Wednesday in New Jersey's primary election. Eleven candidates are running for governor, including six Democrats and five Republicans. The two winners will face off against each other in the November election. An Emerson University poll finds that the economy remains the top issue for voters at 45%, followed by housing affordability at 12%, threats to democracy with 11% and immigration policy at 9%. In order to vote in New Jersey's primary, you have to be registered as a Republican or Democrat. CBS News New York visited three diners in three counties across the state to ask voters about the issues important to them. What we found was quite consistent -- affordability in the Garden State was top of mind. First stop, Bergen County At the Candlewyck Diner in East Rutherford, Max Zaccone said the most important issue to him is the economy. "We're feeling the squeeze, you know, and we need somebody that's going to lower the gas prices, try to lower some of these food prices, because there's a lot of struggling Americans," Zaccone said. "I feel that we need somebody that is for the people and not for the agenda, somebody that's basically going to take both the Republican and Democratic side." Zaccone said his choice is Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate endorsed by President Trump. Ciattarelli is the leading GOP contender in several polls, including the Emerson College poll previously mentioned. Simon Santa Maria, a member of Gen Z, said protecting immigrants and the environment is high on his list, and he's leaning toward progressive Democrat Ras Baraka, Newark's mayor. Baraka gained the national spotlight after he was arrested while trying to see the conditions at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Newark. "He's obviously very adamant about protecting immigrants," Santa Maria said. "He's done a lot of things for the environment of Newark. He's planted a lot of trees. He's done a lot of things against, like. urbanization, the rapid urbanization, the gentrification that's affecting Newark." Myrna Kamel, 25, said she doesn't know much about the candidates, including Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who is leading Democrats in that same Emerson College poll. However, Kamel said the state's high property taxes are preventing her generation from becoming homeowners. "I find New Jersey a little bit hard to live in, just given the fact that, you know, it's very hard to buy a home in our generation now. And then the property taxes are another problem that we, you know, if you can afford a mortgage, you can't afford the taxes on the home, and so on and so forth," Kamel said. The owner of the Candlewyck Diner said what he is concerned about is New Jersey's business climate. "My concerns as a business owner, I think the last eight years ... everything that New Jersey has done from the pandemic, even before that, has been anti-small business," Emanuel Logothetis said. "It's almost like they have us in a chokehold at times and we're on our own left to fight by ourselves." Gov. Phil Murphy is a Democrat, and his party has controlled the state Legislature for decades. Voter Tom Drexler had a message for them. "I think the Democratic Party has to figure out what they're really standing for in such a way that they can show the public what they are about now, because I think there are some questions about that given how things have moved politically since the last election cycle," Drexler said. Second stop, Morris County At the Roxbury Diner in Succasunna, voters were not holding back. "Anybody but a Republican because Republicans do not care about people," Brian Malcolm of Mount Olive Township said. Malcolm said he's worried about benefits he's paid into for 45 years. "Potentially the loss of benefits -- Social Security, Medicare," he said. "According to the Congressional Budget Office, it's going to pull $550 billion from Medicaid … That's going kick about 8 million people off health care altogether." "I voted for Trump, and I won't feel bad about that or deny it to anybody," Lisa Dolan of Stanhope said. So does a candidate stand out to her? "No, because the things that are important to me, nobody's fixed," Dolan said. "I think that the property taxes are very high here. It's forcing a lot of people out." At the Roxbury Diner, where so many people have been affected by the I-80 sinkhole, we found that voters are more concerned about the economy and affordability. "Other than the things that are going on currently in New Jersey, the airport, the 80 sinkhole, because I have children, I have boys, I have millennials … it's property … property taxes, being able to buy things," Dover resident Paris McDaniel said. McDaniel said she's disillusioned by both Republicans and Democrats that she holds responsible for residents fleeing the state. "We love New Jersey. We don't want to leave New Jersey. People have to migrate to the South to be able to afford a home and to get a yard and bring up their children," McDaniel said. "On the Republican side, I'd like someone that can actually distance themselves as the clear winner," Succasunna resident Steve Alford said. He's betting on Ciattarelli. Third stop, Monmouth County Political experts say while big counties like Bergen are crucial in the primaries, the southern part of the state that's been leaning red in some districts is just as important. Voters spoke out at the New Monmouth Diner in Middletown. "Property taxes are always at the forefront, especially living in New Jersey. We are one of the highest taxed in this country," Middletown resident Jim Davis said. Davis also said crime is a big issue for him in the primary election, and suggested Democrats haven't done enough to make the streets safe. "Bail reform, when someone commits a crime, and they pay a couple hundred in cash and they're back on the street, that's a problem," Davis said. Some senior citizens said another big problem is it is getting too expensive to live in New Jersey. "I really don't believe that the seniors should have to pay full price for school taxes. We put all our children through school," one resident named Judy said. "Now we are paying for everybody else." "School choice would be on my list and the voucher system … maybe consolidation." Union Beach resident Glenn Cottrell said. Affordability was not just a big issue with older voters, but younger ones as well. "You pay to go to school and now you are strapped with student loans. You can't get a job and to pay back those student loans and you can never move out and you can't pay for your groceries," Hazlet resident Sheri O'Hea said. "I would like Democrats to lean more left," Hackensack resident Alexa Zamora said. Zamora said she's leaning toward Baraka, and is convinced he'll tackle high housing costs as well. "My fiancé and I have like what would be considered a good job and we can't afford anything between interest rates, tax, property taxes," Zamora said. "Houses that were probably a starter home are now million dollar homes." At the New Monmouth Diner, many Republicans told CBS News New York off camera it's a choice between Ciattarelli and Bill Spadea for them. Political experts say voters in Monmouth County and those in southern towns could be the ones who determine the winner of the Republican primary.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
2025 NJ primary election: Here's a list of all contested races in North Jersey
The focus on the June 10 primary will be the gubernatorial election, but there are lots of local contested races in Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Morris counties. This is New Jersey's first primary where all 21 counties will use a black ballot design for both parties instead of the "county-line." The line traditionally gave candidates who were endorsed by the county party a preferred ballot placement, but it was dismantled by a federal judge last year. As of May 1, New Jersey had 6,565,285 total registered voters, which includes 2,449,526 Democrats and 1,621,669 Republicans. More than 691,000 vote-by-mail ballots were sent out across the state and about 234,000 have been returned, according to state officials. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by June 10. One of the top contested local primary races to watch is that of the Bergen County commissioners. The contested Democratic primary will see former Palisades Park Mayor Chris Chung, former Bergen County Democratic Organization state Senate candidate John Vitale and former Closter Councilwoman Dolores Witko face off against incumbents and party-endorsed candidates Democratic Commissioners Tom Sullivan, Mary Amoroso and Germaine Ortiz. Other top local races to watch include the Rutherford Council, where six Democratic candidates are running for two seats, and Cresskill, where a two-year unexpired mayor term is up for grabs after Mayor Benedict Romeo, who had been in the post since 1999, died in February. The most-watched primary race in Morris County is in its largest town of Parsippany, where incumbent Mayor James Barberio is in a bitter primary battle with Councilman Justin Musella. Musella's exit from the council to run for mayor opens a second seat on the council. Barberio's ticket includes incumbent Councilman Frank Neglia and Jigar Shah. Musella is running with Casey Parikh and John Bielen. Story continues below photo gallery. The Democratic candidates for governor are Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. The Republican candidates for governor are state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Assemblyman and previous nominee Jack Ciattarelli (endorsed by President Donald Trump) and former radio personality Bill Spadea. Two other Republican candidates, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and Justin Barbera, are also on the June 10 primary ballot but did not meet various qualifications to participate in debates this spring. The following are all contested races listed by county and party. An asterisk denotes incumbents. Members of the Bergen County Board of Commissioners (Vote for three three-year seats) Bergen County Democrats for Change Chris Chung John Vitale Dolores Witko Democratic Committee of Bergen County Thomas J. Sullivan * Mary Amoroso * Germaine M. Ortiz * CRESSKILL Mayor (Unexpired two-year term) Skyler Cohen —Better spending. Better schools. Better Cresskill Leslie Kaplan — Democratic Committee of Bergen County GLEN ROCK Borough Council (Vote for two three-year terms) Jonathan Hendl – Putting Residents First Seth M. Rosenstein* – Glen Rock Democrats for Council Rachel C. Madley – Glen Rock Democrats for Council MOONACHIE Borough Council (Vote for two three-year terms) Robert J. Bauer Sr. – Democratic Committee of Bergen County James D. Campbell – Democratic Committee of Bergen County Giovanni A. Brattoli – Your Voice, Our Future! RIDGEFIELD Borough Council (Vote for two three-year terms) Joanna Congalton-Hali* – Democratic Committee of Bergen County James V. Kontolios* – Democratic Committee of Bergen County Andrew J. Borek – People Who Love Ridgefield RUTHERFORD Borough Council (Vote for two three-year terms) Edward C. Narucki – Eddie – Alt Indie Democrat Douglas J. Hoffman – Rutherforward Richard H. Hussey – Rutherforward Christie Delrey-Cone* – Democratic Committee of Bergen County Dennis F. Mazone – Democratic Committee of Bergen County Susan E. Quatrone* – Democratic Councilwoman Serving Rutherford FRANKLIN LAKES Borough Council (Vote for two three-year terms) Joseph S. Conte – Trusted. Responsible. Dedicated Joseph L. Rosano – Trusted. Responsible. Dedicated Joel D. Ansh* – Bergen County Republican Endorsed Candidates Michael A. Kazimir – Bergen County Republican Endorsed Candidates HILLSDALE Borough Council - (Vote for two three-year terms) Anthony J. DeRosa – Hillsdale Republicans Louis A. Casale – Bergen County Republican Endorsed Candidates Stephen B. Riordan – Bergen County Republican Endorsed Candidates WALDWICK Borough Council (Vote for two three-year terms) Nadia M. Luppino – Bergen County Republican Endorsed Candidates Charles F. Asta – Bergen County Republican Endorsed Candidates Michele S. Weber* – Bergen County Republicans Mark J. Ramundo* – Bergen County Republicans BLOOMFIELD Running for the Democratic nomination for three three-year terms on the Township Council serving at-large: Jill Fischman Satenik Margaryan Monica Charris-Tabares* Tracy Toler-Phillips Widney Polynice* MILLBURN Running for the democratic nomination for two three-year terms on the Township Committee serving at-large: Michael Cohen* Jeffrey Feld Annette Romano* WANAQUE Running for the Republican nomination for two, three-year terms on the Borough Council: Dominick Cortellessa* - Passaic County Regular Republican Organization Inc. Angela Demetriou - Community: Stronger Together Edward Leonard* - Passaic County Regular Republican Organization Inc WAYNE Running for the Democratic nomination for one, four-year term as township mayor: James R. Freeswick - Democrat Donald Robert Pavlak Jr. - Passaic County Democratic Organization Endorsed Candidate DOVER COUNCIL (Democrat) Ward 1 (Vote for one four-year term: Claudia Toro* Daniele Mendez Ward 2 (Vote for one four-year term): Sergio Rodriguez Judy Rugg Ward 3 (Vote for one four-year term): Michael Scarneo Christopher Almada MENDHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL (Republican) (Vote for two three-year terms): Robert Mason Bruce LaFera* Neil Sullivan MONTVILLE COMMITTEE (Republican) (Vote for two three-year terms): Daria Senaldi Chris Fano Thomas Mazzaccaro James Sandham Jr. PARSIPPANY (Republican): Mayor (Vote for one four-year term): James Barberio* Justin Musella Council (Vote for two four-year terms): Frank Neglia Jigar Shah Casey Parikh John Bielen ROCKAWAY BOROUGH (Republican): Council (Vote for two three-year terms: Robert DeVito Andrew Agliata* Thomas Slockbower* ROCKAWAY TWP. COMMITTEE (Republican): Ward 6 (Vote for one four-year term): Rachael Brookes* Tucker Kelley WASHINGTON COMMITTEE (Republican) (Vote for two three-year terms): Michael Marino* Michael Starr Lawrence Bajek Early in-person voting for the June 10 primary election will begin on June 3. Registered voters can begin to cast their votes on that day in their county's select early voting locations. They will be asked to vote for their party's gubernatorial candidate as well as local, state and federal races. This article originally appeared on 2025 NJ primary election: North Jersey contested races
Medscape
6 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Hospitalists Should Champion Hospice as ‘Life With Dignity'
If anyone can put a positive spin on the end of life, it's Charles Vialotti, MD, director of Hospice Care at Holy Name Medical Center's Villa Marie Claire in Bergen County, New Jersey. Violotti, who at the age of 80 lives at the 20-bed Villa Marie Claire to serve its residents full-time, says the hospice industry needs hospitalists' help with sort of a rebrand, one that will almost certainly have a positive effect on patient and family satisfaction. 'Providers used to stress offering people death with dignity. And if you think about that, who is ever going to choose anything that offers death? Death in any form is still death,' Vialotti said. 'So, we really like to focus on offering people life with dignity, giving people back choice, giving them the option to structure their final days, weeks, or months the way they would most like to see it happen.' Charles Vialotti, MD Vialotti said that when patients come to his facility, they receive state-of-the-art care, plus the opportunity to spend time surrounded by loved ones, family, and friends in an environment that is comforting, calming, and soothing. Plus, patients can take advantage of opportunities like learning a new hobby and enjoy social interactions both on their own and with their loved ones. While hospice facilities like Vialotti's give patients full-time residential care, home hospice programs also give patients the opportunity to spend time in an environment that's comfortable and familiar, surrounded by family and friends — if they know about it, and are made aware that hospice isn't just 'going home to die.' 'I think too often we focus on the negatives, on stopping treatment, stopping interventions, stopping medications that we've become reliant on,' Vialotti said. 'Instead of that, we really have to talk about all the positive aspects of what this option can mean.' Shoshana Ungerleider, MD Hospitalists remain a critical member of the hospice education team, even though the vast majority of today's hospitals have at least some sort of palliative care staff to educate patients nearing the end of their journey, said Shoshana Ungerleider, MD, founder of the nonprofit End Well. The hospitalist has worked to build a relationship with the patient, one they can use to demystify hospice, she said. 'Given that hospitalists are that main touchpoint for patients — beyond nursing care, at least — I think if we can encourage the hospital-based clinicians to frame hospice not as giving up but shifting the focus from prolonging life at any cost to really maximizing comfort and quality of life, that will go a long way,' Ungerleider said. Clearing Up the Confusion Hospice care first came to the United States from England in the 1970s, and decades later, there's still a lack of knowledge surrounding this form of care among patients and their lay caregivers — and some doctors, too. 'Even as healthcare workers, even as hospice workers, we don't always realize that people don't know what they don't know,' said Julie McFadden, RN, a hospice nurse and online educator better known as 'Hospice Nurse Julie' to her 1.7 million followers on TikTok. 'It's not really built into our healthcare system to educate and talk to families.' Julie McFadden, RN 'This happens a lot in healthcare: We tend to stick to our lanes,' McFadden, the author of Nothing to Fear: Demystifying Death to Live More Fully , said. 'Like, well, we wouldn't tell the patient that they were dying because they have an oncologist, and the oncologist will tell them, and maybe, maybe the nephrologist knows something. Everyone's kind of stuck, unbeknownst to themselves.' So, for hospitalists, with their position closest to the patient, now is an important time to do a refresher on hospice, given the aging of the Baby Boomer generation. Ungerleider said that doctors should place an emphasis on the fact that hospice is not the absence of care; it is active care — it's just a shifting of the focus. 'We want hospitalists to be clear on what the hospice team is composed of (and) how they are able to support and not support families,' said Ungerleider, also the host of the Before We Go and TED Health podcasts. 'I think demystifying that process, offering it early as a meaningful option, I think patients are more likely to engage with it earlier and then hopefully benefit from it more fully.' As Ungerleider noted, early admission to hospice — as quickly as possible after cessation of treatment — is shown in the clinical literature to actually extend the length of patients' lives and enhance families' satisfaction with the way their loved one has spent their final days. The 2007 study 'Comparing Hospice and Nonhospice Patient Survival Among Patients Who Die Within a Three-Year Window,' led by Stephen R. Connor and published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, reported that patients who chose hospice lived an average of 29 days longer than those who did not, while 'Early Palliative Care for Patients with Metastatic Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer , ' a 2010 study led by Jennifer S. Temel and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that patients admitted to hospice early lived 2 months longer and also had better quantitative quality of life. Across the board, families involved reported being less stressed and had lower depression scores. Don't Overpromise, Though Hospice is a great solution for many patients, but it isn't the right solution for everyone. When asked what she'd most want to make sure hospitalists know about hospice, hospice nurse and educator McFadden emphatically said it would be that hospice — home hospice, that is — does not provide round-the-clock care. 'A lot of times families will come in, they have an elderly mom who could no longer take care of herself, there's a bunch of issues, she had a fall, etc. The family wants comfort care, so the hospitalist is like, great, let's refer to hospice. The family says we won't be able to take care of her, and a lot of times the people in the hospital think it's okay — hospice will take care of that,' McFadden, who was an intensive care unit nurse before getting into hospice, said. 'We won't. We can't. So, they get home, the family's like, wait, but the doctors in the hospital said you guys would do the care.' In the case of geriatric patients, generally speaking, because of the way Medicare is structured, families or other lay caregivers are responsible for the day-to-day caregiving even when the patient is in hospice. Plans vary from service to service, but generally, home hospice services will include a weekly visit from skilled nursing, plus a certain number of hours per week of care from a nursing assistant to cover bathing, tidying, bed changes, and other support. Hospice staff is always available by phone, 24 x 7, should the patient have an issue. 'We try to help the family understand how to provide the care and steps to do each task, but we won't provide it,' McFadden explained. Even so, she'd advise patients and their families to choose the option of hospice if possible. 'Hospice is there to help you die a natural death at home. To me, I feel like if you get to die a death on hospice, you are lucky.' Don't Let the Good Stand in the Way of the Perfect Hospice may not be a perfect solution for everyone, but data showed that it is a very good one, both for patients and their families. 'The best care that you can offer a patient who is no longer a candidate for effective medical intervention is focusing on the patient as a human being, an individual, focused on humanity and care and not the science of medicine,' said Vialotti. 'Instead of treating their disease, treat them as a human being. Find out what they want. Find out what they would like this part of their journey to look like and then offer them the support that enables them to experience that.' Hospice makes that kind of journey possible but is only available for patients if they're made aware of it. Hospitalists have an important role to play in raising awareness about this option when applicable and in accurately and compassionately delivering information about its efficacy and what it entails.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Challenger Kenyatta Stewart competitive in fundraising for NJ 35th District Assembly seat
PATERSON — Lawyer Kenyatta Stewart has raised $125,692 in contributions for his primary challenge against the two candidates backed by the Passaic County Democratic Party's leadership in the 35th District Assembly race. Stewart — whose funding includes $31,000 in loans he made to his own campaign — sits pretty much in the middle of his two main rivals in fundraising, as seen in preliminary campaign finance reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Al Abdelaziz, the former Paterson councilman appointed by Democrats to fill a vacant 35th District Assembly seat in January, has collected $173,231 in donations. Another candidate, Orlando Cruz, a Passaic County commissioner, has received $47,100 in fourth candidate, Romi Herrera, a former Garfield council member, reported raising just $4,706. The district is composed of Paterson, Prospect Park, Haledon and North Haledon in Passaic County and Elwood Park and Garfield in Bergen County. 'If you look at Stewart's list of contributions, it shows that he is well-connected as a prominent attorney,' said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute of New Jersey Politics at Rider University. 'This is not your normal outsider challenge, someone who comes to the table without connections and without fundraising ability.' Stewart works as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka's corporation counsel in that Essex County municipal government. Political insiders said they expect Baraka's popularity among Paterson's African American voters in the gubernatorial primary to have a spillover effect to help Stewart. Rasmussen said Abdelaziz and Cruz will benefit from their backing by the Passaic County Democratic leadership through campaign signs and possible election mailings that feature all candidates backed by the organization. He also said the county party will run a get-out-the-vote operation on the day of the primary that should help Abdelaziz and Cruz at the polls. After court rulings last year eliminated the 'party-line' ballot advantage that existed in New Jersey primaries for decades, political observers say they're seeing this year's June contests approach with unprecedented uncertainty, as well as a greater number of challengers taking on organization-backed candidates. Abdelaziz said the money he has raised will help him communicate with voters. 'Our campaign is proud to have built strong grassroots and community support across the 35th District,' Abdelaziz said. 'Fundraising is just one part of that story — and we're grateful to everyone who believes in our message of affordability, public safety and delivering real results for working families.' More than $80,000 of Abdelaziz's contributions came from business owners and professionals connected to South Paterson's Middle Eastern and Palestinian communities. Political strategists said that money also will benefit Cruz, Abdelaziz's running mate in the Assembly contest, with mailings, fliers and house signs bearing both of their names. 'We're working collectively,' Cruz said. The county commissioner said he and Abdelaziz have focused on door-to-door campaigning. 'It's not a concern to me,' Cruz said when asked about Stewart's fundraising edge over him. "We know the work we've been putting in. We're reaching out to voters in their neighborhoods, as opposed to opening storefronts.' Cruz was referring to Stewart's May 22 announcement about a new campaign headquarters in Haledon, which joined his existing election offices in Paterson and Garfield. Stewart said his six-figure total in preliminary campaign finance reports reflects what he described as a change in attitude among Democrats in the state. 'It speaks to the fact that voters throughout New Jersey want a different type of Democrat,' Stewart said, 'someone who's based on community first.' Stewart's finance reports contained more than 25 donations from people who listed their profession as 'attorney.' He described himself as a candidate with 'grassroots' popularity along with financial support from professionals. Stewart said he wanted to send a message by giving his campaign a substantial loan. 'You've got to have a personal investment in this,' he said. Rasmussen, the politics expert from Rider, said the $125,000 listed on Stewart's 29-day pre-election report won't be enough money to put out cable television commercials or to send out many campaign literature mailings. But, Rasmussen said, Stewart's first finance report puts him in the upper level among those taking on candidates backed by party leaders. Benjie Wimberly is running unopposed for in the 35th District Senate primary. Wimberly was appointed to the Senate seat in January after Nellie Pou left the state Legislature to become a member of Congress. This article originally appeared on Kenyatta Stewart competitive in fundraising for NJ 35th District seat
CBS News
20-05-2025
- CBS News
N.J. elementary school guard accidentally fired a shot while kids were in class, officials say
A New Jersey elementary school security guard accidentally discharged his weapon in the staff bathroom while students were in their classrooms, officials said. It happened Friday at Midland Elementary School in Paramus, N.J. The school superintendent sent out a letter to parents calling the incident "serious," "extremely concerning" and "completely unacceptable." Parent who did not want to go on camera told CBS News New York Tuesday their kids did not hear the shot go off. School officials say the safety guard has been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The Board of Education will determine if additional disciplinary action is necessary. School counselors are available to speak with anyone who needs it. Incident raises questions about guns in schools Police quickly responded and secured the area. No one was hurt, but it raised the question of whether school security guards should be armed. "It's very scary, but its scarier if there would have been an accident or something else and he didn't have protection. Unfortunately, times we live in, I want my kids's school safety officer to have a gun," Bergen County resident Jennifer Leavitt said. "It's unfortunate that kind of accident happened, thankfully no one was injured. But I think it makes sense to have professionals armed," Bergen County resident Kim Ford said. According to a school safety and security report published in 2023 by the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, less than 50% of school districts in the state have armed law enforcement in schools. Some 42% reported having armed security personnel, and 20% have no security staff at all. "As long as they are properly trained and supervised and former officers who have the experience and understand when to use their weapon, I approve of them," another Bergen County resident said. .
