Sherrill: ‘Andy is Going to be a Great Senator’

It’s been a chaotic few weeks for politics in New Jersey. That’s especially true for Democratic leaders who just saw their favored candidate, Tammy Murphy, drop out of the race for Senate.
Combine that with the still unfolding legal battle over the “county line” and some party honchos must be worried about what comes next.

Fortunately for House members, at least, the calendar and the business of the place offer a nice reprieve from any controversy.

With the House in “recess,” members are back home doing what they love to do – award federal money they have secured for specific district projects.

Time was when these grants were known as “earmarks,” a bureaucratic term that prompted controversy.

Now, they’re called “Community Project Funding,” which sounds much more benign.

CD-11 Rep.Mikie Sherrill had two such public awards on Monday.

The first was $850,000 awarded to the ECLC of New Jersey Chatham School, which serves about 175 disabled students – ages 5 to 21. Many have Down syndrome or autism.

The school is located in a 100-year-old building with a heating system nearly as old. The funds will be used to modernize the building.

After the ceremonial passing of the gigantic check, the congresswoman spent time with the students.

As for the politics swirling around the state, Sherrill was one of the many Democratic leaders who endorsed the First Lady soon after she announced her candidacy last November.

Now, the party’s presumed Senate candidate is Andy Kim.

“I always said they both would be great candidates,” Sherrill said, noting that she serves with Kim, who represents the 3rd District, on the Dems’ national security caucus.

Kim’s Senate candidacy quickly caught fire, as he was endorsed by just about every county committee that held a secret vote.

“Andy is going to be a great senator,” Sherrill said. “People are really excited about his rise.”

Then, it was off to Denville, where the congresswoman awarded a $1 million check to help renovate an old two-room schoolhouse. It was built in 1908 and replaced a schoolhouse constructed – appropriately enough – right across Openaki Road.

Mayor Tom Andes said the exterior of the school will be preserved to look as it did when it was built. The interior, however, will be reconstructed as a contemporary meeting room for the library, recreation activities and other civic needs.

“You only get certain opportunities to save your history,” the mayor said. He noted that the schoolhouse across the street already has been preserved.

As the congresswoman and others toured the school to be renovated, Sherrill was pleased to hear that the building was a polling place back in 1920, the year women were first allowed to vote.

Given the events of the past week, one must wonder how the 1920 ballot was designed.

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