TRENTON – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, the leading advocate for ethics reform in the State Senate, issued the following statement regarding the decision of the Clean Elections panel in selecting the 14th Legislative District, as opposed to her 12th District base, to participate in this year’s Clean Elections program:
“I am disappointed that my running mates and I will not have the opportunity to show New Jersey that the Clean Elections program works, and that we can remove the influence of money on the political process.
“I had petitioned Senate President Codey to give us a chance to run under the Clean Elections designation because I believe that the only interests lawmakers should be serving in Trenton are the public’s interests. For too long in the Garden State, political donations have influenced the minds and hearts of policymakers, often to the detriment of the greater public good.
“The competition for the final spot in the Clean Elections program was intense, and I know that both sides argued their case well.
“I wish my legislative colleagues in the 14th District the best luck in carrying the Clean Elections banner. As a co-sponsor of the bill establishing Clean Elections, I know how dedicated Assemblywoman Greenstein and Assemblyman Baroni are to the success of the program. I hope that they will serve as a testament to the benefits of Clean Elections, and that we can expand the program in the near future.”