Posted on 11/06/2002 8:54:20 AM PST by dead
Scott Garrett inherited the 5th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating a Democrat who had declared herself the rightful heir to retiring Republican Marge S. Roukema.
With 99 percent of districts reporting, Garrett, a Republican assemblyman from Sussex County, had 108,372 votes, or 59 percent, to Anne Sumers' 71,562, or 39 percent. Independent Michael J. Cino had 4,073 votes, or 2 percent.
At the Sheraton Crossroads in Mahwah, Garrett surrounded himself with his wife, Mary Ellen, and daughters Jennifer and Brittany and spoke of his faith.
"I want to begin this evening by giving thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed on me," Garrett said. He spoke of the importance of spirituality and thanked those who had prayed for him.
He invoked the issues central to his campaign - a brisk economy, strong defense, tax cuts, and Social Security - and called his election "a victory for all of us in this room."
Referring to a Bush administration education initiative, he vowed to ensure that "no child is left behind." He promised to see that "the life of every child is protected in this nation."
Sumers, an ophthalmologist from Upper Saddle River, conceded at 10:15 p.m. amid family members and 200 supporters at the Park Ridge Marriott.
"It feels like a victory party but I'm sad to say it's not," she said. "The voters have been misled by a vicious campaign. The best organization, the right message, and even the truth can be overwhelmed by big-business contributions."
She thanked campaign workers and said hers was an honest race.
"We tried to focus on the issues that matter," she said, "but the voters did not hear us."
Garrett won a heated five-way battle for the GOP nomination in June. Sumers wasted no time picking up where moderate Republicans left off in trying to paint Garrett as an extremist.
She pointed to newspaper clippings of Garrett calling for the elimination of the federal Department of Education. She noted his proposed legislation in the Assembly that would have made it easier for New Jerseyans to carry handguns - and his vote to repeal the state's ban on assault weapons.
Sumers assailed Garrett's staunch antiabortion views and accused him of neglecting women's health issues because he voted against mandatory coverage of mammograms.
And she fashioned herself after Roukema - a moderate from Ridgewood who often parted with Republicans on social issues such as abortion, health insurance, and gun control, and who refused to endorse her fellow Republican throughout the campaign.
Sumers also quickly amassed a war chest that dwarfed Garrett's. And with commitments of financial support from a well-funded women's issues group and expressed support from Democrats in Washington, Sumers indicated early on that she would be well-equipped to get her message to voters.
Republicans in Washington, however, also were determined. And with control of the House at stake, they unleashed a parade of big names on the 5th District and flooded the race with money.
Vice President Dick Cheney, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, and several Bush administration advisers and Cabinet members parachuted into North Jersey to stump for Garrett.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) overwhelmed the Sumers campaign with issue ads that attacked Sumers and touted Garrett.
The ads questioned Sumers' commitment to public education by noting that she failed to vote in 12 straight school board elections in her hometown. And they questioned her commitment to making the Bush tax cuts permanent, noting that she said she would vote to make the tax cuts' biggest opponent, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt, D-Mo., the House speaker if Democrats won control.
But the Republicans were perhaps most successful in resisting the conservative label Sumers was trying to stamp on the assemblyman.
The NRCC and Garrett's campaign consultants also gave the candidate's conservative image a makeover.
Although much of Garrett's platform was focused on tax cuts and a stronger national defense, his positions on other issues were softened or, in some cases, changed.
He vowed to support existing gun laws, despite his vote in the Assembly to repeal the assault weapons ban and his "right-to-carry" bills.
After calling for the elimination of the Department of Education in past congressional primaries, Garrett this time stood shoulder-to-shoulder in Waldwick with U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige and declared his full support of the administration's education initiatives.
He downplayed other positions, such as his support for allowing people years from collecting Social Security to place a significant amount of their taxes into private investment accounts, a position that Democrats have said would jeopardize the federal retirement program.
The image makeover seemed to work. A poll conducted last month by The Record showed that 26 percent of likely voters considered Garrett moderate. Less than half of respondents said he was either conservative or very conservative. Meanwhile, 28 percent of the voters considered Sumers either liberal or very liberal.
Staff Writer Paul Johnson contributed to this article.
""The voters have been misled by a vicious campaign… We tried to focus on the issues that matter," Sumers said, "but the voters did not hear us."
She ran an ad linking the gay Islamic sniper to Garrett’s support of the 2nd Amendment.
“The best organization, the right message, and even the truth can be overwhelmed by big-business contributions."…Sumers also quickly amassed a war chest that dwarfed Garrett's.
Republican money – evil. Democratic money – virtous.
This bitch bolted the NJ Republican Party and ran as a Democrat because the Republicans had the audacity to nominate a pro-life, pro-2nd amendment “extremist.”
Her mentor, outgoing RINO, Marge Roukema refused to endorse Garrett because of his “extreme” positions.
And the gun nut won by TWENTY percentage points.
Bye Anne. Bye Marge. You won’t be missed.
Sumers: "We tried to focus on the issues that matter, but the voters did not hear us."How arrogant. Only Sumer's lil' circle knows what is important -- the voters are ignorant. Thankfully, the voters busted up that lil' circle.
At least they can pat themselves on their backs in obscurity, and tell each other how smart they are.
Yes, he did! Scott is a righteous man and stands according to his "rigid, extremist principles and idealogy".
"Is this what NJ really wants?"
Well, Anne. Yes, the entire 5th district does believe in Garrett and his "rigid principles"!
The 5th district is pretty large if you check it out.
Go Scott Go!!
Now, for a Schundler win.
I posted to this thread to BUMP the acknowledged conservative voting of the 5th district in this 2004 Race.
5th District 100% reporting Bergen, Passaic, Sussex, Warren
Dorothea Anne Wolfe (D) 114,809 41.4%
Scott Garrett (R)* 162,467 58.6%
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