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Senate District 3

SWEENEY WINS
Stephen Sweeney -- 25,004
Michael Mulligan -- 20,109

This district encompasses parts of Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
The race pits the Senate president against a Republican newcomer.

More on this race on NJ Spotlight

Read more:
From Today's Sunbeam: In 3rd Legislative District: Re-elect Sweeney, Burzichelli, Riley
From The Gloucester County Times: Stockton poll shows Sweeney has 12-point lead, but 19 percent still unsure of who to vote for

From: The Courier Post: Our Pick:Sweeney, Riley, DiCicco in 3rd
From The Gloucester County Times: Democratic ticket in 3rd says their records are strong
From PolitickerNJ: Featured Race: LD3 - Sweeney goes mushroom cloud on Mulligan, DiCicco prodigal - and GOP takes heart in voters' mood
From The Gloucester County Times: NJ's Third District Senate candidates debate education reform

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Michael Mulligan (R)

Lawyer

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent (D)

Senator

Comparison

Michael Mulligan

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent

Biographical Information
In brief, what will be your top three priorities if elected (one sentence each, please).
Should the state provide more school choice for children, including the expansion of charter schools, vouchers for private schools and enabling children to attend public schools outside of their home districts?
Would you make any changes to how schools are funded by the state, including so-called Abbott districts and wealthier suburban localities?
Should the state continue to adopt regional planning initiatives to prevent sprawl, and if so, how should preservation be funded?
Do you support Gov. Christie's energy master plan or would you seek more lofty goals for conservation and renewable energy?
Experts say New Jersey's transportation infrastructure is crumbling. How should the state fund upgrades: continued bonding or borrowing, a gas tax, toll hikes or some other specified method?
What would you do to provide relief for property taxpayers -- for example, further program cuts, additional state aid and rebates -- and should municipalities and schools be forced to do more to regionalize or share services?
What can be done to improve the public discourse here in New Jersey?

Michael Mulligan: 1. Decrease the price of government in New Jersey; 2. End practice of speculative public sector economic development projects, eg., Mr. Sweeney's Logan Twp. "Dream Park" Project; 3. Renovate the stale "progressive" income tax in NJ like Pennsylvania has done by enacting a flat tax to make all people stakeholders in their government and end class envy.

Michael Mulligan: I favor passage of A2810/S1872, the Opportunity Scholarship Act, which would establish privately funded student choice of schooling opportunity. Being validated as revenue neutral, the Act would not harm local public school funding mechanisms. I favor philosophically an expansion of charter schools and vouchers for private schools, but change must be proven to be fiscally responsible in that present public school assets shall not be wasted or under-utilized at taxpayer expense.

Michael Mulligan: The Abbott theory is bankrupt public policy in my judgment. Such imprudent "judge-made" law usually expires as the Court turns over via the judicial appointment process. I rely on that happening.

Michael Mulligan: No. New Jersey taxpayers have to focus on bankrupting operational costs of government. West Deptford Twp. is $140 Million in the red. Salem City is bankrupt. Penns Grove is a pauper town year in and out. Collingwood's credit is junk bond valued.

Farmland preservation is an expensive public investment of dubious value. It is irrational to buy real estate development rights in order to further a false utopian notion of how the world should look. I recognize I am in the minority on this point. I respect the will of the majority but hope to persuade people to change their view.

Michael Mulligan: Yes. Further, I would end any New Jersey attempt to cause a moratorium on energy production activity by neighboring states. We have to get out of our own way and turn loose achievers to produce needed energy here at home without taxpayer subsidy.

Michael Mulligan: Government costs for roads and bridges, exclusive of bridges operated by joint interstate authorities, should be spread across the population, which is the purpose of government. User fees only make sense with the bi-state authorities in this Northeastern corridor area of the country. The gas tax is regressive by disproportionately affecting the poor. Fuel taxes restrict the right of travel. Moreover, the gas tax should be abandoned must a tool of authoritarian control of human behavior.

Michael Mulligan: Part-time elected officials, State Senators and Assemblymen included, should not get defined contribution pensions or medical health insurance at taxpayer expense. Public property assets should not have term of years limitations. Eg., school buses and firetrucks, etc. If public property assets work and are safe, use them until they don't work or safety is a legitimate risk necessitating retirement.

Michael Mulligan: Weed out ill-tempered, career politicians.

Address: 1383 Kings Highway
Pilesgrove, NJ 08098

Full Name: Michael M. Mulligan

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Website: mulliganforsenate.blogspot.com/

Phone: 856-299-2600

Email : michaelmulligan@comcast.net

Birthday: March 28, 1960

Education: J.D., Rutgers School of Law-Camden, 1986;B.A., Political Science, Univ. of N.C. at Chapel Hill, 1982;

Public Service: Former Salem County Counsel, et al.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: Reform government in order to rein in spending through sharing services and encouraging municipalities to run more efficiently.

Fight for seniors by reinstating their property tax rebate, further expand the senior freeze program, and eliminate their income tax on social security and collections from their pension.

Lower property taxes for middle class families by restoring school funding.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: Promoting our public schools must be our first priority in public education.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: I believe the Governor should fully support the school funding formula in order to both support public education and lower property taxes in suburban and rural communities.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: Yes. I need to look further into where to garner the funding but I believe the state, county, and local governments all benefit from reducing sprawl and can financially pitch in to support this effort.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: I have supported legislation that would increase New Jersey's renewable energy goals to those of the previous administration.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: Building up South Jersey's transportation infrastructure would be a great step in giving our economy a necessary jolt. As a state, we must look at the tax savings generated by recent reforms to allocate these funds to building up our infrastructure and boost our economy.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: Government needs to do more with less in order to lower property taxes. First, we need municipalities to begin to cut administrative overhead and encourage shared services. Second, the state needs to fully restore the school funding formula. The Governor's cuts to municipal aid has forced local governments to raise property taxes instead of lower them. Most importantly, seniors need relief today. We must restore the senior property tax rebate to help keep retirees in state.

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent: Since becoming Senate President, our state government has gone through many reforms. There have been tough choices, all of which have been aired in the open. Nothing was rushed through the legislature at the last minute or snuck into a bill. Opponents of the reforms have marched on the state house. This allowed for an open debate and an informed public. I would argue that New Jersey's public discourse is at a decade long high.

Address: 369 Nottingham Road
West Deptford, NJ 08096

Full Name: Stephen Sweeney

Party: Democrat

Incumbent: 2002

Website: www.district3dems.com

Phone: 856-251-9801

Email : ld3dems@gmail.com

Birthday: 06/11/1959

Education: Pennsauken High School

Public Service: Director of Gloucester County Board of Freeholders, 1997-2010

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My Ballot

Senate District 3

Michael Mulligan (R)

Lawyer

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent (D)

Senator

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My Ballot

Senate District 3

Michael Mulligan (R)

Lawyer

WINNER: Stephen Sweeney - Incumbent (D)

Senator

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