CD2. What’s happening there at midday?

InsiderNJ talked to an operative on condition of anonymity with deep roots in the area.

“There seems to be a sense that Kennedy is the favorite, but given the nature of how voting is happening today there are a lot of unknowns,” said the source, referring to Amy Kennedy, who’s running in the democratic Primary to take on U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) in the general.

Has Will Cunningham done enough to be a factor?

“He could eat into Kennedy’s vote enough to swing it to [Brigid] Harrison,” said the source. “He is definitely gaining momentum, and I think is suddenly a viable alternative to [Kennedy] but probably too little too late to come out on top. …He’s clearly trending up, but the conventional wisdom would be that that just eats into Kennedy’s numbers.”

The source said the overall inability to really track numbers throughout the day, or to have any confidence in those numbers given the number of mail-in and dropbox votes, is leaving the campaigns largely in the dark today. “And of course comes down to how successful will the Callaways be in getting the vote out in AC and Pleasantville,” the source said.

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 7/7/2020

Senator Troy Singleton (D-7) announced his new gig on Facebook:

The veteran of the Carpenters’ union last week announced his departure and today made known his transition to the insurance business.

This morning, the Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Republican Kate Gibbs in the Third Congressional District. Citing Gibbs’ appeal to a wide array of voters, the Philadelphia Inquirer said:

“Gibbs is a mainstream Republican more in sync with her politically diverse district. Gibbs is savvy, yet her down-to-earth manner has served her well while explaining that her arrests for shoplifting, marijuana possession, and beer on the beach were little more than a young person’s misadventures. We take Gibbs at her word when she claims to have learned from her mistakes.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board joins House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, former Congressman Tom MacArthur, former Senator Diane Allen, Assemblyman Ryan Peters, Assemblywoman Jean Stanfield, and an enthusiastic group of New Jersey Republican leaders in supporting Gibbs.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board, and thank them for sitting down with me to discuss this race,” said Gibbs. “I am glad that they see what everyone else is increasingly seeing — that David Richter cannot attract the voters needed to cross the finish line in November. I am confident that I can appeal to a broad coalition of voters needed to win the general election and bring another true conservative voice to Washington D.C.”

The LGBTQ Victory Fund rolled out new endorsements of congressional candidates, among them CD2 Democratic primary candidate Will Cunningham.

“We need more members of Congress who understand the experiences and struggles of the people they represent. As an openly LGBTQ Black man who grew up in poverty and experienced homelessness, Will Cunningham will bring a unique perspective to the issues facing our nation and ensure underserved communities are not forgotten. If Will wins his primary on Tuesday, America will have the opportunity to elect three openly LGBTQ Black members of Congress in November – and that would be transformative,” said Mayor Annise Parker, the CEO and President of the Fund.

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 7/6/2020

First Michael Aron semi-steps away from NJTV, and now this:

A great reporter retires after an iconic two-decade run.

In the words of BurlCo diehard Jason Carty:

“Dave is the last of a dying breed. He gave 20 years to an ungrateful dying publication because he loved being a reporter and believed in the craft. I worked along side him for all those years in various capacities. Dave was consistent, always fair and never missed a story.”

Highland Park Councilwoman Susan Welkovits has died.

The councilwoman had acquired COVID-19, according to family friends, but that was not the cause of her death, they say.  She contracted the virus while in the hospital for another illness, but was COVID-19-asymptomatic.

The original illness – undisclosed as of this time – caused her death, acording to two family friends. An earlier version of this story said she perished from COVID-19, which they insist was not the case. InsiderNJ regrets the error.

Here is her story on the Highland Park Planet.

Appointed to the Borough Council in January 2012, Ms. Welkovits chaired the Health and Human Services Committee for three years. Since January 2015, she served as Council President and Chairs Public Works and Public Utilities Committee, working with Department of Public Works and Code Enforcement. She also served on Administration, Economic Development and Planning, and Public Safety Committees and is Council Liaison to Environmental Commission, Sustainable Highland Park, Shade Tree Advisory Council, Native Plant Reserve, Complete Streets Advisory Council, and our district Schools.

According to the Highland Park website, her professional background was as a Client Relationship Manager and Project Manager in Financial Services for more than 20 years. Her clients have included small businesses much like those that make up our vital downtown business district.

Ms. Wekovits’ parents emigrated from Hungary in 1956, and moved to Highland Park when she was a child. She was a graduate of Highland Park High School. About 10 years ago, she returned to Highland Park from New York to raise a family and is the mother of twins attending Irving Primary School.

Read Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 7/3/2020