On the same week that Brigantine’s Amy Kennedy entered the Democratic Primary for Congress, 2nd Legislative District State Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo and John Armato issued a wagons-circling statement in support of Montclair University Political Science Professor Brigid Harrison.

“We are proud to endorse Brigid Callahan Harrison for Congress.  Brigid has deep roots in Atlantic County and has the integrity to fight for South Jersey in Washington. Brigid shares our values and will work to reduce gun violence, combat climate change, protect our healthcare, improve our infrastructure and always be on our side.

“When Rep. Van Drew betrayed us by opposing the impeachment inquiry, Brigid stood tall and held him accountable, she is the right woman at the right time to send Van Drew packing.  We wholeheartedly endorse her candidacy because Brigid already has demonstrated that she is the clear choice to fight for our values, and will never back down.  Brigid Callahan Harrison will make us proud as the first woman to ever represent South Jersey in the United States House of Representatives.”

Armato and Mazzeo hail from Atlantic County, whose party chair, Mike Suleiman, is at the moment uncommitted to a CD-2 candidate.

In the immediate aftermath of U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s (R-2) defection to the Republican Party, Steve Sweeney, president of the New Jersey Senate, aligned with six South Jersey Democratic county leaders in announcing their support for Brigid Callahan Harrison as the Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District.

“We are joining together in support of Brigid Harrison as the Democratic nominee for the 2^nd District. Brigid will be a strong candidate and a very effective member of Congress who will fight for the Democratic principles and priorities that will best serve the needs of the Congressional District, South Jersey, the State of New Jersey and the country.

“We will give Brigid our full support to gain the party’s nomination and to win in a general election that is so important to the country’s future. We’re going to fight for Brigid because we know she will fight for South Jersey and for the people of the 2^nd District.

Kennedy, Harrison and Atlantic County Freeholder Ashley Bennett all hail from Atlantic County, where the district’s Democratic Party votes are concentrated.

This from a source yesterday after Kennedy got in the contest:

“If this is an attempt by the Kennedys to take a seat she should be well funded, and Brigid will be well funded, so it’ll make for an intriguing primary. And the progressives are once again canibalizing themselves by not coalescing around one candidate. Will Cunningham is jumping into the race again. And Bennett is on paper a progressive darling and the guy from West Cape May [John Francis].

“So you’ll have two well-funded mainstream candidates and a bunch of progressives with no funding,” the source added. “Plus a former Republican [retired FBI agent Robert Turkavage] to boot. It’ll be interesting to see if the progressives coalesce around Kennedy since Brigid is seen as being part of the South Jersey machine.”