We would like to take a moment to welcome you to the 2017 general election season, where we intend to continue to provide all your breaking news and analysis. Over the weekend, we traveled all over the state in an effort to dig out those stories of political interest and intrigue.

We went to Rutherford, for the kickoff the annual street fair, traditionally the beginning of the general election in Bergen. We went to Woolwich, to meet Fran Grenier, the Salem GOP chairman running against incumbent Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3).

We went to Asbury Park, home of the LD11 battleground.

And we traveled to Edison, that extraordinary local hotbed of national-sized political trends.

There’s a lot more set to write and report this week. Too much! We love it, all of it. Daily throughout this intensified season will have regular updates on ALL campaigns and elections developments.

We feel especially motivated right now, for InsiderNJ is coming up at the middle of this month on our celebration of seven months in existence as your go-to site for New Jersey news. We want to thank you, the readers, for such a positive response.

It has been a great run to this point, and only the beginning.

We intend to build on our successes to daily improve this operation.

It’s been a great run.

We broke the names of the lieutenant governor candidates in both parties.

We first told you that Assemblyman Dave Rible wouldn’t be back to the legislature. We broke Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s decision not to pursue reelection. We broke Shariq Ahmad’s defeat of Keith Hahn for the chairmanship of the Edison Democratic Committee. We were the first to write about the New Jersey Education Association’s (NJEA) decision to go in with the Republicans against Sweeney. We were the first to write about Fran Grenier, tracking him down on the day he filed to run at the state Division of Elections.

We dominated the halls of Trenton with our government shutdown coverage.

We dominated the pre-primary season when Kim Guadagno and Jack Ciattarelli tilted for the Republican nomination for governor.

We were the first to write about Assemblyman Craig Coughlin’s designs on the speakership; and the first to print his amassed caucus votes at each stage of his journey toward the speakership.

We first reported on Assemblyman Parker Space and the Confederate Flag.

We first reported on Kim Guadagno’s eventual bucking of Doug Steinhardt for the post of GOP State chairman.

We first reported Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg’s departure from the legislature.

And a lot more.

Too much to list.

And that’s all just the groundwork for great things to come.

Thanks again for reading. Please check back often. We see the next two months as a dizzying sprint toward Election Day, which will spring us right into the 2018 mid-term elections.

We can’t wait to keep going!