Middlesex Dems endorse Lande and Guha to challenge Dancer and Clifton in LD 12

The Middlesex County Democrats endorsed Monmouth County residents David Lande of Millstone and Malini Guha of Matawan to be the Democrat nominees for Assembly in the 12th Legislative District at a convention on Monday night.  NewJerseyGlobe first reported the endorsements.

Lande and Guha will hold the top Democrat spots on the June 4 primary ballot in Middlesex County.  The 12th district includes parts of Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington Counties, which have yet to endorse their candidates.  Gene Davis of Jackson (Ocean County) is also competing for the endorsements.

Davis, who was a Democrat candidate for Assembly in the 2017 general election, has not responded to a message asking if he is continuing his candidacy after losing the Middlesex endorsement.

Lande, 54, ran for State Senate in the 12th against Senator Sam Thompson in 2017.  He is a U.S. Army veteran, works as a personal injury and workers compensation attorney, runs a cat rescue foundation and is friend of MMM contributor Tommy DeSeno.

Guha, 39, is a freelance journalist who writes about the pharmaceutical industry. She serves on the Matawan Environmental Commission.  Evidently, no one told her to update her social media profiles before becoming a political candidate.

Republican incumbents Ron Dancer and Rob Clifton were endorsed by acclamation by the Monmouth GOP last Saturday.  Dancer and Clifton are expected to be unopposed at the Middlesex, Ocean and Burlington Republican conventions as well.

The 12th legislative district includes Old Bridge in Middlesex County; Allentown, Englishtown, Manalapan, Matawan, Millstone, Roosevelt and Upper Freehold in Monmouth County; Jackson and Plumsted in Ocean County; and Chesterfield, New Hanover, North Hanover and Wrightstown in Burlington County.

The Democrat and Republican primaries will be held throughout New Jersey on June 4.  There are 40 legislative districts, each with two Assembly members.  All 80 seats in the Assembly are up for election in the general election on November 5.