Councilwoman Pinkin Eyes New Beginning With State Assembly

With the final weeks looming for her time on the East Brunswick Township Council, outgoing Councilwoman Nancy Pinkin said reigning in spiraling property tax increases would be among her top priorities once she is sworn in to the State Assembly in January.

Last week, Democrats Pinkin and incumbent Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan defeated Republicans Robert Benegivenga and running mate Lisa Goldhamer for two, two-year seats on the Assembly. Pinkin will fill the seat of Peter Barnes, who was elected to serve as State Senator of the 18th District after defeating current East Brunswick Mayor David Stahl.

Pinkin credited her victory to the result of a body of work lasting nearly a decade in East Brunswick.

"I really appreciate the support of the voters. It's humbling and I look forward to doing everything I can to make sure New Jersey is the best it can be," Pinkin said. "I always say a successful campaign happens every day of the year by the way you serve voters. I've been on the council for 9 years. It's the people you touch throughout that period, not just during the election, that makes a difference."

With property taxes still among the foremost worries of residents throughout New Jersey, Pinkin said addressing soaring tax rates must be a top priority for legislators.

"It might sound like a sound bite, but addressing our taxes and economic development with the ability to create new jobs is the biggest concern," she said. "My strategy has always been to step back and look at policy, learn immediately and make assessments on what action is necessary based on that. I also plan to reach out to local leadership in the communities I serve and see what their priorities are."

The 18th District also includes Edison, Helmetta, Highland Park, Metuchen, South Plainfield, and South River. 

With the election in her rearview, Pinkin bemoaned the contentious atmosphere that surrounded the entire campaign. 

"I pride myself on my reputation over the years and I find some of the things that were said about me to be totally inaccurate," she said. "That's the type of campaigning that doesn't encourage people to have respect for, or faith in government."

With her election to a new office, Pinkin will soon have to vacate her seat on the Township Council. State regulations allow the township party of the outgoing candidate to choose a replacement to fill one year of the unexpired term, with the remaining year then up for re-election next November. Pinkin was elected to another three-year term on the council in 2012.

Pinkin said late last week that she's unaware if a new council person has been tabbed as of yet to fill her seat, as she's still focused on the task at hand until she moves on to the Assembly. With last week's fatal motor vehicle crash on Ryders Lane, she said looking at safety for drivers is a top priority before she departs.

"I intend to serve to the fullest during my last couple of weeks, but East Brunswick is still in my district so I'm not done representing East Brunswick," Pinkin said. "Something that I'm still very concerned about are the number of motor vehicle accidents in town, and I'd like to see the data on that so we can make an assessment. My feeling is the numbers will reflect that it's an issue we need to address. We need to make sure we're doing everything we can to prevent accidents and campaign for people to drive as safely as possible."