More Educators Need To Run For Office!

Here you go:

CHATHAM – Retiring Superintendent Jim O’Neill, who has been an outspoken critic of Governor Chris Christie’s education agenda, has announced the he will run in the Democratic primary for District 26.

O’Neill made his announcement at the recent Morris County Democratic Club breakfast. “I have been doing my homework meeting with top Democratic officials before making my decision to run,” he said on Wednesday. Whether he will run for the senate or assembly is still up in the air pending the finalization of the redistricting plan, which is due on April 3. O’Neill is currently gathering signatures for his candidate petition and plans to file on April 11.

District 26 is currently being represented by Assemblymen Alex DeCroce and Jay Webber and Senator Joseph Pennacchio. “The republicans should be ashamed of themselves with regards to education,” O’Neill said. “They have done very little to advocate for the many excellent public schools they represent.”

He continued saying that he will not be a one issue legislator. “Critics will try to make me out to be angry at the governor over the superintendent salary cap issue but my issues are much broader,” he said. “Throughout the years I have testified in Trenton about education issues at large. There are unfunded mandates and unintended consequences of recent legislation that we end up having to fix, which could be avoided with better communication and sharing of information.”

I actually think he's got a shot - he was apparently well-respected in Chatham, and that place is more right-wing than the green room on Sean Hannity's show.

At the very least, his race becomes a referendum on Christie's policies. Have the good folks of Chatham seen their property taxes go down? Somehow, I doubt it.