newjerseynewsroom.com

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

UPDATED

With Republican gubernatorial challenger Chris Christie at her side Tuesday, Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno, the GOP's candidate for lieutenant governor, stood before supporters in Newark and told them, "I know what it's like to be afraid to walk across the street,'' a reference to a time when she taught classes twice a week at Rutgers-Newark Law School.

On Thursday, members of the Newark City Council took turns criticizing Guadagno for what appears to be her first campaign gaff.

"The Christie campaign came to Newark to open a campaign headquarters and managed to verbalize in one sentence all that is wrong with their campaign," said North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos. "It is pure hypocrisy for them to say they care about Newark and its residents in one breath and, in the next, say they are afraid to walk our streets."

"After working her day job and feeling afraid on the streets in Newark, Kim Guadagno would retreat to the safe confines of her home outside of urban New Jersey," West Ward Councilman Ron Rice said. "We local leaders, together with Governor Corzine, choose to stay and fight for better education and new schools, more job training and re-entry from prison programs, more recreation and parent support initiatives. Some choose to cut and run from challenges and some, like our governor, choose to stay and fight for all New Jersey residents, urban and suburban."

"The people of Newark are not a photo opportunity," said Councilman at Large Carlos Gonzalez. "We are working every day to make our resident's lives better, make our streets safer, and improve on our children's educations. Christie would refuse the President's economic stimulus, driving up our property taxes and taking away much needed funding for job creation. Sheriff Guadagno's statements show how cynical it is for the Christie campaign to think they can come to Newark for a press conference and pretend they have any connection with New Jersey's cities."

"This is the best example of why Ms. Guadagno does not deserve to represent this state as lieutenant governor," said Councilman at Large Donald Payne. "If the sheriff is afraid to walk down the streets of any municipality in the state, let alone the largest city, we don't need that. I would suggest that Monmouth County re-evaluate her competence to serve as their sheriff. It's not about power and politics, it's about people and public service."

Guadagno and Christie opened the headquarters at 60 Park Place at 1:30 p.m. Less than two hours later and two blocks away at the intersection of Broad and Market Streets, the heart of the city, a 22- year-old man was stabbed to death at a bus stop in front of passing shoppers and workers. It was the 48th homicide of the year in the city.

Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for the state Republican Party, was present when Guadagno made the comment. He said after she was finished speaking, reporters asked her about the comment.

"She made it clear she is supporting what Mayor Booker's doing in Newark (to combat crime) and that he is doing the best he can in a difficult situation,'' Roberts said. "But the facts on the ground is that crime is a problem and remains a problem in Newark.''

Roberts said Guadagno was "speaking of her experience in working in the city and downtown, a living reality of what residents face daily.''

Roberts added, "Sheriff Guadagno and Chris Christie have made urban renewal, improving education, accountability and making life better in urban areas a major part of their platform. "We've not seen that in Jon Corzine,'' he said. "People in urban areas have suffered for years and years and have not seen quality of life improvements.''

Christie told supporters at the event, "My wife will tell you that over the last seven years I spent more time here in Newark than in Morris County. As New Jersey U.S. Attorney from 2002 until December, Christie's office was in the Peter Rodino Federal Building on Broad Street. He resides in Mendham Township.

"We're going to bring back the social fabric of our cities,'' Christie said. "We will bring the city back to its greatest potential.''

Guadagno, 50, was born in Waterloo, La. and moved to New Jersey in 1991 after completing law school. She and her husband, state Superior Court Judge Michael Guadagno, have resided in Monmouth Beach for 18 years. She has been Monmouth sheriff since 2007.

Guadagno worked in Newark as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1990 to 1998 and taught at Rutgers Law School from at least 2005 to 2009.

Christie selected her as his lieutenant governor candidate on July 20.

The Christie-Guadagno campaign did not return calls and emails requesting comment on the candidate's remark.