Not too soon for 2007 campaign, says candidate
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER
Staff Writer

Dr. Barry Adler

WOODBRIDGE - A local veterinarian plans to challenge the Democratic incumbents for the 19th District Assembly seat in the June primary.

Dr. Barry Adler will most likely face Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas, who is currently serving his first term, and John S. Wisniewski, who is serving his fifth.

In a county where Democrats predominate, "the primary becomes the important thing," said Adler, who is a staff veterinarian and director of the Woodbridge Veterinary Group and co-owner of the Iselin Veterinary Hospital.

"The primary is in June 2007, but the Democratic County Committee will pick its line in March or April," he said.

Adler plans to officially kick off his campaign at a Sept. 14 fundraiser to be held at the Rio 22 restaurant, 2188 Route 22 west in Union. Newark Mayor Cory Booker is a scheduled guest.

He plans to focus a portion of his campaign on property-tax reform.

Adler, 56, favors some sort of consolidation of school districts, either on a municipal level or possibly on a county level, as is done in other states.

"We spend a lot more per person than they do in other states," he said. "Property taxes are not a fair way of taxing the population of New Jersey. We need to come to terms with how we fund education in this state."

Senior citizens who have paid off their homes and are living on fixed incomes often wind up selling the homes they have worked all their lives for, he said, because they cannot afford to pay property taxes.

His work as a veterinarian has helped him hone his listening skills, he said, and has given him a window into what residents are concerned about.

"I see people all day long," Adler said. "We wind up discussing policies, schools, property taxes.

"I think as a legislator [that] we all need to listen to the people that we are representing," he added. "I think I can do that well."

Middlesex County Democratic Party officials have known about his intentions for some time, Adler said.

"The Democratic Party has had my letter for over a year," Adler said. "We've been talking to people all along.

"We have started raising money," he said. "We've raised a significant amount of money."

Adler said he is "dead set" against dual office holders, as Vas serves as the mayor of Perth Amboy in addition to being a state assemblyman.

Adler received his bachelor's degree in animal studies from the Rutgers University College of Agriculture and Environmental Science (now Cook College), New Brunswick, and his doctoral degree from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Columbus, Ohio.