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Lucas Will Run In the New 12th

By Art Gallagher

Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas will be a candidate for the state legislature in the GOP primary from the new 12th district.

Lucas, who will make a formal announcement tomorrow, said he would defer to Assembly incumbents Sam Thompson and Ronald Dancer should either seek the vacant Senate seat.  In such case Lucas will run for Assembly.  Should neither incumbent Assemblyman run for Senate, Lucas will seek that seat.

Lucas said that he will not compete with Freeholder Director Rob Clifton for the Monmouth GOP line with the screening committee, but would  take the race to a primary.

“I think this will be fun and reinvigorate the western portion of the Monmouth GOP,” said the Mayor.

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Posted: April 3rd, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Legislature, Monmouth GOP, NJ State Legislature, Reapportionment, Redistricting | Tags: , , , , | 12 Comments »

12 Comments on “Lucas Will Run In the New 12th”

  1. TR said at 9:08 pm on April 3rd, 2011:

    Talk about throwing down the gauntlet.

    Interesting approach. Why not try to get the line and if you do not get it run in a primary.
    Is this an admission that he knows he can not win at the screening committee? Could he? I would have to think about that.
    He could win the primary. He would probably do well in Monmouth even off the line. He certainly has a fund raising advantage.

    What about the other counties will he try for the line there?

    I will have to meditate on this.

  2. JerryW45 said at 9:53 pm on April 3rd, 2011:

    Meditating did not help. My head is spinning.
    It’s time for the pillow. I don’t want to be around to hear the other shoe drop today announcing that Anna is running in one of these races 🙁

  3. CommonSense said at 10:20 pm on April 3rd, 2011:

    JerryW45, I hope your right. I pray to God I don’t wake up in the morning and I read that Anna Little is running for one of these seats.

  4. Justified Right said at 7:37 am on April 4th, 2011:

    Not making an endorsement here but Andrew’s right.

    I wouldn’t put the people’s choice of me in the hands of some screening committee.

    Conservatism is based upon rugged individualism, not committees.

  5. Freespeaker1976 said at 7:40 am on April 4th, 2011:

    Running off line also makes sense in that it says “I am not the system.”

  6. TR said at 8:43 am on April 4th, 2011:

    OHM OHM OHM.
    OK meditation over.
    Here is the strategy. Andrew can raise lotsa money abecause he knows people with lotsa money. So he basically “buys” the line in the other counties by helping other politicians in those counties with their fundraising. Call it the Gooch/Sipperelle tactic. (not critcizing here. It’s a legit approach)
    He does not seek the line in Monmouth for a variety of reasons. 1. He doesn’t think he can beat out a sitting Freeholder b/4 screening committee. 2. There is often this pesky rule in Monmouth that to be considered by the screening committee you have to promise not to run. 3. In Monmouth he can (try to) run as the anti-establishment candidate. 4. He believes can win in Monmouth w/o the line. He will probably do well in Manalapan and may do well in Marlboro and Millstone too. Robs base is on the extreme eastern fringe of the district so this gamble by Lucas could work.

    Let me be clear Teddy Roosevelt is not giving his (coveted?) endorsement here just speculating on tactics.

  7. barry said at 9:22 am on April 4th, 2011:

    Marlboro no longer in the 12th

  8. DM said at 3:26 pm on April 4th, 2011:

    Good for Andrew. He’s a smart guy. As they say, everything happens for a reason. Him losing the Freeholder race could be a blessing in disquise.

  9. MoreMonmouthMusings » Blog Archive » 30th District Primary Looking Less Likely said at 7:55 am on April 5th, 2011:

    […] Oxley, “this is not fun and games, it is serious business.”  Oxley was referring to Lucas’ comment on MMM that a legislative primary against Freeholder Director Rob Clifton would be […]

  10. JerryW45 said at 8:59 am on April 5th, 2011:

    Hey, Joe; get a clue. Andy knew you wouldn’t support him on your Cabal Of A Selection Committee, so why shouldn’t he have a shot at this?

    The guy has been a loyal Republican who wants to move up. Quite standing in the way, or is it that you only support people who keep the cash flowing like Newberry who gave you Municipal legal business.

    NOW, we’ve got this thing with Beekman & Carton stinking up the place…

    http://www.app.com/article/20110403/NJNEWS/104030347/Malcolm-Carton-working-Monmouth-County-again?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

    ART…

    Maybe this is the next article you should be writing!

    The Republican Cabal is starting to stink up the place again. First, people slipped Brookdale under the rug until Curley showed up and now more of the “Good Ole Boys” network in play with Beekman and Carton

  11. Short memory, said at 9:30 pm on April 5th, 2011:

    or, no frame of reference?.. Lucas already had the chance to “move up’ to freeholder, and lost big-time.. it’s still America,(pretty much),so, if he wants yet another shot, get on the phone and get nominated, then get out there and get elected.. super!!..sure, many people have the ambition to move-up, there’s only so many slots..it’s fine to be a ‘Drew fan, but you can’t discount Rob’s experience as a mayor, councilman, and 6 of our toughest years as a freeholder, plus a lot of state experience having worked for the assemblyman way-long ago, and his activites with NJAC and other statewide groups!..

  12. MoreMonmouthMusings » Blog Archive » Lucas Not Running In The 12th said at 1:22 pm on April 8th, 2011:

    […] Earlier this week Lucas announced that he would by-pass the Monmouth County screening committee to compete in the primary. […]