fbpx

Could Sanford’s Victory Lead To A McGreevey Comeback?

Former Gov Jim McGreevey. Wikipedia photo

Former Gov Jim McGreevey. Wikipedia photo

Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford overcame the scandal of his marital infidelity and abandoning his state.  He was elected in a special election to the U.S House of Representatives last night.

Could former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey launch a similar comeback?

Sanford won by 9 points in a district that went for Mitt Romney by 18 points last November.  Nate Silver argues that 13% of South Carolina’s 1st district voters withheld their support of Sanford over his sex scandal.  McGreevey lives in Rush Holt’s 12 Congressional District of New Jersey.  McGreevey could win that seat if it was open, unless Scott Sipprelle was the GOP nominee, but he wouldn’t challenge Holt in a primary.

But what about U.S. Senate?  Senator Frank Lautenberg announced he is retiring.  Newark Mayor Cory Booker won’t say if he is running, officially. Booker strung the Democratic Party along for too long before announcing he wouldn’t run for governor this year.   McGreevey wouldn’t really be stepping on Booker’s toes if he announced a candidacy for U.S. Senate.

Congressman Frank Pallone says he wants Lautenberg’s job. He wouldn’t be too happy if McGreevey entered the senate race. But McGreevey offered Pallone the opportunity to become a senator in 2002 when Senator Robert Torricelli dropped out of his reelection campaign.  McGreevey doesn’t owe Pallone anything.

Gay Rights is the progressive social issue of our day.  Who would be a better standard bearing for Gay Rights in a New Jersey U.S. Senate race.  Booker, Pallone or McGreevey?

McGreevey will appear with Governor Christie at the Hudson County Jail this morning.  They are holding a press conference about the work that McGreevey is doing as a minister to incarcerated women.  There will probably be YouTubes and spots on the evening news.

Timing is everything, they say, in politics.  A governor driven from office in a sex scandal being elected to congress is good timing for McGreevey.

More from my site

Posted: May 8th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2014 U.S. Senate race | Tags: , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

4 Comments on “Could Sanford’s Victory Lead To A McGreevey Comeback?”

  1. Barry said at 12:53 pm on May 8th, 2013:

    Sanford, although disgraced, finished his term as Governor. McGreevy resigned. A better analogy to McGreevy’s situation is Anthony Weiner.

  2. Astraea said at 2:25 pm on May 8th, 2013:

    .. and Anthony Weiner isn’t doing too well. In April, the potential NYC Mayoral candidate said that it’s possible that other women could step forward, and say they received lewd texts & photos from him too!

  3. » Could Sanford's Victory Lead To A McGreevey Comeback? said at 9:17 pm on May 12th, 2013:

    […] Could Sanford's Victory Lead To A McGreevey Comeback? Go to this article […]

  4. MoreMonmouthMusings » Blog Archive » McGreevey To Head Jersey City Jobs Commission said at 2:00 pm on July 12th, 2013:

    […] first speculated that McGreevey could be on his way back into public life last May when former So. Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was elected to Congress.  When former Congressman […]