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Report: Sweeney will run for Governor if Booker doesn’t

The Star Ledger is reporting that State Senate President Steve Sweeney told three Democratic insiders that he will run for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2013 if Newark Mayor Cory Booker does not.

Booker has said that he will make a decision “as soon as possible.”

Neither man stands much of a chance to defeat Christie if his sky high approval ratings hold up.

In a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released yesterday, Booker performed the best of several Democrats in a head to head match up with Christie by losing by 13%, 53%-34%.  Sweeney was not included in the Eagleton poll.  Had he been, it is unlikely he would have polled much better than Senator Barbara Buono or Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald who each polled in the low 20’s.  In a September Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll, 35% of New Jersey voters were familiar with Sweeney.  19% had a favorable impression, 15% had an unfavorable impression.

Both Sweeney and Booker have federal PACs.  They both been rumored to covet Frank Lautenberg’s seat in the US. Senate, which is up in 2014 when Lautenberg will be 90.   A run for Governor, if he lost respectably, would boost Sweeney’s statewide name recognition and leave him with a better shot to compete for the 2014 Senate nomination against Booker and Congressman Frank Pallone.  Pallone is likely to seek the Senate seat only if Lautenberg does not seek another term.

The nomination is Booker’s for the asking due to his high national profile and fund raising ability.  National Democrats are hopeful that Booker can beat Christie, thereby taking the Governor out of contention for the 2016 presidential race.

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Posted: November 28th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Gubernatorial Politics | Tags: , , | 2 Comments »

2 Comments on “Report: Sweeney will run for Governor if Booker doesn’t”

  1. Don't count him out, said at 8:42 pm on November 28th, 2012:

    The unions will back Sweeney heavily: the only thing we got going for us is their north vs. south issue. We NEED to finally take control of the Legislature – anything else is unacceptable window dressing, and another two years of quagmire and unfortunate”compromises,” which, as with Washington, means we give in on our basic principles,and then we lose more freedoms, and pay even more. Am sick of it all.

  2. Someone is Polling Steve Sweeney's Election 2013 Viability | The Save Jersey Blog said at 6:57 am on January 5th, 2013:

    […] I guess there’s truth to the rumor that Democrats are revisiting the Buono scenario? […]