What if Christie picks…..

Could John Bennett be heading back to Trenton?

…Senator Joe Kyillos?

By virtue of his long term friendship with Governor Christie and his campaign for U.S. Senate last year, State Senator Joe Kyrillos is on every Christie mind reader’s short list of possible U.S. Senators to replace the late Frank Lautenberg.

Assuming Kyrillos defeats Leigh-Ann Bellew in the primary today, his move to the U.S. Senate would create a vacancy for the nomination for State Senate in LD 13.  If either Assemblywoman Amy Handlin or Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon move up to the Senate slot, as would be expected, there will be an Assembly nomination vacancy.

Neither Handlin nor O’Scanlon will say if they want the State Senate seat, which probably means they both want it. Even so, I would expect that they would work that out amongst themselves rather than have a convention fight.

A nominating convention for the resulting Assembly vacancy would bring out a wealth of Republican talent.

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Seemingly conflicting laws create uncertainty over when Lautenberg’s replacement will have to face the voters

If Governor Chris Christie appoints someone to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy caused by Senator Frank Lautenberg’s death, there will either be a special election this year for the remainder of the term, or next November, depending on who’s interpretation of seemingly conflicting paragraphs in Title 19.

Christie has the power to appoint a replacement, but is not required to do so. He very likely will.

The Office of Legislative Services has issued an opinion stating that the Governor can appoint a replacement who will serve until November of 2014.  The winner of the November 2014 election would serve the remaining two months of the term and a full term to start in January of 2015.

Christie could also call a special general election to fill the remainder of the term, which would be proceeded by a special primary election.

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Buono’s Best Friend

She hasn’t officially secured the Democratic nomination yet and the wheels are falling off State Senator Barbara Buono’s gubernatorial campaign.

Buono will be the nominee.  Her only competition on the ballot is Troy Webster, an aide to East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser.  Webster isn’t really running for governor.  He agreed to through his hat in the ring on the same slate as Bowser for ballot positioning purposes in the primary.

But the wheels are falling off the Buono wagon. She can’t raise money.  She defiantly divided the party and broke with the legislative leadership with her choice of State Democratic Chairman. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews dubbed her Dawn Quixote.

Buono is on track to be the first major party candidate not to qualify for state matching funds for her campaign. She named Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell her choice as State Chairman, against the advice of Senate President Steve Sweeney and over the objections of Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver.  A prominent Monmouth County Democrat told MMM “Buono should never go on TV again,” after her appearance on Matthew’s Hardball.

Just when things couldn’t get any worse for Buono they did. Over the weekend former  Democratic Governor Brendan Byrne, on a teleconference with former Republican Governor Tom Kean, told The Star Ledger that Buono should consider dropping out of the gubernatorial race.

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Pallone Says Booker Is Withholding Funds For AIDS Patients

Plainfield Today photo

Congressman Frank Pallone fired the first salvo of the 2014 Democratic U.S. Senate primary with a “scathing letter” sent to Newark Mayor Cory Booker complaining that the city of Newark is not fulfilling its obligations to the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, a New Brunswick based non-profit that services patients with HIV/AIDS, according to a report in The Star Ledger.

The Star Ledger received a copy of the letter dated on Friday, May 10, before Booker received the original.

Booker’s staff dismissed the letter they haven’t seen yet, telling the Ledger that Hyacinth’s funding is working its way through the Newark bureaucracy and will be paid out this year earlier than it was last year.

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Could Sanford’s Victory Lead To A McGreevey Comeback?

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.

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Cory Booker Endorses Incumbent Team In Asbury Park Municipal Election

Newark Mayor Cory Booker brought his 2014 U.S. Senate exploration to Congressman Frank Pallone’s backyard by endorsing ‘Forward Asbury Park,‘ the slate of mostly incumbents running in the May 14 municipal election in Asbury Park.

Booker and Pallone both want U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s job when he retires at the end of his current term.   The seat is up for grabs in the November 2014 election.  Booker and Pallone are unofficially competing for the Democratic nomination.

Pallone has so far stayed out of the Asbury Park municipal election.  Booker’s endorsement is a boost for the ‘Forward’ team.  If they win, it will be a boost for him in his contest against Pallone.

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Where In The World Is Cory Booker?

Newark Mayor Cory Booker is not officially a candidate for U.S. Senate, but his Booker for Senate exploratory fund is raking in the Hollywood cash.

Last night Booker had a $5,000 per person fundraiser at the Beverly Hills home of producer Jerry Weintraub and Susan Elkins.  Jersey guy Bruce Willis was on the host committee, as were the Capshaw-Spielbergs and Meathead.

Tonight Booker raises funds in the office of prominent San Francisco law firm Keker & Van Nest.

Next week Booker is off to Chicago for two fundraisers scheduled to overlap on Tuesday.

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Lautenberg ailing…..what if he retires early?

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg missed work, on doctors orders, for the entire month of March.  On Friday he released a statement saying he will not return to Washington on Monday as the Senate convenes after a two week recess, according to reports in The Star Ledger and Politico.

“I regret that I will not be returning to Washington next week as I continue  treatment for, and recuperate from, muscle weakness and fatigue. My physician  continues to advise me to work from home and not travel at this time,”  Lautenberg said in a statement issued by his office.

Lautenberg added: “I am disappointed I will not be present for the opening of  the debate on gun legislation in the Senate. It is an issue I am deeply  passionate about, and my victories over the gun lobby are among my proudest  accomplishments. I am, however, gratified that my legislation to ban  high-capacity ammunition magazines will be one of the key amendments offered to  this bill.”

Lautenberg will also miss the confirmation of U.S. Magistrate Patty Shwartz to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, a nomination that was initially blocked by New Jersey’s junior senator, Bob Menendez.

“I have worked hard since Judge Shwartz’s nomination by President Obama toward her confirmation, and I am confident that she will be confirmed by a strong majority of my colleagues,” Lautenberg said.

Lautenberg, 89, announced in February that he would not seek reelection in 2014.

Should the senate seat become vacant on or before August 27, New Jersey’s election law requires that a successor be elected in the November general election.   If a vacancy occurs after August 27,  the next election for the seat would be on schedule in November of 2014, unless the governor calls for a special election sooner.  Governor Christie could appoint a temporary senator or leave the seat vacant.

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FDU Public Mind Poll is bad news for Frank Pallone and the politicos who want to replace him

The hopes of Middlesex and Monmouth County mayors, freeholders and legislators hoping to move to Washington in early 2015 as the newly elected representive of the 6th Congressional district were set back a bit this morning by a new FDU Public Mind Poll that shows Newark Mayor Cory Booker dominating the Democratic field to replace Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Congressman Frank Pallone has been considered Booker’s main competition for the 2014 Democratic U.S. Senate nomination among the media and political establishment.  However,  12th District Congressman Rush Holt has almost twice the support among self identified Democrats than Pallone does, according the FDU survey.

FDU surveyed its respondents cable news viewing habits, polling the trustworthiness of CNN, FoxNews and MSNBC.  Given Holt’s surprising showing, they should have surveyed how many of their respondents are Jeopardy fans.  Holt is famous for being a five time Jeopardy winner and beating IBM’s supercomputer, “Watson,” on the TV trivia game show.

Booker leads the Democratic U.S. Senate field with 50% support. Pallone got only 4% and Holt 7%. 32% of the respondents are unsure and are probably Wheel of Fortune fans.

Frank Pallone aged 30 years

Unless Booker becomes incapacitated running into fire, shoveling snow, or leaping a tall building in a single bound, Pallone is likely to remain in the House of Representatives until he’s Launtenberg’s age.

Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal, Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, former Edison Mayor Jun Choi and Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman best hopes for becoming a congressman is if Gerald Rivera manages to beat Booker next year in the general election and then Pallone beating Rivera in 2020. But that is not much of a hope, as FDU says Booker will beat Geraldo 52%-21%.

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Holt wants Lautenberg’s seat in the Senate

Congressman Rush Holt D-NJ12 told PolitickerNJ that he’s interested in becoming a U.S. Senator, but stopped short of announcing his 2014 candidacy for the 2014 Democratic nomination.

“There’s no point in being coy,” Holt said. “I’ve made no secret in previous  years that I would consider the Senate at the right time. But an expression of  interest should not be taken as a campaign announcement.”

Holt represented much of Monmouth County from 1999 through January of this year the congressional map resulting from the 2010 census took effect.

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