And…he was a Republican in he youth? Yes, according to his Wikipedia page, Pallone was a member of the Young Republicans while a student at Middlebury College in Vermont. (h/t The Auditor)
Even as a Democrat, Pallone, who now has a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood used to be strongly pro-life. He was endorsed by New Jersey Right To Life in his 1988 race for congress against the late Captain Joe Azzolina.
The good news for Congressman Frank Pallone is that he is no longer running last in the independent polls for the Democratic nomination to replace the late Senator Frank Lautenberg in Washington. The bad news; he’s losing to Newark Mayor Cory Booker by 42 points in the Quinnipiac Poll released this morning.
Quinnipiac surveyed 1068 registered New Jersey voters from July 2-7. The did not survey likely voters.
Booker leads the Democratic field with 52%. Pallone has 10%, Congressman Rush Holt 8%, and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver has 3%.
In the Republican primary, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan leads Dr. Alieta Eck 62%-5% is 28% undecided.
Dr. Eck is virtually unknown, with 91% saying they haven’t heard enough about her to form an opinion.
In the October 16 special election, Booker is leading Lonegan 53%-30%.
Frank Pallone, like Frank Lautenberg, has always looked out for working families in New Jersey and made them his top priority – in fighting for economic justice, healthcare reform, environmental protection, education and so many other issues. Frank Pallone, like our Frank, will put in the hours and hard work necessary to fight for New Jersey in the Senate. And Frank Pallone knows that gimmicks and celebrity status won’t get you very far in the real battles that Democrats face in the future.
Frank Pallone worked with Frank Lautenberg for many years. He understands what it takes to take on and defeat Republicans and the special interests that attack the well being of working families. While it may not always attract glamorous headlines, Frank knows that to be effective you must put New Jersey and your principles first, not your own glory.
In a veiled swipe at Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the front runner in the August 13 primary according to independent polls, the family also said:
When New Jersey Democrats examine the Senate candidates closely, they may be surprised to find out that not all of them share core Democratic values or loyalty to the party. And one candidate stands out as the best hope of continuing the progressive legacy of Senator Frank Lautenberg – Congressman Frank Pallone.”
Are you a Republican not satisfied with Steve Lonegan or Dr. Alieta Eck as your only choices in the special primary for U.S. Senate?
Maybe you’re a Democrat who has never tweeted with Cory Booker, don’t like the big government approach that Frank Pallone and Rush Holt espouse and can’t figure out why Sheila Oliver is running.
Maybe your devastated that Joe Ruddy Rullo decided not to run as an Independent after all, so far, as of now.
Plumsted Township Committee Jack Trotta has a solution for you. Write him in on August 13 in whichever primary you vote in.
Trotta, a Republican, is running with the support of Assemblyman Ron Dancer and Plumsted Mayor David Leutwyler, according to Tri-Town News.
Trotta’s platform? He’s middle-class and thinks there should be a middle-class vote in the Senate.
The two candidates competing for the Republican nomination to complete the late U. S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s term favor same sex marriage being legal.
Reacting to the U. S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan said,
“Today’s decision is the unfortunate result of an activist, liberal court that has little respect for the Constitution and our nation’s founding principles. While I believe government should not be in the business of marriage, it is not the Supreme Court’s responsibility to make that decision. Laws should be made by legislatures, not by unelected judges. To do so is a usurpation of our democratic tradition at the heart of this country’s founding.”
I wonder if Lonegan would have called the decision “unfortunate” if the Court ruled that the government should not be in the business of marriage.
UPDATE A few readers have mentioned that Lonegan’s statement does not make it clear that he favors marriage equality. Here it is: While I believe government should not be in the business of marriage ….
If government doesn’t regulate marriage and who can get married, than same sex couples can be married.
Dr. Alieta Eck said,
“While I personally believe that traditional marriage is an important institution to defend, the Supreme Court was correct in rejecting a federal attempt to define it. Marriage is a religious institution. There was a time when the general consensus agreed with organized religion, but those times have passed. We must never abandon the Constitution in guarding equal protection and free association under the law.”
The four candidates competing for the Democratic Senate nomination, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Congressman Frank Pallone, Congressman Rush Holt and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver also support marriage equality.
The Democratic and Republican nominations for Senate will be decided in special primaries to be held on August 13. The new senator will be elected in a special election to be held on October 16.
Congressman Frank Pallone has the weakest support of the four candidates vying the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, according to a Kean University poll released yesterday, three weeks into the ten week campaign for the nod.
Of the 366 likely Democratic voters Kean surveyed, only 6% say they will vote for Pallone of August 13. 49% say they favor Newark Mayor Cory Booker. Congressman Rush Holt and State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver each are supported by 9%. 5% favor an other candidate and 22% are unsure.
In a June 10 Quinnipiac poll that did not include Oliver, Pallone came in last with 9% to Booker’s 53% and Holt’s 10%.
Pallone had $3.7 million in campaign cash as of his March filing with the Federal Election Commission. Booker had $1.6 million and Holt had $797 thousand.
Steve Lonegan is leading Dr. Alieta Eck, 45%-15% among the 321 Republican voters Kean surveyed.
Governor Christie’s approval rating is 70% and wins reelection over State Senator Barbara Buono by 30 points, according to the Kean poll.
We received an email from Frank Pallone today asking for our endorsement.
Dear Art,
I need your endorsement. The support of friends like you is what has allowed me to fight for the issues that matter most to New Jersey families. But fighting is not enough. We need true leadership in Washington that stands up for what is right. ….
Congressman, we’re honored that you asked. We’re happy to accept.
MoreMonmouthMusings hereby endorses Congressman Frank Pallone in the Democratic Special Senate Primary on August 13.
Pallone has the best of the slim chances to defeat Newark Cory Booker for the nomination.
If Pallone is the Democratic nominee in the Special Senate Election on October 16, the Republican nominee, either Steve Lonegan or Dr. Alieta Eck, would have a much better chance of winning, than if Booker is the nominee.
Booker has been endorsed by the Essex County Democratic machine and the South Jersey/George Norcross Democratic machine. If Pallone beats Booker, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and Norcross won’t have a U.S. Senator at their beck and call. Pallone won’t owe them. He’s never been much of a team player with them. He certainly wouldn’t be beholden to them if he beats Booker.
In that case, Norcross and DiVencenzo might sit out the October 16 Special Election or secretly help the Republican nominee win, figuring that Pallone would be finished if he lost to Lonegan or Eck. They would then make sure Booker gets the 2014 Democratic nomination and count on winning the Senate seat in 2014.
Dr. Alieta Eck is not likely to be a U.S. Senator come October 17. She’s yet to choose a campaign manager for her primary race against Steve Lonegan in the August 13 special primary. She does not have a fundraising base nor the personal wealth to pay for a statewide campaign.
Lots of New Jerseyans lost personal wealth when Jon Corzine was governor. Eck told me she lost $200,000 to Corzine in the MF Global debacle. Fortunately she got $180,000 back, but that won’t fund a statewide primary or general election.
Based upon my interview with her, I don’t think she is quite ready to debate Lonegan, or the eventual Democratic nominee, most likely Cory Booker, on any issue other the healthcare, yet. But that could change. Eck is smart.
The Special Senate Primaries will go forward on August 13 and New Jersey will elect a new U.S. Senator in a Special Election on October 16.
The New Jersey Supreme Court effectively upheld the Appellate Division’s ruling that Governor Christie acted legally in calling for the Special Election yesterday when they declined to hear an appeal of the lower Court’s ruling.
The Special Election had been challenged by Marie Corfield, Joe Grillo and Joseph Danielson. Somerset County Democratic Chairwoman Peg Schaffer was their attorney.
Corfield is a Democratic Assembly candidate from the 16th district (Hunterdon, Middlesex, Mercer and Somerset counties). She lost a special Assembly election to Republican Donna Simon last November. Corfield first came into the public eye when the YouTube video of her exchange with Christie at a 2010 Town Hall meeting went viral.
Grillo is the Executive Director of the Monmouth County Democratic Organization. Danielson is the Chairman of the Franklin Township (Somerset County) Democratic Committee.
The Appellate Division’s ruling can be found here.
Congressman Frank Pallone has the weakest support of the four candidates vying the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, according to a 