Reports out of Long Branch are that Frank Pallone was shocked and dismayed that he lost his first election ever last night.
The story is that it took him two hours after the Associated Press called the primary for Cory Booker to show up at McLoone’s Pier House because he was holed up in his office, unable to compose himself. It was only after he heard the media was leaving that he was able to pull himself together and join his own party while Senate nominee Cory Booker was delivering his victory speech on live TV from Newark.
But the big story, and what Pallone should really be upset about, is not that he lost a primary few thought he could win, but that he is now exposed as vulnerable for reelection in the 6th Congressional District. Pallone performed poorly in his Middlesex and Monmouth base.
Numbers and graphics from Politico.
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Posted: August 14th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2014 Congressional Races, Anna Little, Congress, Frank Pallone | Tags: Anna Little, Bayshore Tea Party Group, CD 6 NJ CD 6, Cliff Moore, Frank Pallone, Hazlet, Jun Choi, Mark Falzon, NJ6, Tony Fiore, Victor Scudiery | 35 Comments »
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%.
Posted: March 13th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2014 U.S. Senate race, Cory Booker, FDU Public Mind Poll, Frank Lautenberg, Frank Pallone, Geraldo Rivera, Pallone, Rush Holt | Tags: Cory Booker, Dan Reiman, FDU Public Mind Poll, Frank Pallone, Geraldo Rivera, Jon Hornik, Jun Choi, Rush Holt, Vin Gopal | 2 Comments »
Now that Newark Mayor Cory Booker has taken himself out the the gubernatorial race, everyone expects him to run for Frank Lautenberg’s U. S. Senate seat in 2014. A recent poll indicated that Booker would easily beat Lautenberg in a Democratic primary should the 88 year old senator make another run.
That hasn’t stopped Congressman Frank Pallone from calling Democratic County Chairs to remind them that he is still interested in the Senate seat he has long coveted but never had the guts to fight for.
Pallone best shot at becoming a Senator came and went in 2002 when he declined Governor Jim McGreevey’s offer to replace the disgraced Senator Robert Torricelli on the ballot against Doug Forrester. McGreevey brought Frank Lautenberg out of retirement and got the State Supreme Court to rewrite New Jersey’s election law so the switch could be made after the statutory deadline. The polls showing Forrester beating Toricelli scared Pallone off from giving up a easy victory in CD-6 in favor of his dream job in the Senate.
Lautenberg went on to clobber Forrester in 2002 and was elected again in 2008.
Pallone was passed over for the Senate in 2006 when Governor Jon Corzine chose Bob Menendez to replace him in the Senate. Menendez won his own term that November and was reelected last month. He is on the verge of becoming the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Pallone clearly wants to be a Senator, but his history indicates that he doesn’t have the fortitude to risk his cushy lifestyle as a congressman in order to fight for his dream. I hope he grows a pair and goes for it, because the race to replace him in the 6th Congressional District would be great for blog traffic.
WHO WOULD RUN FOR PALLONE’S CD-6 SEAT IF IT WAS VACANT?
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Posted: December 20th, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2013 Gubernatorial Politics, 2014 U.S. Senate race | Tags: Anna Little, Barbara Buono, Bob Menendez, Chris Christie, Cory Booker, Dan Reiman, Dick Codey, Doug Forrester, Ed Johnson, Ernesto Cullari, Frank Lautenberg, Frank Pallone, Jim McGreevey, John McCormick, John Wisniewski, Jon Corzine, Jon Hornik, Jun Choi, Steve Sweeney, Tony Fiore, Vin Gopal | 4 Comments »
