New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator, Frank Lautenberg, will not seek reelection when his term expires in 2014.
The Star Ledger broke the story with a statement from the senator:
“I am not announcing the end of anything. I am announcing the beginning of a two-year mission to pass new gun safety laws, protect children from toxic chemicals and create more opportunities for working families in New Jersey,” Lautenberg told The Star-Ledger. “While I may not be seeking re-election, there is plenty of work to do before the end of this term and I’m going to keep fighting as hard as ever for the people of New Jersey in the U.S. Senate.”
Lautenberg will be 91 when his term expires. Recent independent poll have indicated that New Jersey voters favor Newark Mayor Cory Booker heading to the Senate.
Congressman Frank Pallone is said to be ready to challenge Booker for the Democratic nomination in 2014. State Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver have also indicated interest in the Democratic nomination.
Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik said he will not be a candidate.
TV and radio personality Geraldo Rivera is the only Republican who has publically expressed an interest in competing for the Senate seat. State Senators Tom Kean, JR, and Joe Kyrillos have been mentioned as possible candidates, as has Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, Lt. Governor Kim Guadango, and bio-tech executive/Navy Intelligence Officer John Crowley. New Jersey has not had a Republican in the U.S. Senate since 1974.
In a statement issued to the media, Governor Chris Christie said, “Frank Lautenberg and I have had our differences through the years, but I’ve always respected him for his tenacity, devotion to the people of New Jersey and his love for and commitment to public service. I will always be grateful for his doggedness in fighting with me and the delegation to ensure congressional passage of an aid package after Hurricane Sandy that is delivering necessary assistance to our residents. I wish him the best in his retirement.”
Surprisingly, 2010 congressional candidate Scott Sipprelle was leading the poll by a wide margin before we took it down this morning. Sipprelle had 39% if the votes, followed by State Senator Joe Kyrillos with 19%. Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and Congressman Chris Smith each had 12%. Here are the results of the original poll.
We’ve added former Highlands Mayor Anna Little’s name to the mix because we had a couple of complaints that she was excluded.
Two former New Jersey political powerhouses joined NJTV’s Michael Aron on his weekly show, On the Record, this week to discuss the 2013 gubernatorial race, the 2014 U.S. Senate race and to reminisce about the good old days… the governors they served under and how the climate has changed in Trenton since the days when they held power.
Democrat Joe Doria served in the State Assembly from 1980-2004. He was Speaker in the 1990-1992 session. Doria left the Assembly after losing the Democratic primary in 2003. In 2004, he was elected by the Hudson Democratic Committee to fill the State Senate term vacated by the death of Senator Glenn Cunningham, who was also the mayor of Jersey City. Doria also served as mayor of Bayonne from July of 1998 through October of 2007. He resigned from the Senate and as mayor when Governor Jon Corzine nominated him to become the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, one of the most powerful Cabinet positions in the State. His public career came to a sudden end in July of 2009 when Corzine announced his resignation as DCA commissioner after his home was raided in the Operation Bid Rig sweep the resulted in 44 arrests. Doria was never arrested and the U.S Attorney’s Office cleared him of all charges in October of 2011.
Republican John Bennett is chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Committee. He served in the State Legislature for 24 years, 10 in the Assembly and 14 in the Senate. While a Senator, Bennett was co-president of the chamber with Richard Codey during first two years of the McGreevey administration. Bennett was Acting Governor for 3 1/2 days, during the week between the Whitman/DiFrancesco administration and the McGreevey administration when New Jersey had five governors…DiFrancesco, Codey, Bennett, former Attorney General John Farmer and McGreevey.
Bennett’s career as a senator came to an end after he was defeated at the polls by Ellen Karcher, then a member of the Marlboro Township Committee. The Asbury Park Press ran Bennett out of office with a relentless series of articles, over a period of months, over a billing irregularity while he was Marlboro’s Township Attorney. Bennett was cleared of any wrong doing by the Feds in March of 2007.
Bennett is collecting a $90,000 annual pension from his years in the legislature and a plethora of part time law appointments tacked together to provide a handsome income.
Carol Mazzola, right, with Selika Josiah Gore and Kim Guadagno during their 2009 campaign. facebook photo
Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola met with Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett prior to announcing her to run for reelection as a Democrat this fall. Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting which took place in Freehold.
Mazzola told MoreMonmouthMusings that she met with Bennett out of respect for the chairman for whom she has great admiration. She said that Bennett attempted to pursuade her not to switch partys, but that her mind was already made upInflatable Slide.
The councilwoman, who is seeking her second term on the Marlboro Council, said she’s been struggling with the decision for many months. “In the end, I know I made the right decision for myself and for the citizens of Marlboro,” she said, “win lose or draw, I know I did the right thing.”
Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be the Sea Bright this afternoon to make an announcement regarding small business recovery and relief from Hurricane Sandy.
The 3PM event will be at the Sea Bright Fire House, 1099 East Ocean Ave. A press conference will follow the announcement.
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be Governor Chris Chrisitie’s running mate in 2013.
In a statement released by Christie’s campaign, the Governor said,
“After being able to sit down and speak with Kim, I am thrilled that she is going to be part of the team as we seek to serve the people of New Jersey for another four years. She has made the role of Lt. Governor a unique and invaluable one as the State’s number one economic development advocate on behalf of our people, our homegrown talent and our resources. She is a trusted adviser and friend who I’m glad to have as my partner in both reelection and public service.”
When Christie announced that he would seek reelection last week in Port Monmouth, he said that he and Guadagno had not discussed her status on the ticket for another term.
Governor Chris Christie’s choice of running mate for his 2013 reelection campaign will have little to do with Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno’s performance during the first Christie term. By all accounts Guadagno has done her job well. She’s been a good soldier, loyal and obedient surrogate and fine ambassador to the business community.
The hint of scandal that NJ Watchdog has been pushing about Guadagno during her days as Monmouth County Sheriff will have little impact on her status on the ticket. Just like U.S. Senator Robert Menendez’s prostitution scandal, nobody in the media cares about the story Mark Lagerkvitz has been pushing for over two years about Gaudagno arranging for Mickey Donovan being able to collect a police pension while acting as her law enforcement chief in Monmouth. If Trenton Democrats were going to make an issue of Guadagno’s role in Donovan’s double dipping, there probably would already have been hearings in the Senate or Assembly into the matter already.
The imminent decision about Kim Guadagno’s future is all about 2016 and 2017 politics. It has little to do with the 2013 gubernatorial election.
There has been quiet speculation that Guadagno would not be the second term LG for months. A story was floated over the summer that she would become New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney if Mitt Romney was elected president.
If Christie runs for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination he will become a part time governor sometime in 2015. If he becomes the front runner for the nomination he could resign early 2016. Whether he resigns or not, New Jersey would need an acting governor who is really in charge. As often as Guadagno has been acting governor over the past three years, no one believes she was really in charge. If Christie runs for president in 2016, his lt. governor will be running for governor in 2017 as an incumbent, effectively.
Christie probably hasn’t made a decision about 2016. Yet, he undoubtably wants to keep his options open and to leave New Jersey is strong hands should he decide to run.
If Guadagno is the LG candidate in 2013, that would be a signal that Christie believes that she is ready to be governor and ready to lead the NJ Republican Party.
Bergen Record columnist Charles Stile posted a column yesterday speculating about possible Guadango replacements. Stile named Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan and six state senators as possible future acting governors; Joe Kyrillos, Tom Kean, JR, Jennifer Beck, Diane Allen, Dawn Marie Addiego and Kevin O’Toole.
Christie chose Guadagno over Donovan, Allen and Beck in 2009. He’s not likely to choose any of them as his running mate in 2013. Choosing Kyrillos would create a context for Joe’s lackluster campaign against Menendez for U.S. Senate this year. Other than Kean, son of the former governor and the 2006 U.S. Senate nominee, none of the other mentions significant statewide name recognition. Kryillos just spent a year and $5 million building statewide name recognition.
Lt Governor Kim Guadagno. Photo credit: Tim Larsen/Governor's office
Governor Chris Christie said that he has yet to talk to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno regarding her joining his ticket for reelection.
During a press conference this morning, Christie said that he was extraordinary pleased with Guadagno’s performance as New Jersey’s first Lt. Governor.
Christie announced that he will run for reelection on Monday in Port Monmouth. Today he said that he and Guadagno had not talked about her candidacy yet because they have been busy working on the recovery from Superstorm Sandy.
While Guadagno has gotten high marks for her service as Lt. Governor, she has been dogged by allegations and litigation brought by NJ Watchdog that while Monmouth County Sheriff she inappropriately classified Michael Donovan’s position with the sheriff’s office as “chief warrant officer” when he actually held the position of “chief of the law enforcement division” so that Donovan could collect a $85,000 per year pension while also collecting his current salary. Had Donovan’s position been properly classified, according to NJ Watchdog, he would not have been entitled to collect the pension. Rather, he would be contributing $18,000 per year to the pension fund.
Governor Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie will be in Middletown this afternoon to acknowledge Hurricane Sandy First Responders and Volunteers.
This Christies are scheduled to arrive at the Port Monmouth Fire House, 125 Main Street, Port Monmouth at 3 PM. They will address the press following their meet and greet.
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be attending the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund Benefit at Buono Sera Palazzo, 1033 West Park Ave, Ocean Township, this evening.
The event will feature live entertainment, silent auction, cocktail party and dancing. Scheduled entertainers include Big Joe Henry, Pat Guadagno, Kyle Grooms of Comedy Central & The Dave Chappelle Show, Gordon Baker-Bone, Craig Mahoney & Carolina Hidalgo. Spotlight performances by Vini ‘Mad Dog’ Lopez, Bobby Banderia, Marc Ribler, Brian Kirk, Sonny Kenn, Joe Petillo, Matt O’Ree.
Tickets are $100 and are available through Buono Sera Bar and Restaurant, 732-530-5858.
It could be a week or more until New Jersey’s votes are tallied due to the huge increase in provisional ballots cast both at the polls and via the email/fax voting system that Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno announced this week to accommodate voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy.
is reporting that the vote by fax or email allowance has resulting in mass confusion and fear that thousands of votes will not be counted. Guadagno extended the deadline to apply for a ballot until 5PM today and the deadline for the ballot to be received until 8PM on Friday.
Thousands of voters are complaining that their emails applying for ballots are bouncing back from full email boxes and that phone numbers are busy or going unanswered.
In addition to the email/fax voting problems, polling places are accepting provisional ballots from displaced voters and from out of state law enforcement/recuse workers who have traveled to New Jersey to assist in the recovery efforts. Each of those provisional ballots will have to be manually verified before being counted.
Ballots cast by early voters at county election offices throughout the state will have to be checked to be sure that those who took advantage of the early voting privilege did not also go to the polls to vote.
In Middletown, approximately half the the voting districts voted exclusively by paper ballots due to a voting machine programing errors, primarily in the 6th congressional district portion of the Township, according to Mayor Tony Fiore. “Epic Fail on the part of whoever was in charge of those voting machines,” Fiore said, “the county only provided us with about 50 paper ballots. We reproduced ballots on our own at a secure location.”
There is record turnout at the polls in Asbury Park and Long Branch, according to a Democratic source.
New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator, Frank Lautenberg, will not seek reelection when his term expires in 2014.
