GOP U.S. Senate nominee Steve Lonegan went toe to toe on UP with Steve Kornacki this morning and drew a clear contrast between himself and Democratic nominee Cory Booker.
GOP U.S. Senate nominee declared in his primary victory speech last Tuesday night that he would not that he would not alter his message nor parse his words during his special election campaign against Democratic nominee Cory Booker.
In his appearance with NJTV’s Michael Aron this weekend (video not yet posted), Lonegan presented himself as a reasonable fiscal conservative focused on the economy. He distanced himself from the Tea Party, which he characterized as an eclectic, leaderless network.
During an appearance MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt yesterday afternoon, the former Bogota mayor again comes off as reasonable, not a radical, framed Booker as an extreme liberal and stuck to economic issues:
This morning on Fox and Friends (also not yet postedSave Jersey has the video), Lonegan emphasized his Ridgefield Park roots, 32 year marriage, and two Gold Star Girl Scout daughters to make the case that he is representative of New Jersey and its values and that Booker is the liberal extremist.
At Steve Lonegan’s press conference on Saturday, the front runner in tomorrow’s GOP primary to replace the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg said that his opponent, Dr. Alieta Eck, first presented herself the party as pro-life but recently announced she was pro-abortion. Lonegan said Eck should leave the Republican party.
The confusion arose out of comments Eck made during a meeting of the Long Hill Republicans last week wherein she said that there was no practical way for the government to prevent abortions during the early stages of pregnancy.
MMM wanted to clear up the confusion and understand Eck’s position. She granted Art Gallagher an interview yesterday at her free health clinic in Somerset.
Eck said she is unabashedly pro-life. We spoke about her work with the poor, her experiences campaigning for Senate, and her political future.
Eck said she can’t imagine that Lonegan will be elected in the October 16 Special Senate Election, if he defeats her, as the polls indicate he will tomorrow. She said she will be a candidate for U.S. Senate again next year should the Democratic nominee selected tomorrow be elected. She wouldn’t rule out another primary against Lonegan, even if Lonegan is elected in October.
Steven Lonegan and Bayshore Tea Party Group Founders Barbara Gonzalez and Bob Gordan, 2010. facebook photo.
Prior to the start of yesterday’s press conference in Kinnelon, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan told MMM that the Bayshore Tea Party Group is not supporting his U.S. Senate candidacy because he did not support their effort to remove State Senator Joe Kyrillos, Assemblywoman Amy Handlin and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon from office in the 13th Legislative District primary last June.
Former Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vic Scudiery and Newark Mayor Cory Booker
Newark Mayor Cory Booker will be New Jersey’s next U.S. Senator if the results of the Quinnipiac poll of likely voters released this morning hold true through October 16.
Booker is leading Congressman Frank Pallone by 54%-17% in the August 13 Democratic primary with Congressman Rush Holt garnering support from 15% of the respondents and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver with 5%. 65% of Democratic voters say their choice is firm. 8% are undecided.
In the Republican primary, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan leads Dr. Alieta Eck 74%-10%.
In the October 16 special election, Booker is leading Lonegan 54%-29% among registered voters.
With less than three weeks to go until the Special Senate Primary on August 13, the GOP hopefuls are debating debates.
Yesterday, Dr. Alieta Eck’s campaign Tom Roberts put out a statement with the headline Lonegan Refuses To Debate.
(Somerset, NJ) – Today, Eck for Senate learned that Steve Lonegan has refused a debate organized by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, which would have matched him against Dr. Alieta Eck on Saturday, July 27th.
“That Steve Lonegan doesn’t want to debate Dr. Eck should probably come as no surprise. Mr. Lonegan has run for office many times and can identify some problems facing Americans, but without solutions he would just join the ranks of those already in DC who are watching our nation’s economic decline. In contrast, Dr. Eck has outlined proven, workable solutions to provide health care and reduce spending. The contrast in a debate would not have been favorable for Mr. Lonegan. We still welcome any future opportunity to debate,” according to Campaign Manager Thomas Roberts.
That sounded like a sound political strategy on Lonegan’s part to me, given that Eck had only 9% name recognition and support from only 5% of registered voters in the last Quinnipiac poll. For the last week or so, Lonegan has been ignoring Eck and running a general election type campaign, focusing on Newark Mayor Cory Booker and this week, the mad scientist, “millions will die if we don’t tax carbon and make energy completely unaffordable,” Congressman Rush Holt.
Frank Pallone has been my congressman for almost twenty years. Through ten election cycles, I don’t recall Pallone ever promoting himself as a family man. I didn’t even know he was married (to a woman) until 2010 when, during Anna Little’s first campaign against him, triCityNews columnist Ernesto Cullari revealed that Pallone’s wife, Sarah had secured a six figure job in the Environmental Protection Agency.
So I was surprised to find the above Pallone family portrait on Frank’s Senate campaign website and facebook page. In his video ad, Typical Jersey Story, Frank looks into the camera and says, “Sarah and I have three teenagers, which means that things are a little crazy at home, most of the time.” Frank’s facebook introduction starts,”Husband, Father, Democrat, Public Servant. Frank Pallone, Jr. has been fighting for the people of this state for over 2 decades.”
After wondering why Pallone’s eldest daughter isn’t squinting, the next question to occur to me upon seeing the portrait was, “Why after almost three decades of keeping his family life private, is Pallone trotting his family out on the campaign trail?”
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.
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.
