March 10, 2008 - 11:04am
News

Buckalew won't run for Senate

Count Joe Buckalew out of the mix for potential U.S. Senate candidates.

“I feel like somebody must be crazy,” joked Buckalew.

Although Buckalew, the former Chairman of the New Jersey Highway Authority and current Chairman of the Board at Commerce Bancorp, received a call from Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore about the possibility of running, he said he never gave it too much thought.

“It’s very flattering, and my county chairman and some other people had called me, but that’s not for me. It’s passed me by,” Buckalew, 78, told PolitickerNJ today. “You can count me out. I’ve been doing things all my life. It’s time for me to relax.”

Buckalew’s name was one of several that surfaced after businesswoman Anne Evans Estabrook suddenly dropped out of the race last week.

Other potential candidates to run in place of Estabrook include businessman Joe Plumeri, Brazil Ambassador Clifford Sobel, U.S. Marshal James Plousis, state Sen. Kip Bateman and state Sen. Joe Kyrillos (whose name continues to pop up although he initially said he would not run).

Matt Friedman is a PolitickerNJ.com Reporter and can be reached via email at matt@politicsnj.com.