Lobbyist Bill Layton will become the new Burlington County GOP Chairman. Dawn Lacy, who became Acting Chair when Col. Michael Warner stepped down earlier this year, will preside over the meeting today, but told PolitickerNJ.com that she will not seek election to the post.

In an exclusive PolitickerNJ.com interview over lunch at a Spanish restaurant in the Ironbound section of Newark, Corzine says he hasn't decided on '09, but won't go back to Washington, and that the end of the word is not at hand. Also, Corzine touts his accomplishments and stands by Hillary Clinton.

In the race for Mike Ferguson's House seat, Lance will run for Congress, Bateman won't run for Congress, but Biondi might, Hatfield considers congressional bid, Sordillo positions himself as candidate with relevant international business experience, and former first daughter Whitman enters race for Congress.

In the race for Jim Saxton's seat, Allen drops bid for Congress, Ocean County Republicans prepare to field their own candidate for congress, Army reservist puts his name in the Ocean County congressional mix, and Saxton says he's not endorsing now, and asks the GOP to unite behind one candidate.

On the Democratic side, DCCC Chairman backs Adler and Stender, courts Van Drew

Saying that a pro-business group gave too much money to pro-labor Democrats, Doherty returns campaign contribution from business PAC.

Following Frank Pallone's letter to the U.S. Attorney about John Ashcroft's $30 million federal monitor contract, Democrats pile on criticism of Christie -- and take another look at Rob Tornoe's Federal monitors cartoon.

State Sen.-elect Jeff Van Drew met with DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen yesterday to talk about the 2nd district House raceDemocratic Congressional Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen came up to New Jersey today to show his organization's support for two congressional candidates: state Sen. John Adler and Assemblywoman Linda Stender, and he brought U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone with him.

Both Democrats declared their candidacy early, thinking they were going to run against incumbents. Now those seats have unexpectedly opened up, which gave Van Hollen an opportunity to turn GOP state Chairman Tom Wilson's own words again him.

"When the chairman of the New Jersey Republican Party was asked a number of weeks back about prospects for holding onto these two seats, his answer was ‘well, incumbents always have an edge.' Well, that argument has clearly been taken away from him," said Van Hollen. "Given the Republican Chairman's argument, it's clear that they understand what they're up against this time around."