Besides giving a shout out to Wally Edge at Wednesday's New Jersey Legislative Correspondents Association Dinner ("As Wally always says, 'Hold Me Accountable.'" ... and you know we will.) Gov. Jon Corzine had some kind words for the state's political reporters and poked fun at the Star-Ledger's Josh Margolin and their declining circulation, and the Garden State's colorful array of political characters.

Click here to view Corzine's powerpoint presentation.

Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Albio Sires will again endorse Frank Lautenberg for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination at an announcement at the Liberty House in Jersey City at 4PM tomorrow.  Parking will be validated, according to the Lautenberg campaign, which also noted that the four-term Senator will also receive the endorsement of other Latino elected officials.  Menendez and Sires first endorsed Lautenberg several weeks ago.

Michael Lapolla will leave his post as Executive Director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority at the end of June to take a private sector position.  The former Union County Freeholder and County Manager has been at his state post for six years. 

In New Jersey, incumbent United States Senators have rarely faced competitive primary challenges, and the only incumbent Senator to lose a primary was Clifford Case, a four-term Republican who lost 50.7%-49.3% to conservative Jeffrey Bell, a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan’s 1976 presidential campaign.  Case had faced primary challenges from the right before: Robert Morris, who had been Chief Counsel for Senate Internal Security Subcommittee headed by Joseph McCarthy, won 33% in 1960; and James Walter Ralph, a Bergen County physician, received 30% in 1972.

Four candidates will face off in a June 10 runoff election for two seats on the Sparta Township Council after a write-in candidate prevented a candidate from winning 50% of the vote. The top vote getter missed the park by 99 votes. Newcomer Christopher Curry (1,123) and incumbent Scott Seelagy (1,082) will again face challenger Carey Ann Shaftan (873) and incumbent Jerry Murphy (845). Brian Rush received 754 write-in votes and has not yet endorsed a candidate in the runoff.

Democrat: If Frank Lautenberg wins re-election, he will become the first five-term United States Senator in New Jersey history. But to become the Democratic nominee in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to the United States Senate since 1972, Lautenberg must first win a bitter primary contest against Rob Andrews, a ten-term Congressman from South Jersey who his 34 years his junior. The race is very much about Lautenberg’s age (84) – the controversy about the debates is a metaphor for the “Lautenberg is too old” campaign – and about Andrews’ record on Iraq (perhaps a little hawkish for some New Jersey Democrats). Lautenberg has more money and organizational support, although Andrews is competitive in the fundraising area and has added a few key endorsements (though not organization lines) in Central and North Jersey, and some important labor backing. Lautenberg has never been passive when it comes to political campaigns, and his TV commercials are hard-hitting. He needs to get through the next couple of weeks without a mistake that might highlight his age – clearly the reason he’d rather suffer news reports that he won’t debate than one about a stumble. Leans Lautenberg

Republican: The good news is that the GOP field has settled down -- it’s been almost a month since a new Republican candidate entered the race for the United States Senate; the bad news is that the three contenders – former Rep. Dick Zimmer, State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, and Ramapo College professor Murray Sabrin – are having trouble raising money and diverting attention from the hot Democratic primary. With just a few weeks to go, Republican voters still don’t know who much about the candidates. The GOP primary is a contest between Zimmer and Pennacchio – and not Sabrin, the leader of Ron Paul’s New Jersey campaign; both have several important organization lines. Zimmer, who had been a prodigious fundraiser when he served in Congress in the 1990’s, needs to raise money quickly to secure the chance to run in the general election. Pennacchio needs to win a huge margin in his home county, Morris, which produces more votes in a Republican primary than any other county in the state. Toss-Up.

Senate President (and former Governor) Richard Codey went one for two in Essex County mayoral races on Tuesday. He backed Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. in his successful bid for Mayor of Orange, but his endorsed candidate for Mayor of Montclair, Joyce Michaelson, lost.

Paul Aronsohn, the former press secretary to Gov. James E. McGreevey who lost a bid for Congress in 2006 by eleven percentage points, is now a Ridgewood Councilman-elect. He was among three challengers who ousted two incumbents in Tuesday’s non-partisan municipal races. Aronsohn’s election to public office makes it more likely that he’ll seek higher office again in the future; that could be as early as July, when the new five-member Council meets to elect a Mayor.

Of the four Mayors running in yesterday’s non-partisan municipal election who are elected directly by the voters, only one survived: Mahwah Mayor Richard Martel defeated former Councilman Gary Paton by a 64%-36% margin. Incumbents were defeated in Vineland, Perth Amboy and Cape May City. Mayors did not seek re-election in Orange (where Mims Hackett is under federal indictment), Montclair, Delran, Bradley Beach and Spotswood.

Kenneth Vanderziel, 85, and Frederick Trutkoff, 76, won re-election to the Manchester Township Committee – along with 79-year-old political newcomer Warren Reiter.