Biden won't change Van Drew's mind about running

DENVER – While State Senator and almost Congressional candidate Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) thinks Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden will help Democrats down-ballot in South Jersey, he is still standing behind the Democrats’ current candidate in District 2: David Kurkowski.

“Biden has a real connect to South Jersey. There are parts of South Jersey that are closer to Delaware than they are to New York and North Jersey,” said Van Drew.

Van Drew, a Democrat with moderate appeal, was national Democrats’ hope to run a third ultra-competitive race in New Jersey, against incumbent Frank LoBiondo (R-Vineland). Van Drew acknowledged interest in running, but he would have faced criticism as an office-climber, having just moved up to the state Senate from the Assembly in a tough race last year. So he didn’t, and national Democrats but aside their interest in the seat temporarily.

With increases in Democratic registrants in the 2nd District and what Democrats see as an anti-Republican wave on the horizon, South Jersey Democratic circles were rife with talk that Van Drew would reconsider and ask Kurkowski. But again Van Drew knocked that speculation down.

Biden doesn’t change that.

“I support David at this point. Hopefully he prevails,” said Van Drew. “If he does not, or for whatever reason in the future I do have interest in it. I’ve never hidden that. But my focus right now has to be on the office for which I was elected.”

Kurkowski, a Cape May councilman, is a long-shot candidate. He’s out-funded and doesn’t have much name recognition in the district, and he’s not likely to see any help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. But Van Drew said that, given his resources, Kurkowski is running a good campaign.

“It’s not an easy campaign to run, especially for a newcomer, but he’s certainly putting his heart and soul into it, and I respect him for that.”