McSorley turns down chance to run in the 14th

Former Republican Mercer County sheriff candidate Jim McSorley confirmed today that he will not run for state assembly in the 14th District.

“My DNA is in the law enforcement end, but I know that they’re going to win those two seats,” he said.  

McSorley, who ran a long shot campaign against incumbent Sheriff Kevin Larkin last year, was heavily recruited by state Republicans to run with Hamilton Councilwoman Kelly Yaede, meeting with Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) and Minority Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) about the prospect.  Yaede could not be reached for comment, but is said to be undecided.  

The 14th is expected to be one of the few true battleground districts this year, with its two assembly seats held by freshman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) and long-time incumbent Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro).  

Governor Corzine's approval rating with families of state workers, who make up a large voting bloc in this Trenton border district, was 31 percent in last week's Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll. 

“I never in my wildest dreams would have expected to get that phone call to even consider it and sit down and talk with those people.  So I was honored.  But I know there are plenty of decent people who will want to step in,” said McSorley.  

McSorley said that his father’s death last month after a long illness also factored into his decision.  

“We just need to retool and regroup as a family at this point,” he said.