State Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis) is not likely to run for Congress next year against U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-Vineland), but he remains uncommitted one way or the other.

“I’m not trying to be coy. The bottom line is this: I’m very focused on the state issues right now. They are huge. They’re historic. They’re beyond anything the state of New Jersey has ever seen,” said Van Drew in a phone interview last week.

Van Drew has been recruited by Democratic leaders about a prospective congressional run before, particularly for the 2008 election.  

“I never say never… but I’d say the likelihood is not there,” he said.

Van Drew’s political stock stayed high last month after his two running mates, Assemblymen Matt Milam (D-Vineland) and Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) won reelection despite Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie’s victory statewide.  Although not on the ballot, Van Drew campaign frequently with the assemblymen.  And the two assemblymen cut deeply into Christie’s 5,500 margin of victory over Gov. Jon Corzine in Van Drew’s native Cape May County, with Albano and Milam losing there by about 1,000 and 2,000 votes, respectively.   

Although the environment in 2010 will likely be far less hospitable to Democrats than it was last year, Van Drew said that will not factor much into his final decision.

“I run independently,” he said.  “It’s not as good a year as a good presidential would be, but that never bothered me before.”