Andy Unanue

Concerning the withdrawal of Andy Unanue from the U.S. Senate race, Dr. Murray Sabrin's spokesman George Ajjan offered the following statement:

"As a Washington, D.C. lobbyist, I'm sure Dick Zimmer has Senator John Ensign's number on speed dial."

After less than three weeks as a U.S. Senate candidate, Andy Unanue formally withdrew his candidacy today. 

Saying that he has no regrets about stepping into the race, Unanue issued a statement today after his committee on vacancies filed paperwork with the Division of Elections designating former Rep. Dick Zimmer as his replacement.

Unanue cited business commitments and opportunities as his primary reason for withdrawal. 

"After much thought and careful consideration, I have decided to end my candidacy for U.S. Senate.  I made the decision to enter the race after serious deliberation and I have no regrets.  My decision to withdraw is based on an equally thorough deliberation,” he said.  "I have concluded that my extensive business commitments along with new business opportunities that have recently presented themselves would prevent me from dedicating myself fully to a statewide campaign."

As first reported by PolitickerNJ last night, the Star-Ledger confirmed this morning that Andy Unanue is officially withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race, to be replaced by former Rep. Dick Zimmer.

Unanue Campaign Manager Mark Duffy confirmed to the Ledger reporters that he was en route to Trenton to file the paperwork.

Joseph Pennacchio won the Somerset County Republican convention last month in a race where he was essentially unopposed.  Andy Unanue, in the race a few days and still vacationing in Vail, declined to compete, and Murray Sabrin was ineligible because he refused to sign a pledge required by the party to support the organization slate.  Now Pennacchio is in danger of losing the Somerset endorsement as GOP County Chairman Dale Florio maneuvers behind the scenes to add Dick Zimmer to the line.  Sources close to Florio say that he has discussed either a do-over vote based on the new field of candidates -- Zimmer represented part of Somerset County in Congress from 1991 to 1997 --  or simply creating a limited open primary, where Pennacchio and Zimmer – but not Sabrin – would run on the organization line.

Andy Unanue will file papers tomorrow morning withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race, and his Committee on Vacancies will announce tomorrow that they have designated former Rep. Dick Zimmer to take his place on the ballot in the June 3 Republican primary.

Unanue reportedly signed papers ending his campaign earlier today from his vacation home in Colorado. Zimmer, 63, the 1996 GOP U.S. Senate candidate, has been making calls today advising party leaders of his decision to enter the race. He will face State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio and college professor Murray Sabrin in the primary.

Rafael Cuellar, a member of Andy Unanue’s Committee on Vacancies, was involved in a political meeting earlier today, according to someone who answered his phone at the Shop-Rite of Passaic-Clifton, where he is the CEO. There is no confirmation that this was related to the Unanue campaign – Cuellar also serves on Gov. Jon Corzine’s Financial Restructuring and Debt Reduction Steering Committee.

For Dick Zimmer to get on the ballot in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, he’ll need two votes from the three members of Andy Unanue’s Committee on Vacancies: Bergen County Republican Chairman Rob Ortiz; Mark Duffy, a GOP operative who became Unanue’s campaign manager after Anne Estabrook dropped out of the race; and Rafael Cueller, a supermarket owner from Clifton and a friend of Unanue.  Cueller “is currently awaiting Senate confirmation for a Presidential appointment to the National Cooperative Bank, according to his company’s website. 

Senate candidate Joe Pennacchio plans to challenge the validity of Andy Unanue’s candidacy tomorrow.

Pennacchio campaign manager Dan Gallic said that, if Unanue does indeed drop out of the race, then his “oath of candidacy was not made in good faith.” Gallic cited press reports that Unanue had flown back to Vail, Colo., where he kicked off his candidacy while on a family vacation two weeks ago, shortly after filling his candidacy on Monday.

“As we understand from the reports, he was already on the plane within 24 hours, raising significant issues as to whether he ever intended to run at all,” said Gallic.

The potential entrance of former Rep. Dick Zimmer into the U.S. Senate race could put at least one of state Sen. Joe Pennacchio’s county lines in jeopardy.

Pennacchio won the Hunterdon County Republican Convention in February, earning preferential ballot placement in a county that produces a lot of primary votes. But Zimmer owns a farm in the county, where he lived when he represented the 12th district in Congress during the 1990s.

If Zimmer does get into the race, Hunterdon County Republican Chairman Henry Kuhl plans to call a county committee meeting for April 16th to vote on whether or not to change the county committee’s endorsement. If Zimmer wins that, he’ll get the coveted county line.

MIDDLETOWN - Turbulence in the Republican Party caused state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) to more than once consider running for U.S. Senate in this current primary cycle.

He had a number of openings.

Citing health concerns, millionaire Anne Evans Estabrook last month dropped out of the Republican primary, sending the GOP scrambling to find a replacement. The party first recruited millionaire businessman Andy Unanue, while simultaneously trying to recruit millionaire businessman John Crowley.