Christopher Bateman

State Sen. Christopher Bateman, on day seven of mulling a bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, still has not made a final decision. The front runner, State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, is picking up organization lines fast, and if Bateman doesn’t decide quickly, it may be too late for him to seek endorsements and money.

Pennacchio attended a GOP candidates forum in Hillsborough last night -- the second largest town in Bateman's Somerset County-based legislative district.  Bateman was not there.

State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio continues to look like the front runner for the Republican nomination to oppose four-term incumbent Frank Lautenberg this fall.  Former New Jersey Highway Authority Chairman Joseph Buckalew says he’s not running for United States Senate, and GOP insiders report that State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos is not likely to enter the race.  State Sen. Christopher Bateman continues to give serious consideration to a U.S. Senate bid, though some party leaders seem concerned about a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco and his law firm, where Bateman is a partner.  Several Republican leaders are pushing U.S. Marshal James Plousis to run, but there is no evidence that the former Cape May County Sheriff is interested.

State Sen. Kip Bateman might enter the U.S. Senate race
State Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R-Somerset) began making calls late yesterday to express some interest in the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, and has spoken with several GOP County Chairmen about entering the race to challenge incumbent Frank Lautenberg.

Bateman, 50, is the son of former Senate President Raymond Bateman, the 1977 GOP candidate for Governor, and is a law partner of former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco. He spent fourteen years representing Somerset County in the State Assembly before winning a State Senate seat last November.

‘Should School Board Members Be Elected Or Appointed’

Senator Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R-16) wants to give voters an option whether they want members of the local school board to be appointed or elected.

Senate Bill 794, sponsored by Senator Leonard Lance (R-23), would provide that school board elections occur at the time of the general election in November, as opposed to April when they are currently held.

A move by lawyers for former Governor Donald DiFrancesco to move a sexual harassment suit against him from Essex County to Somerset County was denied.  The plaintiff, former prosecutor Michelle D'Onofio, claims DiFrancesco harassed her and ten fired him from his law firm after she filed an ethics complaint against Warren Township Municipal Court Judge Richard Sasso, a friend of the ex-Governor, for drinking on the job.  D’Onofio suggested that Judges in Somerset have too many ties to DiFrancesco and his law partner, State Senator Christopher Bateman.

Former Governor Donald DiFrancesco, facing a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former municipal prosecutor who worked for his law firm, has asked a Superior Court Judge to seal pre-trial deposition and limit questions about his sexual history.  DiFrancesco says he wants to make sure his reputation isn't irreparably damaged.  His law partner, State Senator Kip Bateman, has also joined the motion.  Michelle D'Onofio, who was a partner at DiFrancesco's firm for six years, says DiFrancesco sexually harassed her, and then fired her when she filed an ethics complaint against Warren Township Municipal Court Judge Richard Sasso, a friend of the ex-Governor, for drinking on the job.

Walter Kavanaugh died this evening, just one day after the expiration of his State Senate term.  He spent 32 years in the New Jersey Legislature -- a considerable career,   and among the longest tenures in state history.

The former Air Force helicopter pilot first ran for office in 1963, winning a seat on the Somerville Board of Education. When Republican Victor Rizzolo announced that he would not seek re-election to the State Assembly in 1975, the 32-year-old Kavanaugh became the Somerset GOP organization candidate for the Assembly. He won his first general election with ease, finishing ahead of four-term incumbent John Ewing in his race against Democrats Edward Brady and Peter Dowling. He never had a tough race; even when Democrat Timothy Carden ran an aggressive campaign that put him within 3,000 votes of winning, Kavanaugh still won by more than 10,000.

The best feud of the week -- so far – is the fight between Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce and his chief deputy, Assembly Minority Conference Leader Peter Biondi. On Monday evening, Governor Jon Corzine’s school funding bill had 41 votes to pass the Assembly when DeCroce noticed that Biondi, a yes vote, had left the statehouse – Christopher Bateman had voted for Biondi, a fairly normal practice in the Legislature.  DeCroce pointed out that Biondi’s absence meant that the bill did not have enough votes to pass, forcing Jennifer Beck to switch her vote to yes.  Insiders report that this caused quite a fight between DeCroce and Biondi – with Biondi making his dissatisfaction with the Minority Leader quite clear.

CARABALLO & BATEMAN: DEATH PENALTY REPEAL RECEIVES FINAL LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL

Measure Would Replace Never-Used Statute with Life Imprisonment without Parole

(TRENTON) - Assemblymen Wilfredo Caraballo and Christopher "Kip" Bateman today applauded the General Assembly for heeding the findings of the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission and giving final legislative approval to a measure to abolish the state's capital punishment law and replace it with a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole.