Christopher Smith

Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) has the biggest campaign war chest in New Jersey's thirteen member congressional delegation, with more than twice as much money in the bank as Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn).  Pallone has $4,012,918, while Rothman has $1,759,842.  Pallone raised $355,661 during the last quarter, while Rothman brought in just $25,212 - less than any other New Jersey Congressman from either party.

Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) has the lowest cash on hand - just $120,480.  He is expected to face a Republican primary challenge, possibly from former Holmdel Deputy Mayor Alan Bateman.  Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) has $195,210 in the bank, and still carries a debt from his challenge to Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

Freshman John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), who won a House seat last year with 52% in a district the Republicans had not lost since 1886, has $1,193,060 cash on hand.  He raised $404,405 during the last quarter - the  best in the New Jersey delegation.  Another freshman, Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), has $314,755.

New Jersey's congressional delegation voted 8-5 along party lines in support of a House resolution voicing disapproval of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who shouted "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress last week.  Democrats John Adler, Rob Andrews, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steven Rothman, and Albio Sires voted yes.  Republicans Rodney Frelinghuysen, Scott Garrett, Leonard Lance, Frank LoBiondo and Christopher Smith voted no.  The resolution passed 240-17.  Seven Republicans voted yes and twelve Democrats voted no.

If Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne) wins re-election despite his indictment on state corruption charges, he won't be the first politician accused of a crime to be validated by the voters.  In May 1982, State Sen. William Vincent Musto was re-elected Mayor of Union City 24 hours after being sentenced to seven years in a prison, and moths after his conviction on federal racketeering charges.  The same day, Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson was forced into a runoff with City Council President Earl Harris; both were under indictment at the time.  The two candidates under indictment combined for 74% of the vote. (Gibson and Harris were both acquitted, although Gibson was later charged on another offense.)

Five weeks before a 1990 special election, Assemblyman Cyril Yannarelli (D-Paterson) was indicted on charges that he paid campaign workers to falsify some 5,000 voter registration forms.  He lost the heavily Democratic 35th district to Republican Frank Catania by nearly 3,000 votes.  Yannarelli, a former Passaic County Freeholder who had sought the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in 1982, had won a special election convention for the Assembly after John Girgenti (D-Hawthorne) replaced the late Frank Graves in the State Senate.  Yannarelli avoided prison by participating in a pre-trial intervention program.

In 1980, U.S. Rep. Frank Thompson (D-Trenton), accused of taking bribes from an undercover FBI agent posing as an Arab sheik, lost his bid for a fourteenth term to 27-year-old Republican Christopher Smith by a 57%-41% margin.  Thompson outspent Smith by a 2-1 margin in a district where Jimmy Carter outpolled Ronald Reagan.

Sources say that three Republican Congressmen who backed Christopher Christie over Steven Lonegan in the 2009 gubernatorial primary may be challenged for the GOP nomination when they run for re-election next year.  Conservative activists are seeking candidates to run against Frank LoBiondo (R-Ventnor), Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton), and Leonard Lance (R-Clinton).

While it's not over till it's over, especially in New Jersey, former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie has reclaimed the front runner mantra in his bid for the Republican nomination for Governor.  Two independent polls show him with huge leads against former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan and Assemblyman Rick Merkt (R-Mendham).  Quinnipiac has Christie ahead by 23 points, while Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey shows the former federal prosecutor with an 18 point lead.

An April Quinnipiac poll showing Christie leading Lonegan by nine percentage points, followed by the release of some Lonegan internal polling showing the race tightening, there was a sense among political insiders that Christie could lose the Republican primary.  But the Christie campaign seems to have effectively courted conservatives, communicating Christie's pro-life position - validated by an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton), and they held on to their money until likely primary voters began watching the campaign more closely. 

Christopher Christie won a major conservative endorsement today with the announcement that Bridgewater Mayor Patricia Flannery will support his bid for the Republican nomination for Governor.  Before running for public office, Flannery spent years as a pro-life activist and longtime advisor to U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton).  She was also a political consultant who managed Michael Pappas’ campaigns for Congress in 1996 and 1998.

Bret Schundler's endorsement of Christopher Christie in the GOP gubernatorial primary is significant, although Steve Lonegan's camp will suggest it is not.  Support from Schundler makes it more difficult for Lonegan to persuade conservative Republican primary voters to oppose Christie, the former U.S. Attorney who has become the front runner for the chance to challenge Gov. Jon Corzine in the fall.  Like U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, whose endorsement of Christie is like a Good Housekeeping seal of approval within the pro-life community - a vote Lonegan must win big if he is to be successful in the June primary - Schundler is popular enough with conservatives that his support will be helpful.

Thomas Kean employed a similar strategy in his 1981 bid for Governor, using primary endorsements from U.S. Reps. Jim Courter and Jack Kemp, and 1978 U.S. Senate candidate Jeffrey Bell, to appeal to conservative Republican primary voters.

Peter Shapiro was 23-years-old when he unseated Assemblyman Rocco Neri in 1975. He is the youngest person to win a State Assembly seat in New Jersey.

If 21-year-old Brian Hackett wins his bid for State Assembly in the politically competitive fourteen district this year, he will become the youngest legislator in state history.  The four youngest legislators each ousted incumbents who were not viewed to be in serious electoral trouble.

In 1975, Peter Shapiro, a 23-year-old Harvard graduate who had worked as an aide to the state Transportation Commissioner, ran against the Essex County Democratic Organization and defeated Assemblyman Rocco Neri (D-Irvington).  In 1991, 24-year-old Republican John Hartmann, a second year law student at Seton Hall, beat veteran Assemblyman Gerald Naples (D-Trenton). 

Edward Hynes was 25 when he ousted a Republican Assemblyman in 1971.  Stephen Adubato, Jr., the son of a powerful Newark political leader and a former aide to Shapiro, was 26 when he unseated GOP Assemblyman John Kelly (R-Nutley) in 1983.

U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage) was the only member of the New Jersey congressional delegation to vote against legislation to pass a 90% tax on bonuses over $250,000 at financial institutions that received federal bailout money.   The House passed the measure 328-93, with U.S. Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-Harding), Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), Frank LoBiondo (R-Ventnor) and Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) among the 85 Republican Congressmen who backed the measure.

Former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie has won endorsements from nine of thirteen Republican municipal chairmen in Mercer County, as well as the backing of GOP County Chairman Roy Wesley and all four of the county's Republican mayors.

Christie was also endorsed by former Mercer County Executive Robert Prunetti.  As U.S. Attorney, Christie prosecuted Prunetti's Chief of Staff, Harry Parkin.  Parkin's 7 ½ year prison sentence was the longest of any of the more than 100 public officials Christie sent to jail.

Other Mercer County Republican leaders supporting Christie include: U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton), State Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton), Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo, Ewing Mayor Jack Ball, Robbinsville Mayor David Fried, and Hightstown Mayor Robert Patten.

"Chris Christie and I share a commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in society including victims of human trafficking, pornography, forced labor and other crimes and horrific human rights abuses," said Smith.  He is a strong and innovative leader and as Governor, Chris Christie will fight for what is just and right for the people of New Jersey."