Christopher Smith

Republican Chris Smith is seeking his 15th term in Congress. He was first elected in 1980.: Getty Images Photo
An outraged U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-Hamilton) wants an apology from his Democratic challenger for calling him a bigot and for falsely charging that he concealed campaign contributions from two conservative Christian groups.

Democrat Josh Zeitz, a college history professor challenging the fourteen-term Congressman, released a video this week seeking to dispel the notion that Smith is a moderate. Yesterday he took that a step further, calling Smith a “bigot.”

Zeitz’s claims were amplified by an article in The New Republic, a left leaning magazine, which yesterday outlined Smith’s ties to what Zeitz called “religious-right hate groups.”

Today, the magazine retracted part of their story and, Smith says, apologized to him.

One candidate worth watching is Jim McSorely, a retired State Police captain who is waging an impressive, low-budget campaign for Mercer County Sheriff. As a Republican, McSorley faces an uphill battle against incumbent Kevin Larkin in heavily Democratic Mercer County; the GOP has not won countywide since 1999.  But Larkin is a potentially flawed incumbent, and McSorley does not lack testicular fortitude.  A former aide to U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith, McSorley has inherited Smith's political organization in Mercer and seems to share Smith's skills of hard work and grass roots campaigning.  Back in 1980, Smith ousted a personally flawed thirteen-term Congressman with little money or organization.

This week's Winners & Losers: Click Here.

The news today that Ashley Evans, 7, and her sister Sophia, 3, have been reunited with their father after being stuck in the Republic of Georgia after the Russian Army invasion two weeks ago essentially ends the campaign of Josh Zeitz, a college professor on an already long shot bid to oust fourteen-term Congressman Christopher Smith. Smith traveled to Georgia last week to meet with officials and has remained there to help facilitate the safety of the two girls, who live in Howell Township in the fourth district. Operatives from both parties say that Smith will have no trouble getting re-elected now, although some say he had no problems before the successful rescue mission.

Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) isn’t taking his bid for a 15th term for granted, raising $143,300 over the last three months and now has $503,944 cash on hand.  His Democratic challenger, history professor Josh Zeitz, raised $108,101 during the same period.  Zeitz has raised $259,267 so far and has $124,535 in the bank.

Statewide, Zeitz ranks second in challenger fundraising.  Dennis Shulman, a blind Rabbi and psychologist running against Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage) raised $270,000 last quarter, according to his campaign.  He has raised $585,000 so far, with $258,000 cash on hand.

Most New Jersey challengers are faring poorly in the fundraising game.

Mercer County Republicans voted to postpone the endorsement of a U.S. Senate candidate tonight and will wait and see if biotech millionaire John Crowley decides to enter the race.

“We have two new candidates, one from Mercer County,” said Mercer County GOP Chairman Roy Wesley. “So it’s almost like we have one of our own who we need to give some consideration to.”

Crowley, 39, was a Bristol-Myers Squibb executive eleven years ago when he found out his 15-month-old daughter and four-month-old son had a rare and fatal neuromuscular disease. He wound up leaving to head up a series of biotech firms and has raised a reported $200 million for research of genetic diseases. Harrison Ford is expected to play Crowley in a film about his life.

In an informal vote, taken by a show of hands, Mercer Republicans overwhelmingly supported deferring a formal endorsement in the Senate race, and authorized the party’s executive committee to award the organization line sometime before the April 7 filing deadline.

State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio and Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin attended the convention. A third candidate, millionaire businessman Andy Unanue, is vacationing in Vail.

Congressman Christopher Smith has an interesting election year choice to make on Friday: travel to his district on Friday and stand with President George W. Bush, or stay home in Virginia.

College history professor/author Josh Zeitz has officially joined the race for Congress in the fourth district, and the 33-year-old Democrat is telling party leaders that he’ll raise $200,000 for his race against entrenched GOP Congressman Christopher Smith by June.  Zeitz has a huge network of donors from his work as a political staffer, and his father, Carl Zeitz, is a well-liked former newspaper reporter, casino regulatory, and lobbyist.