Dennis Levinson

Egg Harbor Township Mayor Sonny McCullough has told some Atlantic County Republicans that he is giving serious consideration to challenging State Senator Bill Gormley or County Executive Dennis Levinson in the June 2007 Republican primary.

ATLANTIC COUNTY EXEC LEVINSON TOUTS LOW TAXES, LOW SPENDING, HONEST GOVERNMENT

COUNTY EXEC LEVINSON CITES FREEHOLDERS' TAX CUTTING RECORD AND FISCAL RESTRAINT

Atlantic County Sheriff James McGettigan is giving serious consideration to running for County Executive in 2007. McGettigan has told some Democratic insiders that he might take on GOP incumbent Dennis Levinson, who is expected to seek re-election to a third term. Most insiders expect hotly contested races for County Executive and for the State Senate for longtime Republican incumbent William Gormley's seat, with freshman Democratic Assemblyman (and former Atlantic City Mayor) James Whelan the most likely candidate.

Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Ronald Ruff promises that his party will select a new candidate for County Clerk by August 20. His candidate, two-term incumbent Michael Garvin, announced last week that he was dropping his bid for re-election. Three years ago, the Democrats picked Ruff's wife, Patricia Wild, a former deputy attorney general and legal counsel for Bally's casino, as their candidate for County Executive against incumbent Dennis Levinson. But Wild, citing a lack of financial support from the state party, dropped out of the race in May. Democrats, including Ruff, who was the party's Executive Director in 2003, spent three months promising to find another candidate, but in the end Levinson wound up running without opposition.

The potential Senate Race of the Century between Bill Gormley and Jim Whelan isn't the only race to watch for in 2007: look for newly-elected Atlantic County Freeholder Alissa Cooper to challenge County Executive Dennis Levinson.