Dick Zimmer

A Mercer County Superior Court Judge has dismissed Joe Pennacchio’s complaint against former Senate candidate Andy Unanue that could have ended Dick Zimmer's fledgling Senate candidacy.

Pennacchio campaign manager Dan Gallic confirmed that the challenge was tossed out.

“I didn’t read the opinion. All I know is it was dismissed,” he said.

The Pennacchio campaign filed suit on the grounds that Unanue didn’t file to run as a Senate candidates “in good faith,” and said that he signed a form indicating that he was a resident of New Jersey when he actually lived in New York City.

Senate candidate Joe Pennacchio hung on to the Hunterdon County Republicans' line tonight.

Pennacchio kept the prominent ballot spot, winning 34 votes to Zimmer’s 30 at a special county committee meeting.

It was the second time that Pennacchio won a county committee vote in Hunterdon County. In late February, he beat Anne Estabrook and Murray Sabrin to win the coveted ballot spot.

But after Hunterdon native Dick Zimmer entered the race last week, the county’s Republican chairman, Henry Kuhl, scheduled a special county committee meeting to vote on whether to change the county’s ballot placement.

Republican Senate candidates Joe Pennacchio and Murray Sabrin have raised roughly equal amounts of money, but Pennacchio has a much larger cash reserve.

Pennacchio has raised $361,710 for his U.S. Senate candidacy so far -- including the two weeks that have passed since the Federal Election Commission's March 31st cut off date. At least some of that money was put in by Pennacchio, who said he didn’t know off the top of his head how much he’s donated to his own campaign. He currently has 279,081 cash-on-hand.

“The only thing I can tell you is this: compared to some of the other self-funding candidates, the money I’ve put in to date is not that significant,” said Pennacchio.

All three Republican Senate candidates will participate in a debate hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University next week.

Joe Pennacchio, Dick Zimmer and Murray Sabrin have all agreed to take part in the “give and take” forum moderated by Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine.

Less than a week after entering the Republican U.S. Senate race, former Rep. Dick Zimmer has won the endorsement of half of the state’s GOP congressional delegation.

Representatives Frank LoBiondo, Jim Saxton and Mike Ferguson all announced their support for Zimmer today, citing his fiscal conservatism. 

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.

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.

Multiple Republican sources say Andy Unanue is preparing to drop out of the Republican U.S. Senate race and will be replaced by former Congressman Dick Zimmer.

The arrangement is not final, but Unanue has reportedly agreed to drop his candidacy, while Zimmer has said that he will replace him.

Unanue’s three member committee on vacancies has until next Wednesday to officially change candidates.

Unanue could not be reached for comment, but Zimmer said that he has been contacted by several Republicans about the prospect and has agreed to run if he can count on a lot of support.

“I’ve received a number of phone calls from people who are interested in my running,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a done deal, and I’ve said that if asked I would run. I’m proud of my record of accomplishment as a Congressman, and I would like to put it up against Frank Lautenberg’s.”