Dick Zimmer

U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson faces the crowd in Hunterdon.

FLEMINGTON- After hearing one of his would-be successors refer dismally to his recent re-election struggles, retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson of the 7thdistrict went to the microphone to offer a good-natured rebuttal.

"When I saw Mike Ferguson going down steadily," Dr. A.D. Amar, a professor of business management at Seton Hall University and low or no-hoper in this GOP primary race, said in his remarks, he felt compelled to get more involved in politics.

"He won with only 3,000 votes," Amar reminded the crowd in Plaza One in Flemington, and there was an uneasy murmuring as people glanced nervously at Ferguson, who stood smiling amid a cluster of other ruffled Republicans.

"Democrats are making huge inroads into the district," said Amar, standing under a portrait of President George W. Bush.

Bill Baroni will head John McCain's presidential campaign in New JerseyState Sen. Bill Baroni has been named State Chairman of John McCain’s presidential campaign in New Jersey, and Rick Mroz, a former Chief Counsel to Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, will serve as State Campaign Coordinator. Former Gov. Tom Kean is the Honorary State Chair and former Rep. Dick Zimmer is the Honorary Vice Chair.

Republicans have not won a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey since 1972, and of the eleven candidates nominated since then, only six had previous experience as a general election candidate.  And only two, Robert Franks and Richard Zimmer, had won general election contests that were even slightly competitive.

Frank Abate, a former Executive Director of the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority and 1992 Democratic congressional candidate, G. Abate, will be in federal court today for sentencing.  Abate was convicted by a jury on May 24 of five corruption counts for accepting bribes from developers. 

Frank Abate, a former Executive Director of the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority and 1992 Democratic congressional candidate, G. Abate, will be in federal court today for sentencing.  Abate was convicted by a jury on May 24 of five corruption counts for accepting bribes from developers. 

Former Marlboro Councilman Frank Abate was found guilty on six count of corruption today, but a jury acquitted him on seven other counts for accepting services from developers doing business with the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority. Abate, the Democratic candidate for Congress against Richard Zimmer in 1992, served as the WMUA Executive Director.

GUEST EDITORIAL BY DICK ZIMMER

For fiscal conservatives disheartened by the inexorable growth of wasteful spending under both Democrats and Republicans, it is essential that we choose as our next president someone with the courage to confront Big Government and stop it in its tracks.

John McCain stands out among all the presidential contenders as having relentlessly and persistently fought against pork-barrel spending throughout his entire career.

New Jersey has ninteen living former Congressmen:

*Peter Frelinghuysen, the 90-year-old father of Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, who won an open seat in 1952 and served until his retirement in 1973. He lives in Morristown.

*Joseph Minish, 89, an Essex County labor leader who was elected to Congress in 1962 and served until his loss in 1984 to Republican Dean Gallo.

*Cornelius Gallagher, 84, who served as a Hudson County Freeholder from 1953 to 1956 and as a Congressman from 1959 until his defeat in the 1972 Democratic primary. He lives in Hunterdon County.

*Robert Roe, 81, who served as Mayor of Wayne, Passaic County Freeholder and state Commissioner of Convervation and Economic Development before winning a House seat in a 1969 Special Election. He served until his retirement in 1992 and now runs a lobbying firm that specializes in transportation issues.

*Frank Guarini, 81, was a Democratic State Senator from Hudson County from 1966 to 1972, ran against U.S. Senator Harrison Williams in the 1970 Democratic primary, and won a House seat in 1978 when Joseph LeFante declined to seek a second term. Guarini retired in 1992 and lives in Jersey City.

*Marge Roukema, 76, a former Ridgewood Board of Education President, defeated Andy Maguire on her second try in 1980. She retired from Congress in 2002.

*Herbert Klein, 75, was an Assemblyman from 1972 to 1976 and won Bob Roe's seat in Congress in 1992. He lost re-election in 1994, and now practices law in Hackensack.

*Matthew Rinaldo, 74, a Union County Freeholder and State Senator before winning an open congressional seat in 1992. He retired in 1992 and now lives in Florida.

*William Hughes, 73, served as an Assistant Cape May County Prosecutor before upsetting a Republican incumbent in the 1974 congressional race. He retired in 1994, served as U.S. Ambassador to Panama, and now practices law.

*Harold Hollenbeck, 68, was an East Rutherford Councilman, Assemblyman and State Senator before he defeated a Democratic Congressman in 1976. He lost re-election in 1982 to Robert Torricelli, and since 1987 he has served as a Superior Court Judge in Bergen County. He lives in Ridgewood.

*James Florio, 67, was an Assemblyman when he defeated an incumbent GOP Congressman in 1974. He left Congress after his election as Governor in 1989. He lost re-election in 1993 and was defeated in his bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in 2000. Florio practices law, runs a business and teaches at Rutgers.

*Andrew Maguire, 65, defeated a veteran Republican Congressman in 1974 and lost his seat in 1980 to Marge Roukema. He ran for U.S. Senate in 1982, finishing second in the Democratic primary behind Frank Lautenberg. He ran several trade groups and a think tank before retiring in 2002, and now lives in Hunterdon County.

*James Courter, 64, was an Assistant Warren County Prosecutor before defeating a Democratic Congresswoman in 1978. He lost a 1989 race for Governor to Jim Florio and did not seek re-election to the House in 1990. He served as Chairman of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission and now runs a law firm and a Newark-based communications company.

*Richard Zimmer, 61, served in both houses of the Legislature before winning Jim Courter's House seat in 1990. He lost a 1996 U.S. Senate race to Bob Torricelli and a 2000 House race to Rush Holt. He now practiced law in Washington.

*William Martini, 59, served as a Clifton Councilman and Passaic County Freeholder before he defeated Herb Klein for Congress in 1994. He lost re-election to Bill Pascrell in 1996; he has served as a U.S. Federal Court Judge since 2002.

*Robert Torricelli, 54, unseated Cap Hollenbeck in 1982 after working for Governor Brendan Byrne and Vice President Walter Mondale. He won a U.S. Senate seat in 1996 and dropped his re-election bid five weeks before Election Day in 2002. He now operates a consulting firm and lives in Hunterdon County.

*Robert Franks, 54, spent fourteen years in the State Assembly and two years as Republican State Chairman before winning an open House seat in 1992. He ran for U.S. Senate in 2000 and Governor in 2001 and now serves as President of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey.

*Robert Menendez, 52, won election to Congress in 1992 after serving as an Assemblyman, State Senator and Mayor of Union City. He was appointed to the United States Senate in January 2006.

*Michael Pappas, 45, won Dick Zimmer's open House seat in 1996 after serving as the Mayor of Franklin Township and as a Somerset County Freeholder. He was defeated for re-election in 1998 by Rush Holt and lost a chance for a rematch in 2000 after losing the Republican primary to Zimmer. Pappas now lives in Maryland and serves as the Associate Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.