Donald Cresitello

Morristown Council President John Cryan

He’s up for re-election this year, and no one knows whether Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello will run. However, Council president John Cryan, who four years ago ran on the Democratic Party line with Cresitello, said he believes the mayor is likely to pursue reelection. 

“I don’t know what he’s going to do,” said Cryan, a first cousin of State Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Cryan.  “But I can’t see him walking away when things are starting to click, when development projects are starting to take off in Morristown. I can’t see him turning down ribbon cutting ceremonies. So my money is on him running.” 

Sources say Cresitello at one point told former Councilman Timothy Dougherty that he wouldn’t run for mayor again. Dougherty was poised to run. 

But now the trypically headstrong Cresitello isn’t sure.

Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello would love to run for governor.

Specifically, he’d like to take on Gov. Jon Corzine, a man who arrived in office with some flashy business credentials but whom Cresitello doesn’t think has done a good job. 

The governor’s suggestion of a pension holiday for towns and counties represents the governor’s latest gaffe, in the view of the mayor who earlier this year ran aground in his primary challenge of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park), when he finished behind Lautenberg and U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights)  with 10 percent of the vote. 

“We wanted exposure,” Cresitello admitted today in a telephone interview. “Andrews took away my opportunity. We couldn’t raise the money once Andrews got in there. If he hadn’t gotten in the race, we could’ve raised the $5 million he raised.”

Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello won about 19,213 votes (6%) in his bid for the 2008 Democratic U.S. Senate nomination.  That’s nearly five times the number of votes (4,295) he received when he ran against Frank Lautenberg in the 1982 Democratic Senate primary.  Cresitello was the Mayor then, but only received 1% of the vote in a field of ten candidates. 

[img_assist|nid=18131|title=Frank Lautenberg, 84, won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, defeating Rob Andrews by a wide margin|desc=Getty Images Photo|link=none|align=none|width=420|height=265]

Incumbent Frank Lautenberg has won renomination for a fifth term in the United States Senate. He leads Rep. Rob Andrews by a 61%-34% margin. Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello is running a weak third with 5% of the vote. Lautenberg won huge margins in Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties, carried Middlesex and Union comfortably, and held his own in several South Jersey counties.

In the GOP primary, former Rep. Dick Zimmer leads State Sen. Joe Pennacchio by a 46-40% margin. Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin has 14% of the vote.

Five of the six candidates for United States Senator in today’s primary election have run statewide before: Frank Lautenberg for the Senate in 1982, 1988, 1994, and 2002; Rob Andrews for Governor in the 1997 primary; Donald Cresitello in the 1982 U.S. Senate primary; Dick Zimmer for the Senate in 1996; and Murray Sabrin for Governor in 1997 (as the Libertarian candidate) and for GOP U.S. Senate nomination in 2000.

Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello acknowledges he's basically doomed to lose his long shot Democratic Senate primary race against Rep. Rob Andrews and incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

But the race might be a win for his political reputation.

Cresitello was already known to many New Jerseyans before he entered the race, and not because he unsuccessfully challenged Lautenberg in the Senate primary way back in 1982.  Rather, it was his status as the state's most outspoken critic of its immigration policies and for his controversial attempt to deputize local police to enforce federal immigration laws.

Cresitello's fight against illegal immigration, and a rally he hosted in Morristown that saw one violent outburst, earned him the reputation of a blowhard among the state's political establishment, both Democrats and Republicans.  His stance even put him at odds with U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, who's seen as the Republicans' likely choice for Governor next year.

Can’t wait until tomorrow night to see who wins the major U.S. Senate and Congressional primary contests?

Below are some predictions from pollsters, political science professors and observers who track Garden State politics.

The observers were unanimous in their predictions for the Democratic Senate primary, foreseeing a relatively easy victory for incumbent Frank Lautenberg. On the Republican end, the outlook was not so clear cut, with observers split between state Sen. Joe Pennacchio and former Rep. Dick Zimmer. Ramapo College Finance Professor Murray Sabrin will have the support of presidential candidate Ron Paul’s fans, and could take some conservative voters away from Pennacchio.

In the heated Republican primary in the 7th congressional district, state Sen. Leonard Lance is the clear favorite. The 3rd district congressional primary, however, is a toss-up. In what has been perhaps the nastiest race of the election cycle, it was tough decide who had the edge between Medford Mayor Chris Myers and Ocean County Freeholder Jack Kelly.

These races will likely be determined by a very small number of voters. Even the most optimistic of outlooks puts voter turnout at approximately 30%, and most say they expect significantly less than that.

The Democratic U.S. Senate candidates sparred tonight on NJN, where Sen. Frank Lautenberg hit Rep. Rob Andrews on a broken promise, Rep. Rob Andrews hit Lautenberg for hypocrisy regarding his attacks on opponent Millicent Fenwick's age in 1982, and Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello just wanted to move on.

It was the final debate between the candidates before Tuesday's primary. Earlier today, ABC's Philadelphia affiliate aired a debate between Andrews and Cresitello, without Lautenberg, who turned it down.

After Lautenberg bemoaned Andrews's joint pledge with the rest of the state's Congressional delegation not to run a primary against Lautenberg, Cresitello said he was tired of hearing the story.

Star-Ledger: Lautenberg, Andrews clash over toll plan during televised debate

The Record: Lautenberg takes on Democratic Senate rivals in debate

Press of Atlantic City: US Senate hopefuls, Democrats hold first, only TV debate

Gloucester County Times: More accusations traded in 2nd Dem Senate debate

Courier-Post (Gannett): Candidates for NJ's Senate seat air platforms in debates

Philadelphia Inquirer: Lautenberg, Andrews clash on age and record

Both sides spun hard after tonight’s Democratic Senate Primary debate on 101.5 FM, each trying to depict the other as inconsistent and deceptive.

But while experts - including U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) himself in the midst of the radio scrap - agree that U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) is a formidable debater and was tonight, at no time during the hour and a half long forum just days prior to the June 3 primary did the senator deep-six himself.

"I thought Andrews acquitted himself very well and if this was an open seat he’d be odds on favorite," said Prof. Patrick Murray of Monmouth University. "Lautenberg acted annoyed that anyone was challenging him. While Andrews focused on detail, Lautenberg wanted to avoid answering questions directly."

Prof. Brigid Harrison of Montclair State University read it the same way.