drop out

Anne Evans Estabrook says she suffered a mini-stroke on Monday morning that has forced her to end her bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination.

“On Monday morning, at approximately 7:45 AM, I noticed in the mirror that the left side of my face was drooping slightly and that I was losing control of my left arm,” Estabrook said. “After several hours of testing, the doctors confirmed that I had suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or mini-stroke.”

Estabrook says she has not suffered any long term damage, but “the bad news is that once the condition presents itself, there is a high likelihood it could happen again.” 

Millionaire businesswoman Anne Evans Estabrook is dropping out of the race for U.S. SenateCiting health reasons, Anne Evans Estabrook is dropping her bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. That leaves a two-way contest to challenge four-term Democrat Frank Lautenberg between State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris) and Murray Sabrin, a Ramapo College Professor and the leader of Ron Paul's New Jersey campaign.

Estabrook, 61, was making her first bid for public office after a career as a real estate developer, philanthropist, and Chairman of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. She had won key endorsements by the Burlington, Camden and Monmouth Republican organizations, and based on her endorsements and money, had been viewed as the front runner in the race to challenge Lautenberg. Pennacchio has won county endorsement contests in Hunterdon and Union counties.

Republicans had embraced Estabrook as their standard bearer after she agreed to self-finance her Senate bid. She loaned her campaign nearly $1.7 million,and raised another $150,000. Lautenberg has about $4.3 million cash on hand; Pennacchio and Sabrin have not yet reported their fundraising efforts.