Erik Peterson

Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) is expected to be sworn in as a State Senator when the Senate comes back into session on November 23.  Doherty defeated incumbent Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) in the June Republican primary - five months after he lost a special election convention to fill the seat of Leonard Lance, who was elected to Congress.  Karrow has been lobbying hard for a post in Gov.-elect Christopher Christie's cabinet; she wants to be Commissioner of Community Affairs.

The two Republican Assembly candidates in Disrict 23 were endorsed by the Express-Times: incumbent John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown), who won a special election earlier this year, and Erik Peterson, a Hunterdon County Freeholder who is seeking an open seat.

Democrats have not won these seats since Barbara McConnell won 1977 and 1979.

Assemblyman MIke Doherty (R-Washington Twp.)

It was a different scene than it was in Clinton earlier this year when establishment Republicans felt like misfit grunts bucking KP duty as Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) bellowed out a speech from atop the stage at the middle school.

Stunned when they voted against him and chose Marcia Karrow to succceed the mild-mannered Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), Doherty stubbornly launched what many assessed as an implausible primary campaign.  

This morning at the Republicans' unity breakfast at the Mountainview Chalet in Asbury, Doherty called his win over incumbent state senator Karrow the toughest of his decade-long political career.

"I've been through a lot of tough primaries, but Marcia was the heartiest competitor," said Doherty.

Defeated by Karrow in that January special election, Doherty aligned with movement conservative Steve Lonegan's gubernatorial candidacy to come back and beat Karrow Tuesday night, 52% to 48%.

Assuming Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) wins the November special election for State Senate in District 23, he would be sworn in to replace Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) immediately upon the certification of his election.  It will be Doherty, not Karrow, who votes during the lame duck session of the New Jersey Senate.

Two Assembly races, both GOP primaries, appear headed for a recount.  In District 3, Lee Lucas leads Arthur Marchand, a former Cumberland County Surrogate, Prosecutor and Freeholder, by 46 votes.  Marchand's running mate, East Greenwich Mayor George Shivery, ran 171 votes behind.  Dr. Robert Villare, a surgeon and first-time candidate, will be one of the two Republicans to face the Democratic incumbents, John Burzichelli (R-Paulsboro) and Celeste Riley (R-Bridgeton).  In District 23, Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson is 57 votes ahead of Edward Smith, who is Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford).

Look for a possible upset in northwestern New Jersey: sources say that State Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) is trailing Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) in the race for the GOP State Senate nomination in District 23, according to Karrow's internal polling.  This would be a stunning comeback for Doherty, who won just 42% against Karrow in a January special election convention after Leonard Lance resigned to take his seat in Congress.

Keep an eye on District 23, where Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) is challenging State Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan).  Karrow beat Doherty rather easily in a January special election convention after Leonard Lance left the Senate to take a seat in Congress.  But Doherty has traditionally been a strong vote getter in GOP primaries in this Hunterdon-Warren district.  Karrow has more money, the line in Hunterdon (there is no line in Warren) and the advantages of incumbency, but Doherty has an exceptionally strong base among conservatives and could benefit from a strong turnout among supporters of GOP gubernatorial candidate Steven Lonegan. 

The winner of the primary will run in a November special election to complete the remaining 26 months of Lance’s term.

In the State Assembly primary, Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown), who won a special election convention to replace Karrow, and Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson are running together.  They face Edward Smith, who is Doherty’s Chief of Staff.

Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown)

CLINTON - Among those Assembly districts where socially conservative Lonegan allies fight establishment Republicans, stands the battleground of the 23rd District.

Ed Smith

HACKETTSTOWN – While he acknowledged he believes marriage should be between one man and one woman, 23rd District Assembly candidate Ed Smith of Asbury decried the chokehold he says the State Supreme Court has on the legislature, particularly when it comes to the issue of gay marriage. 

“We shouldn’t be deferring major policy decisions to the court,” he said in his WRNJ radio debate with Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown) and Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson. “The court wants to make rules and the legislature falls behind. We had a situation where the court makes a decision regarding civil unions and the next thing you see is a bill in the legislature.

“I’ve watched what goes on in the legislature on a regular basis and every time it gets hot in the kitchen, we bring social issues up so we don’t pay attention to what’s really going on,” Smith added.

Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown)

HACKETTSTOWN – Each of the anti-gay marriage, pro-gun, pro-life Republican candidates in the 23rd District Assembly race tried to run to the right of the other two in a radio debate on WRNJ this week, separately railing against taxing and spending in Trenton, while parting company on the gubernatorial contest. 

Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown) and his running mate, Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson, both running on a ticket with state Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan Twp.), are trying to fend off Ed Smith of Asbury, an ally of anti-establishment senate candidate Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.). 

Warren County-based businessman DiMaio beat Hunterdon-based attorney Peterson at a joint Warren-Hunterdon County convention in February.  Then they teamed up with Karrow under the auspices of Chris Christie’s gubernatorial campaign.