Erik Peterson

FLEMINGTON – Fighting criticism that he’s operating behind the scenes to weaken the chances of two home county candidates in order to protect state Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan Twp.), Hunterdon County GOP Chairman Henry Kuhl says he simply wants to keep the balance struck between those two counties that contribute to the 23rd Legislative District.

To that end he told Hunterdon County freeholders Matt Holt and Erik Peterson Friday that regardless of who wins the special convention on Feb 21st, he agreed with Warren County GOP chairman Doug Steinhardt to give a third Assembly candidate, Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio, the organization line in the June Republican Primary.

“The premise is to preserve bi-county representation, if possible,” affirmed Steinhardt.

But the move by the two GOP chairmen has generated some blowback as less than two weeks before the convention, DiMaio, Holt and Peterson vie for the Assembly seat Karrow officially vacated today to claim the Senate seat in the 23rd  District with both Kuhl and Steinhart by her side in the Senate chamber.

Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio today won the official backing of fellow Freeholder Rick Gardner, as DiMaio pursues an Assembly seat in the 23rd Legislative District.

“It is with great pride that I support & endorse my fellow Freeholder John DiMaio in his run for the Assembly in the 23rd Legislative District,” said Gardner, a Franklin Township farmer. “The conservative roots and values of the citizens in the 23rd District are time-honored traditional values that have made this region one of the best places to live in New Jersey." 

Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson today announced the endorsement of 20 elected officials from nine Hunterdon County towns for his 23rd District assembly bid.  

Among the endorsers was Hampton Borough Mayor Robert Walton, who despite Peterson’s moderate reputation called him “accessible, honest and conservative.”  

Clinton Township Mayor Kevin Cimei, who cited Peterson’s freeholder board purchase of the Windy Acres property as proof of his commitment to open space and farmland preservation.

Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio

The GOP Assembly race in the 23rd District continues, as Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio today secured the endorsement of three-term Warren County Sheriff Sal Simonetti.   

“I have always known John to be a steward of the taxpayers monies and in Trenton, I have 100% confidence that he will be just as vigilant in his work to reduce the size of government while returning more money to the local entities,” Simonetti said in a statement.

“As a law enforcement officer, I recognize the need for dedicated and ethical elected officials who truly understand what it means to be a public servant,” the sheriff added. “In John, the residents of the 23rd District can be assured they are getting a man of character, integrity and who possesses the acumen necessary to be a leader in the State Legislature.”

The announcement today that Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck has decided not to run in a special election convention for Marcia Karrow's Assembly seat is good news for John DiMaio.  While it ought not to be assumed that the 54 Republican County Committee members from Hunterdon County who voted for Michael Doherty would have been Peck's votes, the conventional wisdom is that any Peck votes out of Hunterdon would have come at DiMaio's expense. 

Karrow received 125 votes out of Hunterdon on Saturday - one more than Henry Kuhl received in his 2008 bid for re-election as Republican County Chairman.  Kuhl's challenger in that race was Peck, who received 78 votes - 24 more than Doherty did among Hunterdon County Committee members.

Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck

Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck won’t pursue a run for the Assembly, he told PolitickerNJ.com this morning.

“I think I’m going to sit out the Assemby race,” said the ally of Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp.), who endorsed Doherty at Saturday’s special convention in Clinton Twp., where Doherty lost in his bid for the state senate. 

“It’s very flattering to be considered in the mix, but there are three very capable candidates in there right now and the timing doesn’t feel right for me,” he explained.

Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt, Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio and Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson are vying for two vacancies in the 23rd District created by Sen. Marcia Karrow’s victory Saturday and Doherty’s decision to forego his assembly seat to run against Karrow in the une Republican primary.

• Karrow wins Senate seat; calls for unity as Doherty vows to fight her in primary
• Voting underway now in Clinton in a larger context as Lonegan makes an appearance
• Karrow presents herself as rural and local
• Doherty presents himself as the fiscal and social conservative
• Nominating speeches moments away
• It has begun
• Republicans to fill Lance seat today
• With a Senate primary comes two contested Assembly seats
• More than 40 GOP County Committee members didn't show up to elect a new Senator
• Assemblymen beating Senators in primaries are rare
• Karrow will serve on Appropriations Committee
• Next up: the race for Karrow's Assembly seat
• Will Doherty give up his Assembly seat for a second shot at Karrow?
• 25% of Senate entered through special election

Hunterdon County Freeholder Matthew Holt is seeking Marcia Karrow's seat in the State Assembly.

If Mike Doherty follows through on his threat to challenge Marcia Karrow in the 2009 Senate primary, it means both candidates might recruit State Assembly candidates to run on their ticket in the 23rd district.  Karrow will almost certainly run on the Hunterdon Republican organization line, and Warren has no line in GOP primaries.

Republicans will hold a special election convention to fill Karrow's Assembly seat.  Two Hunterdon County Freeholders, Matthew Holt and Erik Peterson, are among the candidates, and the results of Saturday's Senate election show a clear advantage for a Hunterdon-based candidate.  The loser of that contest could have another shot at the Assembly, if Karrow opts to run an all-Hunterdon ticket.

Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson, with U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance, is one of the candidates for Marcia Karrow's seat in the State Assembly.

The Republican County Committee in District 23 must now schedule a second special election convention to fill the State Assembly seat of Marcia Karrow, who was elected to the State Senate today.  There are already three announced candidates: Hunterdon County Freeholders Matthew Holt and Erik Peterson, and Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio.  Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck is also mulling an Assembly bid.  Karrow won the seat with 58% of the vote, which demonstrates a clear advantage for a Hunterdon-based candidate.

A new State Senator will be elected on Saturday to replace newly-elected U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton).

Tomorrow is Election Day in Hunterdon County, where Assemblyman Michael Doherty and Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow will face off in a special election convention to replace Leonard Lance as the State Senator from the 23rd district. Lance resigned his State Senate seat earlier this month to take his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Doherty is widely considered to be the front runner, but insider contests decided by County Committee members can produce some surprises in a race where no polling of a finite universe of voters has been conducted.  Either way, District 23 Republican County Committee members will need to return soon to fill the soon-to-be vacant Assembly seat of the winner.  Three Freeholders - Matthew Holt and Erik Peterson of Hunterdon and John DiMaio of Warren - are already announced candidates for the Assembly.  A fourth candidate, Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck, is also mulling an Assembly bid.