George Gilmore

Congressman Christopher Smith will endorse Jack Kelly for Congress in the neighboring third district GOP primary, a move that insiders say is bugging his old friend, Jim Saxton.   Smith and Saxton have been allies since 1980, when Smith ousted a 13-term Democratic incumbent in a district that included Saxton’s hometown.  Saxton, an Assemblyman at the time, went to the State Senate in 1981, and after redistricting and the death of longtime GOP Congressman Edwin Forsythe, to Congress in 1984.  Saxton is backing Christopher Myers, the Deputy Mayor of Medford and a Vice President at Lockheed Martin.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani tomorrow will debut a television ad on Fox News that refocuses the campaign narrative on Sept. 11, 2001.

The former New York mayor remains New Jersey's Republican frontrunner in the race for president, with 38% support among GOP voters, or 26% more than the number two man in the Republican field here, Sen. John McCain, according to a Dec. 13th Quinnipiac University poll.

U.S. Congress candidate Jack KellyShortly after accepting the support of the Ocean County Republican Organization in his bid for U.S. Congress in the 3rd district, Freeholder Director Jack Kelly welcomed an unassuming man onto the platform to stand beside him in a display of GOP unity.

The man was Chris Myers, Kelly's primary election adversary from Burlington, who attended the event along with a small contingent of party operatives from across the county line.

"Despite any attempt of the press to make this a county versus county primary battle, I will do all in my power to make sure any primary challenge will be the one that seeks to elect the very best Republican countywide... because that is our common goal," said Kelly, a 56-year old former mayor of Eagleswood for 11 years and 15-year veteran of the freeholder board.

He yielded the microphone to Myers, 43, Medford Township's deputy mayor, a vice president at Lockheed Martin, and decorated combat veteran of the Gulf War, who kept the line of fire trained on next November's Democratic opponent, state Sen. John Adler of Cherry Hill.

Ocean County Republicans will hold a screening committee meeting on Saturday morning to meet the candidates for Jim Saxton’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In Ocean County, where GOP Chairman George Gilmore rules firmly, an endorsement from the screening committee is almost tantamount to a victory at the open county GOP convention – which will be held on Monday night.

The likely Burlington County candidate, Medford Deputy Mayor and Lockheed Martin Vice President Christopher Myers, plans to screen in Ocean – sources say that former GOP State Chairman David Norcross will not appear before the screening committee, a strong indication that he has decided not to run.  Insiders

Republican Assembly Brian Rumpf withdrew his name today for consideration to run for outgoing U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton’s seat.

In a letter to Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, Rumpf said that he would prefer to remain a member of the state legislature.

"This year’s recent election shed even greater light on the myriad of serious issues currently confronting our state that residents want addressed. Out of respect for the voters who chose me to continue representing them in the State Assembly, I am committed to serving in the State Legislature as an active advocate for my constituents,” wrote Rumpf.

Rumpf, however, left the door open to a possible congressional run “at some point in the future.”

Chris Myers has emerged as a leading candidate for Jim Saxton's seatIt looks like a primary in the third Congressional district may not be such a sure thing after all.

Not if Lockheed Martin Vice President Chris Myers, who lives in Burlington County, impresses members of the Ocean County Republican Party enough to win their endorsement.

Myers, who lives in Burlington County and is the presumptive favorite to get that county party’s nod for a congressional bid, has sent his resume to Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore and will participate in a candidate screening process this weekend.

The Ocean County Republican Committee will convene on Monday to vote on the candidate it will endorse to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton.

It looks like a primary fight is brewing in the third congressional district.  

While popular Burlington County state Senator Diane Allen continues to be the presumptive favorite for the Republican nomination for retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton’s seat, Ocean County is getting ready to field its own candidate.

George Gilmore, the Ocean County Republican chairman, has called a county committee convention to endorse a presidential candidate and, more importantly, its own congressional candidate.   The meeting is tentatively set for Monday, Dec. 10th.

David Watts, the Northeast Political Director of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign, held a meeting with about twenty key New Jersey supporters, including Senate Minority Leader-designate Thomas Kean and Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, on November 17 to discuss the exportation of volunteers to New Hampshire. Watts explained that the former New York City Mayor is the second choice of John McCain supporters. That prompted a discussion of McCain’s withdrawal, and a request that Gilmore ask New Jersey Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson, a McCain supporter, to call upon McCain to drop out of the race. Gilmore told the group he’s taking that “under advisement.” Kean’s father, former Governor Thomas Kean, Sr., endorsed McCain last week.

There seems to be two certainties in the race for Jim Saxton’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives:  that candidates from Burlington and Ocean counties will face off in a Republican primary, and that the GOP nominee will face a tough general election against State Senator John Adler, the likely Democratic nominee.

The GOP front runner is Diane Allen, a four-term GOP State Senator from Burlington and former TV news anchorwoman for the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia.  But Allen must first establish some form of détente with Burlington GOP leader Glenn Paulsen, with whom she is engaged in a fairly vicious intra-party battle, before she can expect to win a big plurality in her home county. 

Frank Lautenberg won't face Al Leiter in 2008, but the retired baseball player won't rule out 2014Retired baseball pitcher Al Leiter wants to set the record straight: he will not be a candidate to replace Jim Saxton in Congress next year.

The 42-year-old Ocean County native acknowledged his interest in seeking public office someday, and said that he appreciated the attention his potential candidacy has received since Saxton announced that he would not seek re-election.

"I'm not saying I'm not interested, but I'm also aware of what it takes and what the whole gain of it would be, and I'm not prepared for that at this time," Leiter told PoliticsNJ.com in a phone interview.