Joe Pennacchio

Senate candidate Joe Pennacchio hung on to the Hunterdon County Republicans' line tonight.

Pennacchio kept the prominent ballot spot, winning 34 votes to Zimmer’s 30 at a special county committee meeting.

It was the second time that Pennacchio won a county committee vote in Hunterdon County. In late February, he beat Anne Estabrook and Murray Sabrin to win the coveted ballot spot.

But after Hunterdon native Dick Zimmer entered the race last week, the county’s Republican chairman, Henry Kuhl, scheduled a special county committee meeting to vote on whether to change the county’s ballot placement.

Pennacchio wins Hunterdon County again

In his first head-to-head match up with Dick Zimmer Pennacchio scores a victory

For Immediate Release

Contact: Steve Kush 609-980-6714

For Immediate Release

Conntact: Steve Kush 609-980-6714

Pennacchio supports McCain plan

Republican Senate candidates Joe Pennacchio and Murray Sabrin have raised roughly equal amounts of money, but Pennacchio has a much larger cash reserve.

Pennacchio has raised $361,710 for his U.S. Senate candidacy so far -- including the two weeks that have passed since the Federal Election Commission's March 31st cut off date. At least some of that money was put in by Pennacchio, who said he didn’t know off the top of his head how much he’s donated to his own campaign. He currently has 279,081 cash-on-hand.

“The only thing I can tell you is this: compared to some of the other self-funding candidates, the money I’ve put in to date is not that significant,” said Pennacchio.

All three Republican Senate candidates will participate in a debate hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University next week.

Joe Pennacchio, Dick Zimmer and Murray Sabrin have all agreed to take part in the “give and take” forum moderated by Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine.

Less than a week after entering the Republican U.S. Senate race, former Rep. Dick Zimmer has won the endorsement of half of the state’s GOP congressional delegation.

Representatives Frank LoBiondo, Jim Saxton and Mike Ferguson all announced their support for Zimmer today, citing his fiscal conservatism. 

As former Congressman Dick Zimmer formally entered the Republican U.S. Senate race today, he essentially becomes the third candidate to fill a single candidacy.

First there was Anne Estabrook. Andy Unanue took her place after she suffered a minor stroke. Zimmer jumped in to the race after Unanue’s campaign disintegrated in less than three weeks.

Just as Unanue inherited most of the Estabrook campaign infrastructure – who had been paid a severance that lasted until the June primary while they waited for a candidate to take her place– Zimmer is poised to take over much of Unanue’s staff, including Campaign Manager Mark Duffy (though a few shake ups are expected).

For additional information contact:Steve Kush 609-980-6714

Camden County municipal Republican organization chooses Pennacchio