John Crowley

John Crowley, the bio tech millionaire from Princeton who spent several hours – twice – as a candidate for the 2008 GOP nomination for United States Senator, wants to use the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis next month to introduce himself to party leaders and opinion leaders.  Crowley is reportedly considering a run for Governor in 2009.  He has scheduled a posh party on a boat trip down the Mississippi River for Monday morning, the first day of the convention. The problem for Crowley is that his boat trip now conflicts with a scheduled convention session, which means that the key people he wanted to spend time bonding with won’t be available. 

As U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie prepares to run for Governor, he has the luxury of a clean slate ideologically: Getty Images Photo
Yesterday, when veteran Republican political operative Dan Gallic announced that he was forming an organization to draft conservative activist Steve Lonegan into the Governor's race next year, he lamented the candidates Republicans typically choose for statewide races as "weak-kneed wimpy moderates who believe in nothing and are afraid to throw a punch."

Today, Gallic said that language doesn't apply to the two other most high profile potential candidates next year: U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and biotech millionaire John Crowley.

"I was referring to the past slew of candidates who have lost by 9 or 10 points," said Gallic, who managed conservative State Sen. Joe Pennacchio's run for U.S. Senate earlier this year. "So far what I've seen is a far better group of candidates than the Republicans have put up in quite some time, all of which have no ties to the establishment at this point."

Biotech millionaire John Crowley is seriously considering bid for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2009 – although some GOP leaders seem skeptical of his intentions after his on again, off again bid for the United States Senate last spring.  But if Crowley runs, he could make a move for votes in the base of his likely rival, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.  Sources say that Morris County Freeholder John Murphy, an old-time Christie foe who ran for Governor in 2005, has told some friends that he might be for Crowley.

If the GOP’s long march of self-combusting U.S. Senate candidates failed to inspire a lot of rank and file Republicans, the brief flirtation Princeton businessman John Crowley had with a June Senate primary run held for some the more lasting promise of an "it" factor party champion.

The lineaments of the Crowley narrative were indeed compelling for Republicans.

Son of a cop who died in the line of duty; Naval Intelligence officer; Successful CEO; Young and devoted father who founded a biotech business to create a disease cure to save his children; Hollywood movie subject with a movie apparently due out next year, according to Republican sources.

Crowley’s would-be entry into the race had come under the radar, as Andy Unanue prepared for his return to New Jersey from the ski slopes of Colorado intent on claiming his party’s in absentia nomination.

A Republican group calling itself "Building the New Majority" has formed with former Congressional candidate Bill Spadea serving as president and John Crowley serving as the organization's honorary chairman.

A Princeton businessman, Crowley was a dream U.S. Senate candidate for a small, dedicated group of Republicans who with Spadea’s help sought to recruit him as a replacement for crackup GOP Senate candidate Andy Unanue.

Crowley backed out of contention hours before the state deadline for primary candidates, citing concerns about how his small business could proceed were he to pursue a full-time Senate campaign.

Mercer County Republicans tonight endorsed former Rep. Dick Zimmer for U.S. Senate.  In his first intra-party contest since joining the Senate race on Thursday, Zimmer defeated State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio by a 25-5 vote.  Murray Sabrin received two votes.  Zimmer, who represented part of Mercer as a state legislator and Congressman, will run on the organization line in the June 3 primary.

Last month, the Mercer GOP convention had authorized their Executive Committee to endorse a Senate candidate.  The organization had decided to endorse John Crowley, if he ran, and then Andy Unanue as a second choice.

MIDDLETOWN - Turbulence in the Republican Party caused state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) to more than once consider running for U.S. Senate in this current primary cycle.

He had a number of openings.

Citing health concerns, millionaire Anne Evans Estabrook last month dropped out of the Republican primary, sending the GOP scrambling to find a replacement. The party first recruited millionaire businessman Andy Unanue, while simultaneously trying to recruit millionaire businessman John Crowley.

Even after today’s filing deadline, it seems like everybody still wants to change the candidates in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. At least a few high ranking Republican activists are hoping that they can convince Goya Foods heir Andy Unanue to drop out, but his friend and advisor, Bergen County Republican Chairman Rob Ortiz, said that’s not going to happen.

“Andy has no intention of stepping down,” he said.

Unanue, entered the race just two weeks ago as the party’s darling but quickly fell from grace amidst questions about his residency and allegations stemming from an intra-family business dispute.

Some Republicans say that Unanue is upset at the national Republicans’ all out effort to push biotech millionaire John Crowley into the race, which went so far as to have John McCain and Rudy Giuliani call him and urge him to run.  What’s unclear is whether that anger will make Unanue more or less likely to forego his run.

According to Ortiz, however, Unanue isn’t mad.

Andy Unanue will file his nominating petitions for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination today, although his intention to continue his two week old candidacy remains uncertain after party leaders sought to push him out last week and anoint John Crowley.  Crowley turned it down – twice. Keep an eye on Unanue’s Committee on Vacancies – that group of three may have the power to put another candidate in the race.

Keep an eye on local filings at various County Clerk’s offices to see if Frank Lautenberg and Rob Andrews file full slates – including Freeholder candidates – in any of the counties where the other has the organization line. 

Look out for news on who will replace Andrews as the Democratic candidate for Congress in the first district.  Chances are it will be a placeholder – so that Democratic leaders can get together after the primary to pick a candidate.

Watch the tenth congressional district and see if anyone files to run against ten-term incumbent Donald Payne, who will be on the Lautenberg slate.  Over the weekend, some Democrats were talking about Mark Alexander, a Seton Hall Law Professor who works for Barack Obama.