Joseph Pennacchio

Morris County Republicans traditionally don't hold grudges, which might make it a little easier for Jay Webber as he embarks on a bid to win a State Assembly seat in the 26th district. If he wins, Webber -- who ran a strong race for State Senate against Robert Martin in 2003 -- would join a long list of public officials who won after taking on incumbents in a GOP primary.

Rodney Frelinghuysen challenged Republican incumbent James Courter in the 1982 congressional primary and then won a State Assembly seat in 1983 after ousting Republican Assemblyman William Bishop in the primary.

Joseph Pennacchio, who is the heavy favorite to succeed Martin in the Senate next year, launched his political career by running against Congressman Dean Gallo in the 1984 primary. That was a particularly nasty race, especially since Gallo -- unbeknownst to Pennacchio -- was suffering from cancer. Pennacchio went on to win races for Freeholder and State Assembly.

Michael Patrick Carrolll took on Frelinghuysen and incumbent Arthur Albohn in a 1993 primary for State Assembly before winning the seat in 1995. Rick Merkt ran against incumbent Anthony Bucco in 1995 and won the seat in 1997. John Inglesino ran against Carroll in 1997 and later won a seat on the Morris County Board of Freeholders.

REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERS REJECT MASSIVE TTF BORROWING SCHEME
ENCOURAGE LEGISLATURE TO ADOPT AMENDMENTS TO MAKE THE PLAN MORE FISCALLY AND ETHICALLY SOUND

Kean, Rice, Pennacchio, Munoz: Public Policy Regarding Needle Exchange Programs Must Be the Responsibility of the Legislature
Legislators Withdraw Suit Noting Expiration of McGreevey Executive Order

Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr., Senator Ronald L. Rice, Assemblyman Dr. Joseph Pennacchio, and Assemblyman Dr. Eric Munoz today announced that they had withdrawn their lawsuit challenging the former governor’s right to circumvent the legislative process noting that Governor McGreevey’s 2004 Executive Order instituting a pilot syringe access program in New Jersey had become “null and void� on December 31, 2005.

Joseph Pennacchio has filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission as a candidate for the Republican nomination for State Senator in 2007. Pennacchio, an Assemblyman, wants to succeed Robert Martin, who has announced he will not seek re-election. The conventional wisdom is that Pennacchio will have a relatively easy path to the Senate, with steep competition for his Assembly seat. Possible candidates to succeed him include: attorney Jay Webber, who ran a strong race against Martin in the 2003 primary; Richard DeAngelis, who managed John Murphy's campaign for Governor; Kinnelon Councilman Larry Casha, who ran against Pennacchio in a 2001 special election convention when Carol Murphy resigned to become a BPU Commissioner; and Chatham Councilwoman Cordelia Fuller. Some Republicans speculate that there could be two open Assembly seats in this district, if 69-year-old Alex DeCroce decides to retire.

Joseph Pennacchio, a conservative State Assemblyman from Morris County, said today that he will not seek the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2006. Instead, Pennacchio will run for an open State Senate seat in the 26th district and plans to endorse Thomas Kean, Jr. for the U.S. Senate. Pennacchio had been exploring a Senate bid against Jon Corzine before James E. McGreevey resigned as Governor in August 2004.