Kate Whitman

For those of you who don’t know, my daughter Kate is running for the open seat for Congress in the 7th District. I couldn’t be more proud of her, and of course I will vote for her. Unfortunately, some have been quick to judge her ­ both positively and negatively ­ on the single fact that she is my daughter. That’s why I want to share with you why Kate is more than just my daughter, and why she will make an excellent member of Congress.

Republican congressional candidate Kate Whitman has released a list of supporters from her home county of Somerset: Freeholder Rick Fontana and County Clerk Brett Radi, Bedminster Township Committeeman Bernie Pane, Bernards Township Committeeman Scott Spitzer, Bernardsville Vice Chair Paula Marasco, Bernardsville Councilwoman Charlotte Foster, Bernardsville Councilman Kevin Sooy, Bridgewater Councilman Matt Moench, Millstone Council President Bill Poch, Bedminster Municipal Chair Jim Bellis, Branchburg Municipal Chair Arlene Strege, Bridgewater Municipal Chair Chris

• In New Jersey’s February 5 primary, John McCain is the front runner, while Barack Obama has closed the gap on Hillary Clinton.  Obama and McCain are both in New Jersey on Monday, and Bill Clinton was here this week.  Dick Codey endorsed Obama. 
• Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin says he’ll allow people who voted for a candidate who dropped out to vote again.
• Rob Andrews and Jon Corzine like Bob Menendez for Vice President.
• Tom Kean, Jr. endorsed Leonard Lance for Congress, while Jon Bramnick and Eric Munoz are for Kelly Hatfield.  And this is a strange one: Michael Illions is backing Kate Whitman.
• Burlington Democrats say John Comegno should resign as Chairman of the Bridge Commission after being arrested for DWI.
• In case you missed it, Matt Friedman had a great story on Jim Saxton’s first run for Congress in 1984. And Max Pizaro’s story on the similarities between 1968 and 2008 is a must-read.
• Quote of the Week: “Bonnie Watson Coleman’s a good choice. So is Nia Gill. So is Shirley Turner. So are all the other Legislative Black Caucus Nubian queens.” – State Sen. Ronald Rice, on who Jon Corzine should pick for Lieutenant Governor in 2009.
• And PolitickerNJ.com celebrated our 8th birthday on February 1.

The race for the Republican nod to succeed Mike Ferguson in the seventh district is looking good for Leonard Lance – although that could change when he finally discloses how much money he has raised. The former Senate Minority Leader is the lone candidate from Hunterdon County, which has the largest percentage (38%) of Republican primary voters of the four counties in the seventh district. Lance will have the organization line in Hunterdon, where he appears exceedingly popular. If the field remains large – right now there are seven other candidates in the race – Lance’s plurality in Hunterdon alone should be enough to win the nomination.

The Seventh district Republican congressional race saw some new – and in some cases surprising – endorsements this morning.

Today Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. will appear with State Sen. Leonard Lance to promote him to replace outgoing Rep. Mike Ferguson.

But Kean’s two Assembly running mates, Minority Whip Jon Bramnick and Dr. Eric Munoz, announced today that they are backing former Summit Council President P. Kelly Hatfield for the seat.

Both Kean and Bramnick were early frontrunners to seek the seat, but they declined.

Kate Whitman is the daughter of former Gov. Christie WhitmanSeventh district congressional candidate Kate Whitman does not want to distance herself from her mother. But at a candidate forum on Thursday night, she did draw a distinction, describing herself as “more conservative than my mother.”

In terms of Kate Whitman’s candidacy, being the daughter of former two term Republican governor Christine Todd Whitman cuts both ways.

Whitman’s name recognition helped get her a place as one of the most high profile candidates in the crowded seventh district Republican field. And she managed to raise $200,000 during the first quarter of 2007 – more than any other candidate (even if some, like state Senator Leonard Lance, were not yet raising money). At least some of that money came from contacts made through her mother, though Whitman said that there are new donors as well.

• Conservative activist Steve Lonegan was arrested for protesting at Jon Corzine’s town hall meeting on Saturday.  Lonegan says the Attorney General retaliated by investigating him.
• During her campaign swing through North Jersey, Joe Ferriero endorsed Hillary Clinton. Clinton’s National Finance Co-Chair wants Bob Menendez as Vice President.
• A Quinnipiac New Jersey primary poll shows John McCain and Rudy Giuliani in a dead heat.        And McCain picked Bill Baroni as his N.J. campaign chairman.
• Leonard Lance says he’ll run for Congress, and Kate Whitman says she’s more conservative than her mother.
• The House Majority Leader supports congressional hearings on federal monitors and deferred prosecution agreements.
• Camille Fernicola is won’t seek a fifth term as Middlesex Freeholder, and Burlington Republicans pick Stacy Jordan as their new Freeholder.

Kate Whitman and Leonard Lance sought to affirm their conservative credentials at a forum for seventh district Republican congressional candidates in Clark last night. 

About eighty Republicans showed up to hear five of the contenders for the seat of four-term incumbent Mike Ferguson, who announced last year that he would not seek re-election.

Positioning himself as the social conservative in a field of pro-choice Republicans, Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks made it clear he is pro-life.

State Sen. Leonard Lance announced today that he will seek Rep. Mike Ferguson's seat in Congress: Getty Images Photo
State Sen. Leonard Lance entered the race for Congress today, brandishing his record of fiscal conservatism in Trenton as the campaign weapon that will set him apart from the slew of other potential Republican candidates for the seat and, if he wins the June primary, against Assemblywoman Linda Stender in a general election.

Lance, who's faced criticism from his own party for a gentlemanly, statesman-like manner that some members said made him a poor attack dog against Democrats, pledged that he would not change his ways, but would run an aggressive campaign nonetheless.

"For me this will be an optimistic and positive campaign -- the way I have always campaigned," he said.

GOP State Sen. Leonard Lance has scheduled a press conference on Wednesday morning on the steps of the historic Hunterdon County Courthouse, to declare his candidacy for U.S. Congress in the 7th district.