LD-23

Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt has decided to run for reelection rather than make a bid for the state assembly in the Republican primary.

“We had three good candidates, and we had a decision reached by those folks. I’m not going to question that decision. It is what it is.  You move on,” he said.  “I have a lot of things I’m working on at the county level and I really enjoy my job.”

Holt initially wanted to run for state senate in a special convention against Assembly members Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) and Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) to fill the seat of newly elected U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton).  Karrow won that contest, but Doherty plans to challenge her again in the June primary, leaving his assembly seat open.  After dropping out before the state senate convention, Holt decided to run for Karrow’s old assembly seat, but came in third behind Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio and fellow Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson at a follow-up convention.

Raritan Twp. Mayor Richard O'Malley, on the occasion of his being sworn in Friday.

Two mayors from Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow’s (R-Raritan) native Hunterdon County have endorsed her rival, Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp), for the state senate seat being vacated by Congressman-elect Leonard Lance (R-Clinton).

Newly sworn-in Raritan Township Mayor Richard O’Malley and Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck both cited Doherty’s conservative credentials as the reason for their decisions to endorse him over Karrow.

“Mike Doherty is a Reagan conservative who always stands up for our values in Trenton. Whenever I need help as a Mayor, I know that I can count on Mike to respond immediately and in an effective manner,” said Peck.

Warren County Clerk Pat Kolb today endorsed Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) for state senate.

“Mike always supports the little guy. When the chips are down, you can count on Mike to do what is right and fair for the people. Mike is a man of great integrity and he has my wholehearted support for State Senate,” said Kolb in a statement.

Hunterdon County Web site

Peterson being sworn in by Lance, his political mentor

In an otherwise tough year for Republicans, Congressman-elect Leonard Lance (R-Flemington) gave the party a much-needed victory in the Garden State.  Now, a year after being ousted from his post as state Senate minority leader, Lance has built up considerable political capital.

Which is good for Hunterdon County Freeholder Director Erik Peterson, a personal friend of Lance’s who’s considering running for the Assembly seat in the 23rd Legislative District.

“Leonard Lance is wildly popular in his district.  His big win in the congressional race was due largely to overwhelming support in the part of that congressional district that’s in his legislative district in Hunterdon County.  The Lance name is a force to reckoned with in Hunterdon County going back more than a century,” said Monmouth University professor and pollster Patrick Murray.  “That’s going to carry a lot of weight, particularly in Hunterdon County….  In the Hunterdon County part that’s the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”

In the 23rd Legislative District’s battle of endorsements, assemblywoman and state senate candidate Marcia Karrow (R-Flemington) today announced the support of nine mayors from Warren County municipalities.

Karrow is competing with fellow Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) and Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt for the state senate seat being vacated by Congressman-elect Leonard Lance (R-Clinton).

The mayors are Robert Resker (Allamuchy Township), Bonnie Butler (Franklin Township), Thomas Charles (Frelinghuysen Township), Kevin Duffy (Township of Hardwick), Robert Giordano (Independence Township), John Inscho (Liberty Township), Ellen Nerback (Township of Mansfield), Harry Wyant, Jr. (Phillipsburg) and Marianne Van Deursen (Borough of Washington).

There are 22 municipalities in Warren County, 16 of which have partisan-elected Republican mayors.

When Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.), who’s running for state senate, saw a press release showing 14 Hunterdon County mayors lining up behind Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-Flemington) for the seat yesterday, he assumed there was a reason for it.

It wasn’t because they’re from Karrow’s native county, while Doherty is from neighboring Warren County. Rather, Doherty said it was because he introduced a bill early this year that seeks to expand the “Lance Amendment” – which bans state borrowing without voter approval – and expand it to municipalities and county governments.

“I’ve never got so much feedback from elected officials saying stay out of our business, we’re going to make these decisions, and Marcia Karrow is adamantly opposed to that issue,” said Doherty.

www.co.hunterdon.nj.us

Holt being sworn in as freeholder by state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), who he now hopes to succeed

Calling himself as a fiscal conservative and social moderate in the mold of state Sen. Leonard Lance and former state Sen. Bill Schluter, Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt formally declared his candidacy for state senate in the 23rd district today to local municipal chairs and elected officials.

“It is time that the traditional Republican principles of low taxes, responsible government, transparency and impeccable integrity become the hallmarks of New Jersey governance,” wrote Holt in a letter to Republican county committee members from Hunterdon and Warren that's set to widely distributed tomorrow. “As your State Senator, I will pledge total commitment to these principles.”

Holt, the grandson of former U.S. Sen. Clifford P. Case, joins Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) of Warren County and Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-Flemington), a fellow Hunterdon County resident, in the race to succeed state Sen. Leonard Lance, who was just elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Hunterdon County Web site

Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-Flemington) is reaching out to county committee members in Warren County to enlist support for her state Senate bid, but that’s about as much as she will say.

“I’ve had an extremely encouraging response. I’m going to continue working my plan.  I  told you this before, I’ll tell you again: I’m not going to campaign in the press.  Others can do that if they want to.”

Karrow, a Hunterdon County native, is just entering what is certain to be a hotly contested state senate race to replace Congressman-elect Leonard Lance in the 23rd District, the first part of which will be decided by a joint vote of the Hunterdon and Warren County committees.  Karrow’s main rival, Assemblyman Michael Doherty (D-Washington Township) is hoping to unite Warren County Republicans behind him and cut into Karrow’s Hunterdon County votes. 

Peterson (left) in 2007, after Lance (right) swore him in as a freeholder

Outgoing state Sen. Leonard Lane (R-Clinton) is not willing to endorse a successor for his seat, but he is helping a candidate for one of the assembly seats that’s going to open up in his legislative district.

Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson is likely to run for assembly, and Lance, who’s moving up to the House of Representatives next month, is helping him plot his campaign.

“I am very interested, and I am currently working with my political mentor and friend, Leonard Lance, on preparing on making a formal announcement and kicking off my campaign for the seat,” Peterson told PolitickerNJ.com today. 

From right: Garrett, Doherty and U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-Warren Township) (source: njtrl.org)

Assemblyman and state senate candidate Michael Doherty (R-Washington Township) continued to shore up his conservative credentials today, rolling out the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage.)

“I have worked with Mike for many years, first in the state legislature and now as a Congressman, and he has consistently fought for smaller government, less regulation and lower taxes,” said Garrett, who recently fended off a well-funded challenge to win reelection by a slightly greater margin than in 2006. “Mike is a strong supporter of the Constitution, and he has been consistently endorsed by pro-business groups as a result of his record in the state legislature.”

Doherty is running to replace state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), who will join Garrett in New Jersey’s Republican congressional delegation in January. Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-Flemington) is also running, and Hunterdon County Freeholder Matt Holt is considering a bid.