Michael Doherty

The Express-Times has endorsed Republican Michael Doherty for State Senate in the 23rd district, saying that his "record of budget-cutting and advocating for limited government" will help the Legislature deal with "deficit spending that has gotten out of control."  Doherty defeated incumbent Marcia Karrow in the June primary, and now faces Democrat Harvey Baron in a November 3 special election.  The winner will fill the remaining 26 months of the Senate seat Leonard Lance left vacant following his election to Congress. 

The New Jersey State Association of Pipe Trades has endorsed Gov. Jon Corzine for a second term. 

Publicly, Senate Republicans are saying they have voted to support Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) for Senate President, but privately it became clear in a private meeting of the GOP caucus today that there is no support for any deal to help Richard Codey (D-Roseland) forge a bi-partisan coalition to win re-election as Senate President.  Indeed, more than half of the seventeen Republican Senators seem to prefer Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford), the current Majority Leader, sources say.

Kean was unopposed for re-election as the Senate Republican Leader.  Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford), who ousted an incumbent in the Republican primary last June and is the likely winner in next month's special election for an unexpired term, participated in the Republican meeting. (He abstained on the vote for Kean.)  Joseph Adolf, the Republican Senate candidate in the District 6 special election, was not invited to attend the Senate GOP reorganization meeting and strategy session.  Few Republicans expect Adolf to oust incumbent James Beach (D-Voorhees).

Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.)

Forty-six days until election day, state Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) and state Senate candidate Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) are dug in with their respective gubernatorial candidates. Doherty attended a Warren County Christie campaign headquarters the other night, and Sweeney welcomes Gov. Jon Corzine to South Jersey on Tuesday.

"This race is the economy," said Doherty, a supporter of Republican challenger Chris Christie, and a heavy favorite to win his general election contest on Nov. 3rd.

"The people of New Jersey are going to decide whether they are better off now than four years ago," argued Doherty. "This is a governor who sold himself as a businessman who was going to work to improve the business climate. He has failed utterly in that regard. If you could pick a spot anywhere in the world to have thriving economy, you'd say this is pretty good spot. We have ports, we're right between Philadelphia and New York, in an area that should be great for jobs, with tremendous resources. But the economy here is lagging so far behind neighboring states, it's embarrassing - and painful."

On a Senate Republican conference call yesterday to discuss the politics of the race for Senate President, Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) represented the 23rd district and not the incumbent Senator, Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan Twp.).  Doherty narrowly defeated Karrow in the June GOP primary, and is viewed as a sure winner in his general election bid against Democrat Harvey Baron.

The NFL Giants office building on Route 3, built by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority on the Meadowlands site.

As State Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove) prepares to introduce legislation that will stop professional sports teams who don't use New Jersey on their uniforms from receiving any public dollars, two key lawmakers today praised the New Jersey Devils for their state pride.

"The New Jersey Devils are a class organization who have made our great state their home. And we share in the pride that the words ‘New Jersey' represents in their name," said State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge).

Teams that play in New Jersey and don't use "NJ" on their uniforms are beginning to face criticism from public officials.  Earlier this week, O'Toole slammed the Nets for their decision to remove "NJ" from their team uniforms while on the road. 

Vitale is objecting to a super-sized "NY" that appears on the side of a Meadowlands office building that a state agency built for the Giants.

"It is my hope that the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority will feel that same level of pride and recognition that we all do by removing the ‘NY' logo from a building that real New Jerseyans have mostly paid for," Vitale told PolitickerNJ.com.

Last year, Assembly Majority Conference Leader Joan Quigley (D-Jersey City) strongly objected when the NY/NJ Metro Stars changed their team name to Red Bull New York after taxpayers helped the soccer franchise finance a $165 million stadium in Harrison.

"I've got to hand it to the Devils for not only making New Jersey home, but doing it with pride as other teams have kicked New Jersey around, even as they benefited from support from New Jersey fans and taxpayers," Quigley said.

But Gov. Jon Corzine said he is unlikely to support legislation to tie state funding to team uniforms.

"It would be an overreaction for us to demand that they put the logos on their jerseys. Would there be an advertising value for us if they put 'New Jersey' on their jerseys? Yes," Corzine told PolitickerNJ.com.

Another legislator, Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) says that he opposes the use of public funds to subsidize any professional sports teams, no matter what.

"I hope the Nets stay in New Jersey and we should not use any tax dollars to support professional sports teams regardless of whether they use New Jersey of their logo or not," said Doherty.

Assuming Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) wins the November special election for State Senate in District 23, he would be sworn in to replace Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) immediately upon the certification of his election.  It will be Doherty, not Karrow, who votes during the lame duck session of the New Jersey Senate.

State Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) was the only incumbent legislator defeated in the 2009 primary election, losing the Republican primary to Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) by a 1,001 votes,  52%-48% margin.  This marks a comeback of sorts for Doherty, who gave up his Assembly seat to challenge Karrow after losing a January special election convention to her by a 58%-42% margin. 

Doherty will now face Democrat Harvey Baron in a November special election to fill the remaining 26 months of the Senate seat left vacant in January when Leonard Lance left to take his seat in Congress.  Doherty, one of the Legislature's most conservative members, is the overwhelming favorite to win the seat.  He would replace Karrow as soon as the November election results are certified.

Doherty beat Karrow by 527 votes in his home county, Warren, and by 472 votes in Hunterdon, Karrow's home county and where she had the organization line.  

Look for a possible upset in northwestern New Jersey: sources say that State Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) is trailing Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) in the race for the GOP State Senate nomination in District 23, according to Karrow's internal polling.  This would be a stunning comeback for Doherty, who won just 42% against Karrow in a January special election convention after Leonard Lance resigned to take his seat in Congress.

Keep an eye on District 23, where Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) is challenging State Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan).  Karrow beat Doherty rather easily in a January special election convention after Leonard Lance left the Senate to take a seat in Congress.  But Doherty has traditionally been a strong vote getter in GOP primaries in this Hunterdon-Warren district.  Karrow has more money, the line in Hunterdon (there is no line in Warren) and the advantages of incumbency, but Doherty has an exceptionally strong base among conservatives and could benefit from a strong turnout among supporters of GOP gubernatorial candidate Steven Lonegan. 

The winner of the primary will run in a November special election to complete the remaining 26 months of Lance’s term.

In the State Assembly primary, Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown), who won a special election convention to replace Karrow, and Hunterdon County Freeholder Erik Peterson are running together.  They face Edward Smith, who is Doherty’s Chief of Staff.

State Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) has raised twice as much as her GOP primary opponent, Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) in the race for State Senate in the 23rd district.  The two will face off on June 2 for the second time this year in a special election for the seat of Leonard Lance, who resigned in after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Karrow has raised $99,136 and has $67,048 cash on hand.  Doherty has raised $49,318 and has $33,023 remaining in his war chest.