Michael Doherty

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.

There is some talk that Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) would emerge as the leading candidate for Lt. Governor, if Steven Lonegan wins the GOP gubernatorial primary and if Doherty fails to beat State Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) in the District 23 State Senate primary.  Doherty won't give up a State Senate nomination to run statewide.

If Lonegan and Doherty both win on June 2, look at former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano (R-Nutley) to emerge as a strong contender to be Lonegan's running mate.  DiGaetano was an early supporter of Lonegan, and could help unite the state GOP if the former Mayor of Bogota beats Christopher Christie for the Republican nod.  

The 55-year-old DiGaetano has a strong resume: businessman, naval reservist, nine-term Assemblyman, four-term Passaic City Councilman, and former Assembly Majority and Minority Leader.  He's also been through a statewide campaign as a candidate for the 2005 Republican nomination for Governor.  But DiGaetano might struggle to prove his conservative credentials to Lonegan supporters.  Despite his endorsement of Christie, State Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove), the Essex County GOP Chairman, actually enjoys a strong relationship with Lonegan and his top strategist, Rick Shaftan.  And O'Toole, who as Chairman of the Republican County Chairmen would play a pivotal role in uniting the party after the primary, can't stand DiGaetano.

Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher poses with Lonegan supporters in Clark.

CLARK – As the co-headliner of Steve Lonegan’s campaign rally and fundraiser on Tuesday evening, Samuel Wurzelbacher (aka Joe the Plumber) threaded the crowd, walked to the microphone under the big, packed tent and tried to invoke the same sleeves-rolled-up message he sought to embody on the Republican presidential campaign trail last year.

Whether by design as he amplifies an image of himself as an aw-shucks everyman while hocking his new book, or a genuine lump-in-the-throat of nerves in front of the big Lonegan crowd under the glare of television lights, he hardly presented Patrick Henry steeliness even as someone screamed, “Give ‘em hell, Joe.”  

“My message is a little more somber,” the iconic Ohioan told a tentful of 685 that had just feasted on sauerkraut, knockwurst, hotdogs, and hamburgers and washed it down with beer, accompanied by the guitar and horn wailings of a charged-up Shorty Long band. 

“I only recently got involved in speaking events,” said the proud Sarah Palin ally. “I enjoy it – don’t get me wrong. The question I asked Obama got me to this point. I’m a huge proponent of the fair tax and of principles in politics – principles in politics, it sounds like a contradiction in terms.”

Former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan has won the endorsment of the New Jersey Conservative Party Chairman.

New Jersey Conservative Party (NJCP) State Chairman Stephen Spinosa will "temporarily resign" his post because he has changed his party registration to Republican in support of Steve Lonegan's campaign for Governor.  Spinosa has urged the 45 voters registered as members of the New Jersey Conservative Party to change their registration to Republican and then change back after the June primary.   Spinosa says the NJCP has also endorsed Michael Doherty for State Senate, and Michael Patrick Carroll and Alison Littell McHose for Assembly.

Spinosa's statement, in entirety:

Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) has no intention of running for Governor as an Independent

Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford), who is challenging incumbent Marcia Karrow in the 23rd district State Senate primary, says he has absolutely ruled out filing as an Independent candidate for Governor.  There had been some speculation among Republicans that Doherty might file petitions on primary day to enter the gubernatorial race in the event that he loses the Senate primary and his preferred candidate in the GOP primary, Steven Lonegan, loses to Christopher Christie.

"That's ridiculous. Why the heck would I do that?  I intend to support to Steve Lonegan when he's running for governor in the fall," Doherty told PolitickerNJ.com.  Doherty, a four-term Assemblyman, says he is a Republican and would not consider challenging a GOP nominee as an Independent.

PolitickerNJ.com has prepared a Casualty List for the New Jersey Legislature for each year since 2001.

Fourteen-term Republican John Rooney, the senior member of the State Assembly, becomes the fifth legislator not seeking re-election in 2009.  Three Assemblymen are seeking another office: Richard Merkt (R-Mendham) is running for Governor; Michael Doherty (R-Washington) is seeking State Senate seat; and L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City) is a candidate for Mayor. Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D-Gloucester Township) is retiring. And Eric Munoz (R-Summit) passed away earlier this month at the age of 61.

Calling a donor group that supports pro-choice Republican women a “radical pro-abortion group,” Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) called on his primary opponent, state Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Hunterdon), to return donations from the fund.

At issue is $3,000 Karrow received for her assembly primary bids in 2001 and 2005 from The WISH List, and a 2001 $2,200 donation from its founder, pro-choice Republican activist Candace Straight.

“According to its mission statement, ‘The WISH List raises funds to identify, support and elect pro-choice Republican women at all levels of government – local, state and national.’” Said Doherty in a press release, “I find it amazing that Marcia Karrow is trying to fool the
voters of the district regarding her pro-abortion views. On top of that, she has the audacity to take thousands of dollars of campaign contributions from this radical pro-abortion group.”

In District 23, the Republican State Senate primary between incumbent Marcia Karrow and Assemblyman Michael Doherty is official. Both candidates have filed nominating petitions with the state Division of Elections.  Doherty’s slogans: Hunterdon County Republican Organization and Warren County Republican Organization.

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.