Michael Doherty

FLEMINGTON -- Facing a string of recent U.S. House special election wins for Democrats in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi and uncomfortable reminders of nearly losing New Jersey's 7th Congressional District in 2006, Republicans gathered at state Sen. Leonard Lance's primary election night victory party on Tuesday said they were confident that the GOP would be able to hold on to the seat of retiring Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson in November.

"Demographics are destiny," state Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington) told PolitickerNJ.com at the American Legion hall in Flemington, in the heart of Lance's Hunterdon County base. Doherty said Democrat Linda Stender would have a difficult job capturing the reliably Republican congressional district, despite Stender's near defeat of Ferguson two years ago. The 7th district "was really drawn as a Republican district."

Republican U.S. Senate Murray Sabrin has declared war on the New Jersey Republican Party, calling for the resignation of GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson and pushing Assemblyman Mike Doherty as a possible replacement.

But that’s just the first step in Sabrin’s plan to completely tear down the New Jersey Republican Party’s establishment and build it anew, a process that includes running an entirely new slate of delegates and candidates for every single office on the ballot in the June primary.

"The Chairman's recent words and actions during this campaign have highlighted the lack of leadership at the top of the Republican Party in New Jersey,” Sabrin said. “Tom Wilson should immediately step down as Chairman before he causes any more harm to this fragile political party. I am asking Joe Pennacchio to join with me in asking for his resignation. We need a strong conservative like Assemblyman Mike Doherty to guide the GOP while we begin this rebuilding process."

Assemblyman Michael Doherty says he will introduce legislation to move the 2012 New Jersey presidential primary back to June, “so that New Jersey can save the $10.5 million expense of holding two separate primaries.”

Doherty supported Rep. Ron Paul, who won 5% of the vote in yesterday’s GOP primary.

With John McCain looking good in his bid to win New Jersey’s winner-take-all Republican primary tomorrow, the only real news – if it matters at all – is the battle for third place between Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee.  Independent polls have shown the two would-be contenders to be running virtually even, albeit in single digits.  Paul has the backing of Assemblyman Michael Doherty and U.S. Senate candidate Murray Sabrin, while Huckabee’s campaign received the endorsement of New Jersey Right to Life. 

After standing alongside his state legislative running mate, State Sen. Leonard Lance, to endorse his congressional bid, Assemblyman Mike Doherty made it clear that, if Lance goes to Washington, he’d like to succeed him in the state Senate.

But the district’s other Assembly member, Marcia Karrow, would like to move up to the as well – and she has the advantage of being from the Hunterdon County, which dominates the 23rd legislative district.  Doherty is from neighboring Warren County.

If Lance is sworn into Congress next January, the county committees from Warren and Hunterdon would hold a special election convention to replace him.  That could mean that Karrow gets the nod, although Doherty insists that he would win a primary against Karrow, just like he did for an open seat in 2001.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul continues to exceed expectations in the early presidential contests, holding his own with Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson in Iowa and New Hampshire.  Paul has an organization in New Jersey, albeit a small one, led by Assemblyman Michael Doherty, former gubernatorial candidate (and possible '08 U.S. Senate candidate) Murray Sabrin, and '04 congressional candidate George Ajjan.  This is the Libertarian wing of the New Jersey GOP, and insiders have always viewed that as a significant, though largely unorganized, block of voters.

Assemblyman Michael Doherty, a West Point graduate and former Army Captain who has a son in the military, says people in the military support Paul because they are tired of the United States serving as the world's policeman.

At the Ron Paul rally on Saturday, Assemblyman Michael Doherty denounces what he sees as the governor's secrecy around his asset monetization plan.

Led by prospective U.S. Senate candidate Murray Sabrin and roused by Assemblyman Michael Doherty, supporters of presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul held what they described as a liberty and freedom rally in Fort Lee today.

Assemblyman Mike Doherty returned a pro-business PAC contribution because the group gave to pro-labor DemocratsAngry about the New Jobs Political Action Committee’s donations to Democratic legislators and leadership PACs, Assemblyman Michael Doherty returned the $2,000 contribution the group gave to his Assembly campaign last month.

“The New Jobs PAC is selling out it members. Never before has the New Jersey business community been under assault as it is today,” said Dohrety. “How is the New Jobs PAC representing its member businesses when it endorses and supports anti-business candidates?”

Doherty was particularly upset that the group gave donations to Democratic leadership PACs and prominent Democrats like Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts and Senate President Richard J. Codey, who may post state Sen. Stephen Sweeney’s paid family leave act – a bill Doherty thinks is particularly anti-business. The group gave equal donations to Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce and the Republican leadership PACs.