Mitt Romney

Rudy Giuliani won 66% of the vote at the Passaic County GOP convention today. Mitt Romney came in second with 17%.: Getty Images Photo
In New Jersey's first open convention of the 2008 campaign, the Passaic County Regular Republican Organization has endorsed Rudy Giulani for President.

Giuliani won 66% of the vote, garnering 77 out of the 117 votes cast. Mitt Romney came in second with 19 votes, followed by John McCain and Fred Thompson with seven each, Ron Paul with four and Mike Huckabee with three. Sam Brownback, Duncan Hunter, and Tom Tancredo failed to receive any votes.

Mitt Romney has announced members of his New Jersey Statewide Steering Committee who will join the group’s Chairman, State Sen. Joe Kyrillos.

-David Norcross, Co-Chair of Romney for President New Jersey

-Leonard Lance, State Senate Minority Leader

-Hersh Kozlov, lawyer and Romney for President National Finance Co-Chairman

-Adam Puharic, Monmouth County Republican Chairman

-Former Monmouth County Republican Chairman Bill Dowd

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is expected to release a list of the New Jersey endorsements today. Supporters are likely to include State Senator Joseph Kyrillos, Republican National Chairman David Norcross, Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, Morris County Assembly candidate Jay Webber, former Paterson Mayor Lawrence "Pat" Kramer. and former Republican State Committee Executive Director Brian Nelson.

Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton continue to hold strong leads among New Jersey primary voters, according to a new Strategic Vision poll released today. New Jersey's presidential primary is scheduled for February 5, 2008.

In the Republican primary, Giuliani leads Fred Thompson by a 51%-12% margin, followed by Mitt Romney at 9% and John McCain at 7%.

Among Democrats, Clinton leads Barack Obama, 49%-22%. John Edwards is at 8%.

The poll gives President George W. Bush an upside-down 20%-68% approval rating.

State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, chairman of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in New Jersey, said the former Massachusetts governor’s first place finish in an Iowa straw poll this weekend indicates that breadbasket voters are starting to get to know Romney.

"I think he’s attractive to GOP primary voters, but he doesn’t have a lot of name recognition," said Kyrillos, reiterating his longstanding belief that Romney will surge in places where voters see him up close. "It will take a number of months, but I do think he is doing very well in Iowa and New Hampshire because he’s spending time and resources there."

According to the Associated Press, Romney scored 4,516 votes, or 31.5 percent, to beat former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee who had 2,587 votes, or 18.1 percent, and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, third with 2,192 votes or 15.3 percent.

I was glad (and mildly surprised) to see that the last question at last night's Republican debate was about the role of centrists in the party.  I was disappointed that only three of the ten candidates were able to answer the question.  I was further dismayed by Congressman Duncan Hunter who scoffed at the question and categorically rejected the bipartisan approach to policy-making advocated by Governor Schwarzenegger.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would get a significant percentage of New Jersey votes if he ran for President, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll of likely voters.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads every Democratic presidential candidate in New Jersey, and enjoys a massive lead in New Jersey’s 2008 GOP primary, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Among Democrats, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has a 38%-16% lead over Sen. Barack Obama, with former Sen. John Edwards at 9%. Former Vice President Al Gore, who is not a candidate at this time, gets 12% in a New Jersey Democratic primary.

In general election matchups, Giuliani leads Clinton by nine points (49%-40%), Obama by ten points (48%-38%), and Edwards by seven points (48%-41%).

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rudy Giuliani enjoy massive leads among New Jersey primary voters, according to a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll released today.  Among Democrats, Clinton leads Barack Obama by a 41%-22% margin, with 13% for John Edwards.  Giuliani leads John McCain 49%-19% among GOP primary voters, with Mitt Romney receiving 6%.  

The Democrats have a definite gender gap: women back Clinton over Obama, 50%-16%, but among men, it is a virtual dead heat. Open voters who lean toward one of the major parties have a slight preference for McCain and Edwards. 

The New York Times has reported that Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance will support Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination. He would become the second State Senator to back Romney, joining Joseph Kyrillos, a former GOP State Chairman.