New Jersey primary

There's still one big fish who has not endorsed a candidate in the 2008 Democratic presidential contest: U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg.  But Lautenberg's people say there is no chance the four-term Senator will pick between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama before tomorrow's New Jersey primary.

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy will be in New Jersey today, joining Barack Obama for a rally in a state that has become a horse race despite Hillary Clinton’s one-time 34-point lead.  The last two times New Jersey was relevant in the presidential nominating process were in 1980 and 1984.  In the 1980 primary, Kennedy won New Jersey 56%-38% over President Jimmy Carter.  In 1984, Walter Mondale won New Jersey by a 45%-30% margin over Gary Hart, with Jesse Jackson winning 24% of the vote.

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. 

Lionel Leach’s comment is really bugging supporters of Newark Mayor Cory Booker.  In an interview with PolitickerNJ.com on Friday, Leach, who identified himself as a spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Newark, said that one of the reasons Clinton has done so well gathering endorsements of Democratic officials is because they don’t like Booker.  "I think a lot more elected officials would have supported Barack Obama were it not for (Cory) Booker’s support of Obama,” Leach told PolitickerNJ.com’s Max Pizzaro.  Leach, a well-known Democratic operative, worked for U.S. Senator Robert Menendez until just recently.

Craig Romney, the youngest son of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, will campaign for his father in New Jersey today. Romney will make stops in Newark, Denville, Trenton, West Long Branch, Middletown and Belford.

U.S. Senate candidate Murray Sabrin gave his new stump speech at the Bergen County Republican headquarters on Saturday, while representing Ron Paul at a straw poll. 

A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll of likely Democratic primary voters has Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama 50%-34% in New Jersey’s February 5 Democratic presidential primary. Among likely GOP voters, John McCain has a 55%-23% lead over Mitt Romney, with 7% for Mike Huckabee and 3% for Ron Paul.

There are no plans to get Hillary Clinton back in New Jersey for Super Tuesday, but her campaign made the best of their New Jersey resources to start their final push towards the primary.

With the Barack Obama campaign gaining momentum in the state, Clinton's New Jersey all stars began their statewide bus tour this morning at the Brownstone Diner and Pancake Factor in downtown Jersey City - deep in the territory of Mayor Jerramiah Healy, one of Obama's chief backers. 

The rally was not completely without reminders of who the mayor of the town supports.  Just before the rally began, a white van sat out front with a sign on its side reading "Save America, vote Obama."  But before most of the Clinton-backing politicians arrived, the van drove off and its parking spot was filled by the SUV of the local congressman, Albio Sires.

Three days before the New Jersey primary, Hillary Clinton's lead has gone from 34 points to just 6: Getty Images Photo
Hillary Clinton’s lead over Barack Obama in New Jersey has narrowed to 44%-38%, according to a private poll commissioned by one of the state’s most powerful Democratic leaders, George Norcross. The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner on January 30-31, was distributed to some Norcross allies earlier this morning and obtained by PolitickerNJ.com.

Click here to view Stanley Greenberg's polling memo.

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced the endorsement of former members of Mayor Giuliani's New Jersey Leadership Team. Chairman George Gilmore of Ocean County served as Giuliani's State Chair and will now join John McCain's New Jersey Steering Committee. Mr. Gilmore will be joined by other former leaders of Mayor Giuliani's campaign in New Jersey, including U.S. Congressman Frank LoBiondo, former Governor Donald DiFrancesco and Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr.