NJ-07

Democrat: If Frank Lautenberg wins re-election, he will become the first five-term United States Senator in New Jersey history. But to become the Democratic nominee in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to the United States Senate since 1972, Lautenberg must first win a bitter primary contest against Rob Andrews, a ten-term Congressman from South Jersey who his 34 years his junior. The race is very much about Lautenberg’s age (84) – the controversy about the debates is a metaphor for the “Lautenberg is too old” campaign – and about Andrews’ record on Iraq (perhaps a little hawkish for some New Jersey Democrats). Lautenberg has more money and organizational support, although Andrews is competitive in the fundraising area and has added a few key endorsements (though not organization lines) in Central and North Jersey, and some important labor backing. Lautenberg has never been passive when it comes to political campaigns, and his TV commercials are hard-hitting. He needs to get through the next couple of weeks without a mistake that might highlight his age – clearly the reason he’d rather suffer news reports that he won’t debate than one about a stumble. Leans Lautenberg

Republican: The good news is that the GOP field has settled down -- it’s been almost a month since a new Republican candidate entered the race for the United States Senate; the bad news is that the three contenders – former Rep. Dick Zimmer, State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, and Ramapo College professor Murray Sabrin – are having trouble raising money and diverting attention from the hot Democratic primary. With just a few weeks to go, Republican voters still don’t know who much about the candidates. The GOP primary is a contest between Zimmer and Pennacchio – and not Sabrin, the leader of Ron Paul’s New Jersey campaign; both have several important organization lines. Zimmer, who had been a prodigious fundraiser when he served in Congress in the 1990’s, needs to raise money quickly to secure the chance to run in the general election. Pennacchio needs to win a huge margin in his home county, Morris, which produces more votes in a Republican primary than any other county in the state. Toss-Up.

Mayor Martin Marks, Republican candidate for Congress in the Seventh District, has won the endorsement of New Jersey’s largest and oldest pro-life political action committee - New Jersey Right to Life PAC

Democratic congressional candidate John AdlerJohn Adler is the richest open seat congressional candidate in the nation, according to a report from Congressional Quarterly.

Adler, a Democrat, has approximately $1 million on hand in his quest for the open seat of retiring Republican Rep. Jim Saxton. Adler is unchallenged in the June 3rd Democratic primary, while three Republicans are enmeshed in a tough primary fight to take him on.

Meanwhile, 7th district Democratic candidate Linda Stender is the fourth richest open seat challenger, with about $845,000 on hand. Stender also faces no opposition in the primary, but there are seven Republicans competing for that party’s nomination, the richest of whom has amassed a little over one-third of Stender’s war chest.

Scotch Plains Mayor Marty Marks won the endorsement of New Jersey Right to Life for his 7th district congressional run.

Marks, a dentist who is running to the right of six other candidates in the hotly contested Republican primary, used the pro-life endorsement to bolster his conservative credentials. 

“This endorsement will provide a strong base of voters in both the primary and general election from which he can build for victory.  NRTL-PAC will utilize its various resources to help elect Martin Marks to Congress,” said the group’s director, Marie Tasy.

State Sen. Leonard Lance is the front-runner in his bid for the GOP nomination for Congress in the 7th district
Leonard Lance doesn’t like to use the F-word, but some pundits say it applies to him in his bid for the Republican nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 7th district.

“I never use the word ‘frontrunner’,” said Lance, a veteran State Senator from Hunterdon County. “I think it’s a dangerous word, and I campaign as vigorously as I can.”

While Kate Whitman, the daughter of former Gov.Christine Todd Whitman, has raised the most money in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Mike Ferguson, Lance appears to have raised enough to assuage doubts about his fundraising prowess. And he has secured the organization lines in two counties where 67% of Republican primary voters live.

As of the end of last month, Lance had raised $294,130 – which includes a $100,000 personal loan -- and has $255,654 on hand for the primary. Whitman has taken in $444,433 and has $307,260 on hand, although about $50,000 of that is from maxed out donations and must be set aside for the general election.

Take a look at Mike Ferguson's most recent campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission.  Ferguson announced in November 2007 that he would not seek re-election to a fifth term.

Three of the four top contenders for the Republican nomination for Congress in the seventh district have made substantial contributions to their campaigns.  State Sen. Leonard Lance has loaned $100,000 to his House campaign – nearly one-third of the $294,130 he has raised so far.  Former Summit Council President Kelly Hatfield, who has the organization line in Union County, loaned her campaign $55,813 – more than half of the $106,293 she’s brought in so far.  Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks has raised $123,340 – which includes a $75,000 personal loan.  Kate Whitman has raised $434,283, which includes a personal contribution (not a loan – that means she can’t get it back) of $4,600.

In an announcement that could likely impact races for open House seats in New Jersey’s 3rd and 7th district, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today that they have over $44 million cash-on-hand and no debt – which gives them a substantial financial advantage over Republicans for two seats currently held by Republicans.  The National Republican Congressional Committee has not released their most recent fundraising numbers, but earlier this month they had around $5 million on hand and nearly $2 million in debt.

In determining who among the crowded field of seventh district Republican congressional candidates is the frontrunner, the question may be what counts more: money or county lines.

From the moment state Sen. Leonard Lance entered the race, the conventional wisdom has been that he leads the pack. And, without so much as acknowledging that he is the frontrunner, Lance has done much to reinforce that status, winning the party line in his native Hunterdon County, along with Somerset County.

The combination of those two counties accounts for about 70% of the district’s Republican primary vote, and Lance’s win in Somerset is particularly compelling because it’s home turf for his chief rival, Kate Whitman, along with several other lower-profile candidates.

Whitman has managed to win the line in Middlesex County – which comprises the smallest portion of the district and an even smaller portion of its Republican primary vote.

Proving the incredible strength and grassroots support behind her candidacy for New Jersey’s 7th District, Democrat Linda Stender announced today having raised nearly $1,040,000 for the cycle and $430,000 in the first quarter of 2008. As of March 31, Stender had $840,000 cash on hand.