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Rev. Dale Glading, with his wife and son, is mulling a challenge to Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts in 2009

Dale Glading insists he’s not a glutton for punishment. But after getting crushed by Rob Andrews in ultra-Democratic 1st Congressional District last week, he’s thinking about making another run for office in a similarly Democratic district.

Glading, who runs a prison ministry and lives in Barrington, said that he may run against Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) and incumbent Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Camden) in the 5th Legislative District.

“I would never say never. I told my wife going in, or she told me rather, that it was one and done. But she’s expressed some interest in it,” said Glading. “At this point it’s up to God and my wife in that order.”

Democratic committees from the three counties that comprise the 1st Congressional District will meet tonight to put U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews back (D-Haddon Heights) on the ballot.

Pretty much everyone acknowledges that's a foregone conclusion.  Everyone, that is, except Andrews.

Andrews said that he doesn't take his candidacy for granted, and has reached out to over 500 county committee men and women from Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties.

"All I know is I've made an effort to reach out to as many county committee people as I can," he said.  "I just think people want to be asked, and these are the people that have been most instrumental in my political success.  The committee people are really the heart and soul of the party, and I wanted to make it known that I respect their judgment."

South Jersey Democrats will back Rob Andrews' return to the U.S. House of Representatives, but some members of the party leadership aren't entirely thrilled with Andrews' change of mind.  Sources with knowledge of party business say that Andrews' repalcement would have been South Jersey AFL-CIO President Donald Norcross, the Camden County Democratic Co-Chairman and the brother of South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross.  Donald Norcross had been prepared to enter the race for Congress sometime in early September.

Rob Andrews’ decision to return to the U.S. House of Representatives is not surprising, especially to those political insiders who suspected that he bought a special insurance policy back in April when he made a seemingly abrupt decision to challenge Frank Lautenberg in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary.  By negotiating a deal that designated his wife, Camille Andrews, as his replacement, Andrews created continued speculation that he would come back to Congress if he lost.  During the Senate campaign, and through most of the summer, Andrews insisted that he would not run for the House seat he’s held since winning a November 1990 special election; his constant Shermanesque statements were not taken seriously.