Rob Andrews appears to be entering the race for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, even though a DSCC poll shows him 35-points behind incumbent Frank Lautenberg. The ten-term Congressman from South Jersey had a rough day yesterday after expected endorsements from Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero and State Sens. Raymond Lesniak and Brian Stack failed to materialize (Ferriero, under considerable pressure, is now backing Lautenberg), but he’s staged a comeback with support from Newark powerhouse Steve Adubato, Jr., labor leaders Ray Pocino and Frank Spencer, three State Senators from Middlesex County, and State Sen. Paul Sarlo, a close Ferriero ally, who will back Andrews after an official announcement of candidacy.  Look for Stack and Lesniak to move to Andrews now that they have some cover, as well as Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Edison Mayor Jun Choi and more local officials from Middlesex.

Sources say that Assemblywoman Linda Stender, the expected Democratic nominee for Congress for the open 7th district seat, will endorse Frank Lautenberg for re-election to the U.S. Senate today.  Like the six Democratic Congressmen that announced their support of Lautenberg yesterday, Stender will reportedly commit to running on a line with Lautenberg, no matter where that line is. 

Rob Andrews is having a tough second day as a candidate for the United States Senate.  A promised endorsement from Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has fallen through – he can thank Steve Rothman for that – and all six of his Democratic House colleagues endorsed Frank Lautenberg, saying that they would run with him even in places where Andrews might have the organization line.  A pending endorsement from State Sen. Brian Stack, the Mayor of Union City, is not looking good, and State Sen. Raymond Lesniak – viewed as a possible Andrews backer – is keeping his endorsement to himself, at least so far today.  Andrews’ most public backer was Frank Spencer, the powerful head of the Carpenters union.

U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews’ campaign manager from his 1997 run for governor today said if Andrews were to challenge U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg he would need the line in two northern counties.

“In the gubernatorial campaign, we had the line in seven southern counties and Hudson, and it was just not quite enough,” said Pat Politano, reflecting on Andrews’s loss to Jim McGreevey.

There is considerable speculation among Democrats that Rob Andrews is about to secure some major endorsements for his U.S. Senate bid against Frank Lautenberg – possibly including State Senators Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Brian Stack (D-Hudson), and Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero.  Update: Ferriero is faving tremendous pressure to back Lautenberg.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak says he'll step down from the Senate today
State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, who has represented Union County in the Legislature since 1977 and is one of the state’s most powerful lawyers and political powerbrokers, said today that he would retire from the Senate.

“There’s nothing left for me to accomplish,” Lesniak said in a statement released early this morning that is certain to shock the political world.

Assemblymen Neil Cohen and Joseph Cryan, the Democratic State Chairman, could face-off in a Special Election Convention for the District 20 Senate seat later this month.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. says that comments by a senior Democratic legislator, Raymond Lesniak, suggesting that Gov. Jon Corzine’s toll hike plan is dead, means the state should look for a budget that doesn’t rely on revenues from toll increases. 
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“Prominent Democrat Senators have now pronounced as DOA in the Senate any gas tax increase, any toll increases for debt, and now the Governor's ill advised and quite likely unconstitutional PBC. It's clear that the members of his own party are now following of the lead of republicans in the legislature in rejecting the Governor's vision,” Kean said in a statement released today.

State Senator Raymond Lesniak, one of the state’s most powerful political insiders and perhaps the New Jerseyan with the closest and longest personal ties to the Clinton family, seems to think Barack Obama will be the 2008 Democratic nominee for President.  "It's over,” Lesniak told Home News columnist Rick Malwitz. 

New Jersey Democrats News Release

www.njsendems.com & www.assemblydems.com

COHEN/CRYAN/RAMOS/LESNIAK INTRO BILL TO PERMANENTLY DESIGNATE OCTOBER HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

(TRENTON) - Assemblymen Neil M. Cohen, Joseph Cryan, and Ruben J. Ramos, Jr., today announced the introduction of legislation that would statutorily designate each October as "Hispanic Heritage Month" in New Jersey.

Senator Raymond J. Lesniak announced he will sponsor an identical version of the legislation in the Senate.

Donald Payne, the only African American to ever represent New Jersey in the U.S. Congress, announced his support of Hillary Clinton for President on New Year’s Day.  Payne’s endorsement is noteworthy because Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who has not yet committed to backing Payne for re-election to an eleventh term, is one of Barack Obama’s leading supporters in New Jersey.  If Clinton carries Newark in the February 5 New Jersey primary, it could be viewed as Booker’s second loss in eight months (the first was Ronald Rice’s victory in the District 28 State Senate primary; Rice is a Clinton supporter.)