Richard Merkt

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, with Scotch Plains Mayor Nancy Malool, at a GOP mixer earlier this month.

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie won a “non-binding” straw poll conducted by the Camden County Republican Committee (CCRC) at last night’s county committee meeting, according to a release issued by the CCRC. 

The four Republican gubernatorial candidates appeared on the ballot and the results were overwhelmingly favorable to Christie, who received 77% to former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan’s 23%.  

Assemblyman Rick Merkt (R-Mendham) and Franklin Township Mayor Brian D. Levine did not receive any votes.

Franklin Twp. Mayor Brian D. Levine (left) poses with Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham)

FRANKLIN TWP. – Good government Mayor Brian D. Levine tonight told PolitickerNJ.com he will formally enter the Republican gubernatorial primary before the end of the month and probably next week. 

Levine’s challenge for the right to face incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine officially makes it a four-man contest among Levine, Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham), former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, and former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.  

“I believe in bottom up rather than top down politics and I will be running my usual grassroots campaign, which is how I have run and won two elections as mayor of Franklin,” said Levine, a certified public accountant and pro-choice fiscal conservative who promises a shoe leather campaign in search of small dollar donations.

Levine’s entrance into the race appears on its face to create a case of two against two.

Veteran Randolph Township Councilman Gary Algeier today will officially enter the Republican primary for the Assembly in the 25th Legislative District, according to sources.

 Mulling the possibility of a run for some time now, Algeier informally announced his intentions to members of the Randolph Republican Club on Wednesday night. A Morristown attorney, the long-serving councilman is in a four-way contest for two assembly seats with Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Twp.), attorney Tony Bucco (son of veteran state Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) and Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana.

GOP candidate for governor Chris Christie arrives at the party at the Marco Polo on Thursday evening.

SUMMIT –To the oft-muttered intra-party charge that Republicans plan to coronate former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie as their candidate for governor, Union County Republican Chairman Phil Morin said his organization stands on its record. 

Last year, millionaire businesswoman Anne Evans Estabrook was supposedly the money candidate for U.S. Senate. Then the county committee here awarded the line to erstwhile underdog state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris), dropping the jaws of not only Estabrook’s campaign infrastructure but the party establishment in all 21 counties.  

After Estabrook pulled the plug on her candidacy owing to health problems, Morin resisted pressure to hold another convention to dump Pennacchio and swap in the state GOP’s latest frontrunner, former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer, who would ultimately go on to secure the statewide nomination. 

Morin’s view was Jersey Joe earned it the hard way, he should have it.

Gov. Jon Corzine, right, and Democratic Party State Chairman Joe Cryan

Focused on the reelection of Gov. Jon Corzine, the Democrats issued a brief statement today, taking a three-candidate in one shot in the wake of former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s announcement that he's planning to run for governor.   

“Whether it’s a right-wing small town mayor, a right-wing mountain man assemblyman, or a Bush-Cheney political appointee, we’ll see who wins the nomination,” said State Party Chairman Joseph Cryan, referring respectively to former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, Assemblyman Richard Merkt (D-Mendham) and Christie.

Although he pointed out that Chris Christie’s filing doesn’t constitute a formal declaration to run for governor, today’s news didn’t surprise gubernatorial candidate Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham), Christie’s former running mate.  

“A lot of people file papers and then don’t run, but he’s clearly been pointing in that direction for months,” said Merkt. “I welcome his entry into the race. I hope this is competitive race where the public picks the candidate. I look forward to being able to express vigorous differences on policy in a way that’s civil and respectful and doesn’t demean the office we’re seeking.” 

A declared candidate since last fall, Merkt has positioned himself as the only one among former U.S. Attorney Christie, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan and Franklin Township Brian Levine who possesses state government experience.

Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan today took credit for what he described as accelerating Chris Christie’s formal entrance into the Republican primary for governor.  

“I’m kind of proud of myself,” said Lonegan, himself a candidate. “I filed $400,000 in matching funds and people jump. Within 48 hours of me announcing my matching funds, he gets in the race.”  

A leader of New Jersey’s conservative movement, Lonegan said he still does not know where Christie, a former U.S. Attorney with a crime fighting track record, stands on the rest of the issues. 

“He opposes corruption,” said Lonegan. “So do I. But now that he’s declared and on the battlefield, we’re going to start comparing stands on issues. It’s going to be the experience of a mayor and business owner, versus an attorney. This is a classic case of a conservative, low-tax Republican versus the status quo.

Morris County political insiders say the race for the vacated assembly seat in District 25 will come down to Tony Bucco and Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana, both of Boonton Township. 

Bucco, son of state Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Morris), officially entered the race late last year, and his brother-in-law, Cabana, is set to kick-off his own campaign on Jan. 13th. 

But Randolph Councilman Gary Algeier, who three years ago pursued an unsucessful run for freeholder, says don’t count him out of the assembly contest. 

“A lot of people have asked me but I haven’t made a decision yet,” he told PolitickerNJ.com. “At the moment, I’m keeping my options open. With Rick Merkt stepping down, it opens a lot of possibilities.”

BRIDGEWATER – If he runs statewide, it’s unlikely Chris Christie will resemble Andy Unanue as a candidate. 

But on learning that Passaic County Republican Chairman Scott Rumana tried to recruit Christie confidante Bill Palatucci to address municipal chairmen last week, Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham) feared the abrogation of process and quickly drew an analogy. 

“It’s exactly the Unanue fiasco I want to avoid in the election,” said Merkt, himself a declared GOP candidate for governor. “I don’t want a (state Republican Party Chairman) Tom Wilson candidate to drive away other candidates.” 

An unknown, wealthy Latino businessman who was backed by the upper echelons of his party in a U.S. Senate bid, Unanue last year began sealing county committee support in absentia, effectively making other Republican primary candidates like state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris) feel helpless – at least until Unanue’s campaign imploded.

MERKT’S ‘RUNNING’ CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR ACHIEVES ANOTHER MILESTONE 

CANDIDATE STRESSES HE IS WORKING FOR GOP NOD