Ron Paul

Assemblyman Michael Doherty says he will introduce legislation to move the 2012 New Jersey presidential primary back to June, “so that New Jersey can save the $10.5 million expense of holding two separate primaries.”

Doherty supported Rep. Ron Paul, who won 5% of the vote in yesterday’s GOP primary.

Their candidates are not expected to win in New Jersey, but Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul supporters are preparing for different kinds of victories.

Huckabee state campaign head Peter Kane spent part of the day working the phones and handing out flyers at supermarkets. He’ll hold a victory party tonight at the Scotchwood Diner in Scotch Plains.

Just a few months ago, New Jersey’s presidential primary – moved up to February in a quest for national political relevance – was looking like a non-event. Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani had considerable leads; in the case of the GOP, the winner-take-all primary meant that there were no delegates available to the other contenders.

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. 

A new Quinnipiac poll has Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama, 48%-43%: Getty Images Photo
Hillary Clinton's lead in New Jersey has shrunk to just five points and leads Barack Obama 48%-43% among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning. On the Republican side, John McCain leads Mitt Romney 52%-30%.

"Sen. Obama has put together a coalition of blacks and independents to dramatically narrow the gap in just the last few days in New Jersey, but the big question remains: Will there be enough of these new, young, first time voters showing up to pull a surprise on Super Tuesday?" said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The Quinnipiac poll mirrors one conducted at the end of last week by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg for George Norcross that showed Clinton ahead by six points. Clinton had a 17-point lead in a January 23 Quinnipiac poll, and had been ahead by as much as 34 points late last year.

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.

New Jersey Right to Life endorsed Mike Huckabee, saying that Ron Paul's libertarian views conflic with his pro-life stand: Getty Images Photo
New Jersey Right to Life has endorsed Mike Huckabee for the GOP presidential nomination, saying that the former Governor of Arkansas supports passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life, and believes that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.