Steve Lonegan

Lonegan backer Col. Manly Rash of Somerset.

It's hard to look across no-man's land a day before Election Day and avoid the sight of three familiar figures once again battling other primary opponents for political survival: GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan, Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris Twp.) and Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp.).

Sewell, NJ - Conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan held a press conference today to discuss the boondoggle that is the Camden-Trenton light rail. In front of the abandoned rail station in Sewell and surrounded by supporters, Lonegan blasted Governor Corzine and the liberals in Trenton for wasting taxpayers' money on projects that ultimately fail.

Steve Lonegan gubernatorial campaign strategist Rick Shaftan said that the Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll released today showing rival Chris Christie leading Lonegan by 24 points in the Republican primary does not measure the impact of a negative news story on Christie.

“This poll was mostly done last week before the Inglesino story hit, the Jersey Guys thing, the fallout over the weekend and several pieces of mail that arrived on Saturday,” said Shaftan.

The poll of 561 likely Republican voters was conducted between May 26 and 30.  The Associated Press broke the story about Christie confidante John Inglesino’s $3,000 a year job with state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Montville) on May 27.  The job, which kept Inglesino in the state’s pension system after he lost reelection as a freeholder, ran counter to one of Christie’s campaign promises about ending part-time employees' pension benefits.  Lonegan immediately seized the story, but perhaps its largest repercussion –  the radio drubbing of Chrisitie by 101.5 fm’s “The Jersey Guys” – did not occur until the evening drive time on May 29. 

At a Ridgewood restaurant yesterday, Bergen County GOP Chairman Bob Yudin stood up and addressed a crowd fiercely mobilized behind one of two warring Republican slates in the 40th District.

Steve Lonegan faces Bridgewater

BRIDGEWATER - The Revolutionary War soldier with the saber at his belt stood in the command position as gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan emerged from his SUV at the Green Village Fire House.

Chris Christie in Somerville

SOMERVILLE - Appearing here on the last of seven campaign stops as part of his weekend "Take Back New Jersey" tour, Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie told supporters that the biggest opponent heading into Tuesday's election is complacency.

Steve Lonegan's tax plan is based on the following core idea: "My flat tax plan will start with a flat tax rate of 2.9% on every dollar earned. The rate will decrease to 2.5% the following year, and further to 2.1% in the third year.  (Emphasis added)

Thus, the Lonegan flat tax plan presumably eliminates all deductions, exemptions, and credits.  According to the latest available data from the Treasury, these exclusions from gross income total $26.8 billion.  Seniors would lose their $2.1 billion retirement income exclusion; all taxpayers would lose another $10.2 billion of exemption deductions; another $5.8 billion of deductions would be ended, virtually of all these deductions are for unreimbursed medical expenses; and taxpayers would no longer be able to deduct $8.7 billion of property taxes to offset their state income taxes. 

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Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown)

CLINTON - Among those Assembly districts where socially conservative Lonegan allies fight establishment Republicans, stands the battleground of the 23rd District.

East Brunswick, NJ – Today Conservative Republican Gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan participated in a round table forum with other gubernatorial candidates.  The event, which included a Democrat, Libertarian and two Republicans, was clearly dominated by Lonegan.

Christie Campaign Chairman Joe Kyrillos

In their NJN mano-a-mano this morning, Lonegan Campaign Manager Hank Butehorn and Christie Campaign Manager state Sen. Joe Kyrillos (R-Middletown) mostly scrapped over Lonegan's proposed flat tax and Christie's conservative credentials.

"We disagree on how to cut income taxes," Kyrillos told NJN senior political correspondent Michael Aron. "The electorate won't abide income tax hikes for a majority of residents out there."

Butehorn called the Christie campaign's interpretation of Lonegan's flat tax plan "an outright lie."

"It's a bout time the state has a conservative Republican leader with a plan to cut taxes and reduce spending," he said.