Ted Kennedy

Patrick Kennedy, a Congressman from Rhode Island and the son of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, will stump for Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election on Friday night at a labor rally at the IBEW Local 164 in Paramus.  AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech, Building Trades Council Bill Mullen, and IBEW Local 164 President Richard "Buzzy" Dressel will join them.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) turns 86 in January. His term is up four years after that.

Massachusetts Legislature has passed a bill that will allow the Democratic governor to appoint an interim United States Senator to replace the late Ted Kennedy.  Five years ago, when there was a good chance that Democrat John Kerry might get elected president, the Democratic-controlled Legislature changed the law so that Republican Gov. Mitt Romney could not appoint Kerry's successor.  The state now has no Senator as voters await a special election.

In New Jersey, where polls show Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine trailing in his re-election bid, some Democratic leaders are talking about a contingency plan that might prevent Republican Christopher Christie from appointing a U.S. Senator, if Democrat Frank Lautenberg, who turns 86 in January, leaves office without finishing the final four years of his term.  If Corzine loses, one plan that will receive consideration, Democratic sources say, would be legislation passed during the lame duck session later this year taking the appointment away from the governor and forcing a quick special election.  Corzine could sign that bill before he leaves office in January.

The GOP's best hope of electing a Republican U.S. Senator could come with the election of a Republican governor.  Democrats, anxious to mainatin their filibuster-proof 60-vote majority, may not want to chance it.  And New Jersey's junior Senator, Robert Menendez, is the Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Ted Kennedy's first political trip to New Jersey was on September 18, 1961, when he traveled to Camden County to stump for the Democratic candidate for Governor, Richard Hughes. Kennedy was serving as the Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney in the days when New Jersey Democrats didn't fervently object to prosecutors talking politics. 

His appearance at a press conference and fundraising dinner that attracted a reported 1,500 people at the Latin Casino, once a top night club in Cherry Hill. It came one year before he sought a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts.  Hughes won that race against Republican James Mitchell, who had been U.S. Secretary of Labor in the Eisenhower administration.

The brother of the popular president was, according to an old-time South Jersey politician who was at the event, was overshadowed by another guest, U.S. Sen. Hubert Humphrey (D-Minnesota).  Humphrey said the Hughes vs. Mitchell contest was to be a referendum on John F. Kennedy.  "The Republicans want to make this election a national issue - a laboratory experiment of national elections.  Let's not disappoint them.  Let's put on our armor.  The only thing they understand is defeat."

The family of the late Senator Edward Kennedy will be gratified to know that Assemblymen John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Upendra Chivukula (D-Franklin) issued statements late this afternoon paying tribute to Kennedy's lifetime accomplishments. The comments of the two legislators, issued at 4:46 PM and 5:55 PM, respectively, join similar statements made earlier today by other world leaders.

In a photograph taken in the mid-1970's, left to right: Sen. Harrison Williams, U.S. Reps. Peter Rodino and Jim Howard, Gov. Brendan Byrne, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and Democratic State Chairman Jim Dugan

Ted Kennedy easily won the only campaign when his name appeared on the ballot in New Jersey: his 1980 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination against incumbent Jimmy Carter.  Kennedy won a hotly contested New Jersey primary (held at a time when no candidate had clinched enough delegates to become the nominee) by a 58%-39% margin and a plurality of 102,722 votes.

Kennedy carried 19 of 21 counties, losing only Cape May (by 7 votes) and Salem (by 198 votes).  He narrowly won Hudson (48%-46%), but won solid victories in Bergen (63%-32%), Camden (60%-32%), Essex (62%-33%), and Middlesex (52%-41%).

A Draft Kennedy campaign in New Jersey was launched in September, 1979 by former State Sen. James Dugan (D-Bayonne), who had served as Democratic State Chairman from 1973 to 1977.  Five Democratic State Senators - Frank "Pat" Dodd (D-West Orange), Eugene Bedell (D-Keansburg), Angelo Errichetti (D-Camden), John Gregorio (D-Linden), and Raymond Zane (D-Woodbury) signed on, along with Assemblymen Richard Van Wagner (D-Middletown) and James Bornheimer (D-East Brunswick).

Once Kennedy entered the race, U.S. Rep. James Howard (D-Spring Lake) and Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro became the chairs of his New Jersey campaign.  Fran Rein, a Democratic operative who worked for Shapiro, was the Kennedy state director.  When the New Jersey primary became critical to Kennedy's national campaigns strategy, a young operative named John Sasso, came in to run the day to day operations.  Sasso later ran Michael Dukakis' campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and was a senior advisor when John Kerry ran for president.

Carter's New Jersey campaign was led by Gov. Brendan Byrne, and activist Daniel Gaby, now the Executive Director of E3 (Excellent Education for Everyone), ran the state campaign.

Since convention delegates are apportioned, Kennedy had 68 delegates from New Jersey and Carter had 45. 

Getty Images Photo

Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama backstage at the IZOD Center on February 4, 2008 -- Kennedy's final campaign visit to New Jersey.

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-Mass.) last public power performance in New Jersey occured last year on Feb. 4th on the eve of the Democratic Presidential Primary at the Meadowlands.

He appeared onstage at a rally with Barack Obama and other primary backers of the underdog candidate who would go on to seize his party's nomination and the presdiency.

"We have a candidate for the president of the United States that will inspire a new generation of young people, bring our people together, and face the great issues that we should face in this century, at this time," Kennedy said in his introduction of Obama.

Among those onstage with Kennedy and Obama were former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, niece Caroline Kennedy, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, actor Robert DeNiro, and state Sen. President Richard Codey (D-Roseland).

New Jerseyans are mourning the death of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who passed away late last night after a battle with brain cancer.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken):

"I consider it an honor and a privilege to have served in the Senate side-by-side with Senator Kennedy. To have collaborated closely with him at the negotiating table and in Senate debate on legislation to protect our nation's workers and reform our immigration system was an inspiring experience for a new Senator. I will always cherish that work and will never forget what I learned from joining with Senator Kennedy to move our nation forward. I considered him not only a colleague, but a true friend in the Senate.

"Today, millions of our nation's Latinos are mourning the loss of one of their greatest champions. Senator Kennedy will always have a place of honor in the Latino community as someone who stood up and fought for the rights of immigrants and the issues that affected the community at a time when few others would. From farm worker legislation to voting rights and civil rights that impacted the Latino community, we saw the strength of Senator Kennedy's beliefs. For this, Latinos across the country will always remember him.

"As millions of Americans mourn Senator Kennedy's passing, may his life's work be an inspiration. May we always seek to form a more perfect union, as he did. My thoughts and prayers are with Senator Kennedy's beloved wife Vicki, his children and the entire Kennedy family. The Lion of the Senate will be deeply missed."

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden):

Caroline Kennedy will attend a Barack Obama fundraiser in Princeton: Getty Images Photo
Caroline Kennedy is scheduled to attend a private fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in Princeton on Friday, according to Obama's presidential campaign.

Kennedy endorsed Obama for president in the Democratic Primary in the lead-up to New Jersey's Feb. 5 election, A day before the primary, she appeared with the Illinois senator and her uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) at a rally on Obama's behalf in the Meadowlands.

Kennedy is the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy.

Edward M. Kennedy after defeating Jimmy Carter in the New York and Connecticut Democratic presidential primaries in March 1980: Getty Images Photo
DENVER -- Essex County Freeholder Pat Sebold supported Ted Kennedy for the Democratic nomination against Jimmy Carter in 1980 because she didn’t think Carter could beat Ronald Reagan.

She was right.

28 years later, Sebold supported Hillary Clinton. But she doesn’t have the same fears about Barack Obama as she did about Jimmy Carter.

“It’s a new era. One doesn’t have to do with the other. Times change,” she said. “Barack Obama is not going to lose.”