Tom Byrne

In addition to Jon Corzine and Christopher Christie, independent gubernatorial candidate Christopher Daggett will need to pick a running mate within the next four weeks.  If Daggett qualifies for matching funds - he told NJN's Michael Aron on Tuesday that he expects to do that within the next few weeks - his campaign will have at least $1.1 million to spend on the race.  And if the Legislature passes a bill (already through the Assembly) to mandate Lt. Governor debates, Daggett's running mate will be on TV with, for example, Barbara Buono and Diane Allen.  Daggett won't want a James Stockdale situation.

To demonstrate that his ticket is truly independent, Daggett, a former Republican who held top environmental posts under President Ronald Reagan and Gov. Thomas Kean, may be considering a Democrat.  The Inside Edge, not in consultation with the Daggett campaign, has put together a short list of ten potential Daggett LG candidates:

Impressing even some of the Democrats who opposed him was Mendy Fisch, a 20-year-old Princeton University sophomore who came within 63 votes of ousting Princeton Borough Councilman Kevin Wilkes in the Democratic primary.  Wilkes beat Fisch 472-409, with Jenny Crumiller finishing first with 531 votes.  Fisch made it a race by securing 193 absentee ballots, mostly from Princeton students who voted before they left campus last week.  (Crumiller received 30 absentee votes and Wilkes got 9.)  If Fisch had been able to get all the students who requested absentee ballots to return them, he would have won the nomination - which is tantamount to election in this heavily-Democratic municipality.

Cash on hand for candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from New Jersey.

U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and his niece, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg: Getty Images Photo

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Former Gov. Brendan Byrne, right, and Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Byrne may do what Tom Kean and Dick Hughes could not: elect their son Governor
DENVER – There are surely other father and son duos here in Denver, but perhaps none as recognizable as former Governor Brendan Byrne and his son Tom.

And Tom Byrne, the former Democratic State Chairman who currently works as a financial advisor, admits that having another Governor Byrne in the future is a possibility, though perhaps vague and distant.

Like U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and State Sen. Stephen Sweeney, Byrne admits that he would weigh running for Governor in the unlikely event that Gov. Corzine was offered and accepted a position in an Obama administration.

Byrne said he’s interested, but warned not to read into it too much.

“I think probably every third person in here is [interested],” he said

Lautenberg rival U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1), meets a would-be Lautenberg rival-turned ally, Tom Byrne, in Princeton on Saturday.

Former Democratic State Chairman Tom Byrne will not challenge incumbent Frank Lautenberg for his U.S. Senate seat.

Byrne faxed a statement to the Marriot Hotel in Trenton announcing he would not run, where prominent Democratic politicians are holding a rally to demonstrate their solidarity behind Lautenberg. Current Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan read Byrne's letter to the crowd.

Byrne had conducted polling last week about his chances in a Democratic primary against Lautenberg.

“The reasoning is that Frank is popular with Democrats and I respect that,” said Byrne, a financial consultant whose father, Brendan T. Byrne, served as Governor from 1974 to 1982.

Tom Byrne might challenge Frank Lautenberg in the Democratic primaryAs Sen. Frank Lautenberg gets ready to kick off his campaign with a show of Democratic support in Trenton, you can bet that potential Democratic challenger Tom Byrne will be paying attention.

Byrne said that he still hasn’t made a decision on whether he’s going to challenge Lautenberg for the Democratic nomination, but plans to shortly.

“I’m going to have a round of conversations this morning with some key people and see where that goes, but I think I’ll have a decision in 24 hours,” he said.

Byrne commissioned a poll that was conducted late last week, and spent the weekend pouring over the data. He doesn’t want to share the results just yet.

There are unconfirmed reports this morning that biotech millionaire John Crowley has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, ending several days speculation that he might mount a challenge to four-term Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg. With just a week before the April 7 filing deadline, it appears that the GOP field with include Goya Foods millionaire Andy Unanue, State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, and Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin. Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello is launching a challenge to Lautenberg in the Democratic primary, while former Democratic State Chairman Tom Byrne is also considering a Senate bid.