US Senate

U.S. Senate candidates Frank Lautenberg and Dick Zimmer will meet for their second and final debate tonight at NJN studios in Trenton.  NJN News anchor Kent Manahan will moderate the debate, and a panel of reporters from NJN News, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Gannett New Jersey will question the candidates.  The one-hour debate will be broaccast live on NJN tonight, simulcast on NJN Public Radio, and rebroadcast at 11:30AM Sunday morning.  The debate can also been seen on WHYY on Sunday at 5PM, and on WNET on Sunday at 11:30 PM.

Frank Lautenberg is positioned to become the first five-term U.S. Senator in New Jersey history

Democrat Frank Lautenberg has a 52%-32% lead in his bid for a fifth term in the U.S. Senate, and 72% of voters haven't heard of his Republican opponent, former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer, according to a poll released this morning by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

“Senator Lautenberg has not had to run hard this year,” said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll. “He’s caught in the updraft of enthusiasm for the Democratic presidential candidate and frustration with the Bush administration.”

Contrary to popular belief, there is a New Jersey U.S. Senate race this year.

Aside from their joint editorial board meeting with Gannett, tonight is the first debate between U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg and former Rep. Dick Zimmer – a race that, to Zimmer’s chagrin, has been fairly under the media’s radar.

The two are going head to head at New Jersey 101.5’s studios, but the debate will be rebroadcast on News 12 New Jersey tomorrow night. On Saturday, they’ll go one-on-one at NJN. Those are the exact same outlets that Lautenberg agreed to debate primary challenger U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews on. Like those debates, these both occur shortly before the election, making it unlikely that they’ll change the course of the campaigns.

Mayor-elect Wilda Diaz Joins Coalition of Middlesex County Officials for Andrews

Andrews Captures Support of Majority of Newark Council

Incumbent Desires Coronation;
Dismisses Democratic Voters As Bystandards

Andrews Campaign Wins Key Newspaper Endorsements

More PolitickerNJ.com coverage: Andrews ad broaches the age issue

Despite being poised to enter the Republican Senate primary race for the second time in two weeks, Princeton biotech executive John Crowley once again withdrew his name from consideration today.

“John was deeply impressed with the outpouring of support for his potential candidacy for the US Senate. Many people both locally here in New Jersey and nationally had been encouraging him to run over the past week, but given his tremendous level of responsibility to his family, his company and to the US Navy, he’s decided not to enter the US Senate race this year,” said Crowley’s friend and advisor, Bill Spadea. “I know there was a lot of legitimate anticipation that John would enter this race we’ve been upfront with the many obligations he has, and his decision had to come down to his family.”

TOMS RIVER - If you came to the Ocean County Republican convention hoping for a floor fight tonight for the party nod for U.S. Senate, you were disappointed.

In typical Ocean County Republican fashion, the party awarded its line with efficiency and brevity – easily selecting Goya Foods heir Andy Unanue as its choice for a U.S. Senate candidate. Unanue already had the backing of powerful Republican Chairman George Gilmore, and had won the hearts and minds of the screening committee from his vacation spot in Vail, Colo. via telephone conference.

The committee voted by voice, overwhelmingly ratifying the decision of the screening committee to endorse the man who’s come to be the establishment’s candidate over his two Republican rivals: state Sen. Joe Pennacchio and Ramapo Finance Professor Murray Sabrin.

Pennacchio and Sabrin did not attend.

Hunterdon County Freeholder William Mennen, heir to the deodorant fortune, told PolitickerNJ.com that he won’t run for the U.S. Senate this year. Mennen had briefly considered a run for U.S. Congress in the 7th District last year before backing state Sen. Leonard Lance.

"I made it clear a couple of months ago that I would put my efforts into being more local, said Mennen, an attorney whose family’s roots are in Newark.