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MINNEAPOLIS - Nutley businessman Carmen Pio Costa said he’s definitely considering another run for Assembly in the 36th Legislative District next year.

"I’m just seeing how things play out in the party right now," said Pio Costa, 29, who in 2007 lost by 2,400 votes in his shot against Democratic Assemblymen Fred Scalera (D-Nutley) and Gary Schaer (D-Passaic).

"I was very pleased with our result last time, especially considering our late entry into the game," said Pio Costa, speaking in a telephone interview with PolitickerNJ.com. "I would like to run with the benefit of the experience I received from running last time."

MINNEAPOLIS - Morris County Freeholder Doug Cabana of Boonton said he intends to run for the Assembly in the 25th District now that Richard Merkt announced his decision not to pursue re-election next year in favor of a gubernatorial bid.

"I’ve been getting quite a few emails in the district from people saying it’s your turn to go," Cabana told PolitickerNJ.com. "I called Richard Merkt to verify that he was in fact not running, and he’s not going to run, so I am."

Cabana’s designs on the seat mean the GOP primary next year could be a showdown between the 11-year freeholder veteran and Tony Bucco, Jr., son of state Sen. Tony Bucco (R-Morris), and Cabana's brother-in-law.

Cabana has no qualms about going against the younger Bucco - who’s never held elected office.

But he said he doesn’t want to run against fellow Freeholder John Murphy, who has not decided whether he intends to run for the Assembly seat, according to Cabana.

The Rev. Al Sharpton at the Hilton: Politicker photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - The front doors to the Hilton Hotel just slid open and the Rev. Al Sharpton walked in, nearly colliding with former Gov. Thomas Kean.

The two men went with a big, warm handshake before they kept going in opposite directions.

"I was just participating with Newt Gingrich in a bi-partisan forum," said the veteran civil rights activist and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate. "I stopped by the hotel to get something to eat."

Republicans yesterday held their fire on the Democratic Party while Hurricane Gustav bore down on the Gulf Coast. But now, with damage from the Hurricane apparently less than feared, Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson and Senate candidate Dick Zimmer let loose on incumbent Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

Introducing Zimmer to speak at the delegation breakfast this morning, Wilson took a shot at Lautenberg on rumors that he spends most of his time in Manhattan rather than his Cliffside Park condo.

“For 25 years, Frank Lautenberg has left his apartment in Manhattan and gone to Washington to represent New Jersey. And in those 25 years, he’s got three things to show for it: a train station with no parking, no smoking on airplanes and a 21-year-old drinking age. Two of those things happened when Ronald Reagan was president,” he said. “And since then, Frank Lautenberg has just been along for a ride.”

MINNEAPOLIS - Republican Tony Bucco Jr. issued a release this afternoon announcing that he is running for the Assembly in the 25th District, where Assemblyman Rick Merkt plans to vacate his seat at the end of his term next year in order to run for governor.

Son of Sen. Tony Bucco (R-Morris), who serves as senator in the 25th, the candidate said, "I am running on my record of over 25 years of volunteer public service. I promise to always fight for the taxpayers, families and seniors of the 25th District and provide the best constituent services here at home.

"Our more immediate focus though, must be on coming together as a party and electing John McCain as President and re-electing Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, County Clerk Joan Bramhall, Morris County Freeholder Margaret Nordstrom this November and all our local elected officials," Bucco added.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- To hear Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce tell it, Legislative District 14 will be a major battleground in next year’s assembly races.

That’s where State Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton) heads a district with two Democrats lower down in the Assembly, eight year veteran Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) and the newly elected Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton).

DeAngelo, beause he’s been in office less than a year, is the obvious target. But DeCroce, who wasn’t specific about who he’d like to recruit to run, said he’s gunning for Greenstein as well.

“Linda’s a nice lady, but I think her voting record leaves something to be desired, frankly, and I think it’s time for a change,” he said. “Obviously Linda would be the tougher one, being a lady too and a nice person. It’s not easy, but you have to show there’s a difference between the candidates and the incumbent, and the issues are going to be on our side.”

Jeff Booker, left, and state Sen. Joe Kyrillos (R-Monmouth).: Politicker photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - They’re not overjoyed with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, but former Mitt Romney for president supporters last week gulped down Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz) veep pick and closed ranks behind their party’s nominee.

That’s not to say they don’t hang with one another in the halls of the Hilton, where the GOP delegation is staying.

This morning, state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), who served as Romney’s state campaign chair; former Camden County GOP Executive Director Jeff Booker, and former Paterson Mayor Pat Kramer, exited the breakfast hall as a threesome.

MINNEAPOLIS - Offshore drilling.

It’s a dominant issue in the presidential campaign, and one that directly impacts state Sen. Sean Kean (R-Monmouth), whose district encompasses part of the Jersey Shore.

Kean wants federal protection from drilling for the New York/New Jersey area, and has a bill in the Statehouse urging such a measure.

His presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is meanwhile generating respect in the oil industry and from base conservatives with his exhortation to "drill here, drill now."

Despite what he sees as Sen, Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) lack of a Shermanesque stand against drilling, N.J. Sierra Club Executive Director Jeff Tittel said the McCain model is much closer to that of President George W. Bush, and wrongheaded, in his view.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- With U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews set to make a decision about his political future this week, Camden County Republican Chairman Rick DeMichele said that 1st District Republican candidate Dale Glading is “prepared and ready to respond.”

“Dale has been running a great campaign, because he’s been running it without an opponent. It’s helped the voters see that he’s focused on them and not a phantom opponent,” said DeMichele. 

Andrews left his ballot spot for reelection to the House to his wife Camille when he decided to mount a primary challenge against incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg.  Although just a placeholder candidate, Camille Andrews easily won that primary.  but Speculation persisted, however, that Rob Andrews to return to the seat, if he lost his primary against Lautenberg. 

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Former Gov. Tom Kean, Sr. has been offered three cabinet positions by two presidents – both Democrat and Republican – during his career. He turned them down each time.

If John McCain wins the presidency, Kean said, this time will be no different.

“Obviously I’d help the president out in any way I could if there was a commission or something I could help on a temporary basis, but I’m not looking for a full time position in Washington. I never have been,” he said.