November 5, 2008 - 2:56pm
Inside Edge

Could Van Drew have taken LoBiondo?

Some pundits are wondering whether Democratic State Sen. Jefferson Van Drew made the wrong decision by decling to challenge U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo this year.  LoBiondowas re-elected to his eigth term in the House with 59%, his weakest showing since his unsuccessful 1992 campaign against Bill Hughes.  But LoBiondo didn't need to burn through his warchest in a race with a relatively unknown, underfinanced Democrat, Cape May City Councilman David Kurkowski; a race against Van Drew would have been exponentially more expensive, and LoBiondo would have been more engaged.

LoBiondo's coattails were split: in Atlantic County, Republicans beat a five-term Democratic Sheriff, but lost a Freeholder seat.  In Cumberland, the GOP lost a Freeholder seat, and the incumbent Republican Sheriff and Surrogate were ousted. 

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.