February 3, 2009 - 8:10am
Inside Edge

McSorley mulls Assembly bid

Republican Jim McSorley is a possible candidate for State Assembly in the 14th district this year.

Former State Police Captain Jim McSorley, who ran an aggressive but ultimately unsuccessful campaign for Mercer County Sheriff in 2008, is considering a bid for State Assembly in the fourteenth district.  The Hamilton resident worked as an aide to U.S. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) after leaving the state police.

Republicans view District 14 as one of their top targets for gains in the Assembly.  The incumbents are Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) and Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton).  Democrats picked up an Assembly seat in 2007 after Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton) moved up to the State Senate.

It’s not unusual for a Hamilton politician to lose a race before winning one: Jack Rafferty was defeated in a bid for State Assembly before starting his 24-year tenure as Mayor; Peter Inverso lost two races for Freeholder before ousting Francis McManimon in the 1991 State Senate race; Smith lost his first campaign for Congress in 1978 and then ousted Frank Thompson two years later; and Baroni was defeated in a bid for Hamilton Councilman in 1999, four years before he unseated Hamilton Democratic Assemblyman Gary Guear.

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