The decision of Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) to remove his name from consideration for Lt. Governor removes one of the top names from Chris Christie's list, and makes State Sen. Diane Allen (R-Edgewater Park) and Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan more serious contenders.  Kean was reportedly one of the leading contenders to become Christie's running mate.

Democratic sources say that Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) remains a strong candidate to run with Gov. Jon Corzine. Other names being mentioned by party leaders this week include two Republicans, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President Joan Verplanck and Rev. DeForest "Buster" Soaries, a former N.J. Secretary of State.  It's hard to imagine Soaries is a real contender: he was an early supporter of George W. Bush for President in 2000, and national Republicans helped him in his congressional campaign against Democrat Rush Holt in 2002.  His presence on the ticket might make it more difficult for Democrats to tie Christie to Bush, as they did at Corzine's campaign kickoff on Tuesday.

One Democratic County Chairman, who asked that his name be withheld, insists that U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York), a former Assembly Speaker who was born in Cuba, was brought up in a campaign meeting he attended.  There is no confirmation of Corzine's interest in Sires.