While not exactly Hudson County, the race for the Republican State Senate nomination in the 24th district in Sussex and Morris counties was indeed brutal. The contest for veteran Bob Littell's seat attracted two candidates: seven-term Assemblyman Guy Gregg, and Steven Oroho, a Sussex County Freeholder and Littell's handpicked successor. Gregg was viewed as the front-runner, but he had expected to run against Littell's forty-year legislative record and not watch the race become a referendum on his own votes in Trenton.
The well-funded Oroho started to turn the race around after Gregg claimed to have never voted to raise taxes -- a point rivals were able to demonstrate as inaccurate. Gregg was hit hard for voting to raise his own salary, and used the suddenly hot-button issue of immigration by slamming Gregg on being one of just four Assemblymen who voted against prohibiting companies with state contracts from hiring illegal immigrants. The Oroho campaign -- running with Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Sussex County Freeholder Gary Chiusano (who will likely take Gregg's Assembly seat) -- ran a satellite campaign in Sussex, urging voters to stop the Morris County politicians from taking away their State Senate seat.
Gregg, viewed as one of the state's more conservative legislators, was outflanked on the right by Oroho, despite endorsements from New Jersey Right to Life, the National Rifle Association, and Congressman Scott Garrett.
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