June 3, 2008 - 8:00pm
Lautenberg wins landslide victory in Democratic Senate primary, will face Zimmer in November; Myers, Lance win GOP House nods
By Editor
Category: US Senate, House, LocalTags: U.S. Senate, Frank Lautenberg, Murray Sabrin, Joseph Pennacchio, Donald Cresitello, New Jersey primary, nj primary, DICK ZIMMER, ROB ANDREWS, Election Results, N.J. primary
Frank Lautenberg, 84, won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, defeating Rob Andrews by a wide margin: Getty Images Photo
Incumbent Frank Lautenberg has won renomination for a fifth term in the United States Senate. He leads Rep. Rob Andrews by a 61%-34% margin. Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello is running a weak third with 5% of the vote. Lautenberg won huge margins in Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties, carried Middlesex and Union comfortably, and held his own in several South Jersey counties.
In the GOP primary, former Rep. Dick Zimmer leads State Sen. Joe Pennacchio by a 46-40% margin. Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin has 14% of the vote.
Medford Mayor Chris Myers defeated Ocean County Freeholder Jack Kelly and former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Murphy by a wide margin for the third district seat of retiring GOP Rep. Jim Saxton. Myers won 48% of the vote, with Kelly and Murphy each receiving 26%. Myers will face Democratic State Sen. John Adler in the general election.
In the 7th district, State Sen. Leonard Lance captured the Republican nomination for the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Mike Ferguson. He won 40% of the vote, defeating Kate Whitman (20%), former Summit Council President Kelly Hatfield (15%), Scotch Plains Mayor Martin Marks (12%), former prosecutor Tom Roughneen (7%), Darren Young (5%), and Seton Hall University professor A.D. Amar (1%). Lance will face Assemblywoman Linda Stender, the Democratic nominee.
Dennis Shulman, a blind Rabbi from Bergen County, easily defeated attorney Camille Abate and businessman Roger Bacon in the 5th district Democratic primary. Shulman, who won 60% of the vote, will face three-term incumbent Scott Garrett in the fall.
In Atlantic City, former Mayor Lorenzo Langford defeated Acting Mayor Scott Evans by a 60%-33% margin. Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage easily won renomination, but two incumbent Councilmen in Plainfield were defeated.
Hudson County Freeholder Doreen McAndrew DiDomenico has defeated former County Clerk Mary Jane Desmond in Freeholder District 1 by a 58%-38% margin. Incumbent Eliu Rivera defeated Sean Connors by a 52%-41% margin in Freeholder District 4. In the District 5 race, where incumbent Maurice Fitzgibbons is retiring, Anthony Romano won 42%, with Frank "Pupie" Raia receiving 30% and Ines Garcia Keim winning 28%.
Two-term Essex County Freeholder Ralph Caputo won the Democratic primary over former Montclair Mayor Robert Russo by 409 votes, a 52%-48% win. Caputo is also a State Assemblyman.
Four-term Freeholder Tony Mack, who had lost party support as a candidate for re-election in Mercer County, lost the Democratic primary to challenger John Cimino by nearly 8,000 votes.
In other congressional races, Democrat Camille Andrews won 84% of the vote for the seat being vacated by her husband. She is expected to be replaced by South Jersey Democratic leaders, who will select a candidate to face Republican Dale Glading. Glading won 82%-18% over Fernando Powers, a supporter of Ron Paul and Murray Sabrin.
Rep. Frank LoBiondo won the Republican primary for an eighth term, defeating Paul/Sabrin backer Donna Ward, 89%-11%.
In the sixth district, former Judge Robert McLeod will face eleven-term Rep. Frank Pallone. McLeod won 55% against Peter Cerrato (29%) and Paul/Sabrin supporter James Hogan (16%).
Seven-term Republican Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen defeated Kate Erber, who was aligned with Paul and Sabrin, by an 87%-13% margin. He will face a rematch against his ’06 opponent, Tom Wyka, won the Democratic primary with 70% of the vote against Ellen Greenberg (16%) and Harry Hager (14%).
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Poll
Of the Republicans who mulled U.S. Senate bids, who would have run strongest against Frank Lautenberg?
Kip Bateman
5%
John Crowley
19%
Anne Evans Estabrook
12%
Joe Kyrillos
28%
Joe Pennacchio
19%
Murray Sabrin
5%
Andy Unanue
7%
Dick Zimmer
7%
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October 15, 2008
"The Kaisers are a fixed point in an ever-changing universe. If the Republicans are in charge, they have jobs. The Democrats are in charge, they have jobs. That's a far cry from Andrew Jackson, who said, 'To the victor go the spoils.' The Kaisers always gets the spoils." -- Bergen County GOP leader Alan Marcus, on Leonard Kaiser, a former Republican Freeholder and Mayor who later went into business with Democrats Joe Ferriero and Dennis Oury.
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Syndicate
Sabrin = L-O-S-E-R
Where are all the Sabrin supporters that have constantly predicted a stunning defeat of the "establishment" candidates on this site? Are you too busy trying to get him on the Libertarian ticket to blog about the conspiracies against the good doc? The best part about the primary finally being over is that we no longer have to read your absurb comments and ridiculous predictions...well, that and no longer having to hear from Ajjan and Sabrin.
Chalk Up A Victory For The "Good Guy"!!!
I'm so very pleased to see that I underestimated the trouncing that would be administered to Andrews!
Every once in a while; justice and decency prevail over ruthlessness!
Yessssssss!!!
From Frederick Douglass
I hate to burst your bubble, but . . .
Sabrin can't run as a Libertarian and wouldn't if he could. There's a law in NJ that prohibits a losing candidate in a major party primary from running as an Independent or Libertarian in the general election. The so-called "sore losers" rule.
And we have no intention whatsoever of letting up on our insistence on true reform of the NJGOP in a way that would make it a real alternative political force in both Trenton and Washington. A force for limited, constitutional government and liberty, two sides to the same political coin.
The people of New Jersey will not vote for the Dem-lite candidates that the NJGOP elite coronated in this primary election. Look for six (6) more years of Uncle Frank the Statist Crank (or some substitute), and at least two (2) years of Addle-Brained Adler and Baloney-Bender Stender.
You have only yourselves to blame . . .
Bullhorn
It's called sarcasm.
I am not the type to say I told you so
But in this case I will. To everyone who doubted Frank-I told you so. But I will admit-and I havent seen the offical numbers-but it seems Murray did better than I thought-he still came in a predictable third. Although I am sure he will wake up this morning and pretend that nothing has changed and since he won a poll on politicernj that he is the real winner.
Sabrin = Kook
Look. It's a libertarian... no it's a Republican... no, it's just a self-aggrandizing weirdo who will run for Governor so he can get more taxpayer money in matching funds to spread his message of "I am a freak."
Sabrin for Governor
haha - so much for a guaranteed win.
George Ajjan
I would hope that George takes this as a learning experience and moves on.
I personally don't believe that running and coordinating political camapaigns is his strength and I think that the Sabrin campaign was an insult to his intelligence.
George has done a pretty good job as a political analyst and has a good presence on TV and radio and I think he'd be wise to pursue that. If he builds on that, perhaps he can start co-hosting and/or contributing to shows like NJ Power and Politics or perhaps even do a radio show as Steve Lonegan has done in the past.
He's got a lot of potential as a broadcaster and I think that he would make a pretty good name for himself statewide if he chooses to go that route. From there, perhaps he can become a campaign spokesman for a legitimate statewide candidate or perhaps make another congressional run himself after building up some strong name recognition.
George Ajjan is a good guy and despite this whole Sabrin disaster, I don't think this ruins him if he plays his cards right.
"Blah Blah Blah - establishment rhetoric - Blah Blah Blah" - NJMurrayPaultard
Over under?
How long will it take Murray to switch parties yet again? Three months? Three weeks? Three days?
Dick Zimmer says Thank you Sabrin
your 15 % put Dick over the top? So what now? for Sabrin is he going to be a spoiler in the General election ? Will he and Joe donate left over money to the local candidates.
Primaries are over, the general elections are coming soon.
Congratulations to all Back to the USSR Chairmen, you won. Unfortunately both the Democratic Party and GOP are hard to reform. It does not mean that we should not try. My thanks go to Dr. Sabrin for a worthwhile effort. We should learn from our mistakes until the next time. Unfortunately, both party leaderships have learned nothing. Staying the same course will not benefit NJ voters at all (where have I heard that?) Congratulations to the Record and the New York Times for endorsing the winners (is that a coincidence or people really read these papers?).
Wiel
I suppose I wont rub it in further-but I have to ask-Why did Murray and seemingly those that support him go so far off the deepend claiming front runner status, and victory when this was obviously never the case. Perhaps if Murray himself let his ideas speak for themselves without trashing everyone and everything around him he would have done better. It was by all standards a very bizarre campaign that in all sincerity (and really I am not trying to rub this in) made Murray look like a crazy man-and made many of his supporters (who trusted him) look foolish.
SJBlue your point is well taken
Yes, it is correct analysis of the Sabrin's campaign. Why they went this way, I do not know. I assume, they intended to shake up the system. However, the system is hard to shake up.
Murray's Folly
"The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege".- Sun Tzu
"Blah Blah Blah - establishment rhetoric - Blah Blah Blah" - NJMurrayPaultard
Well, don't worry, Zimmer
Well, don't worry, Zimmer will be a two-time loser come November. I was supporting Sabrin, and knew that it was a long-shot, but I support my candidates based on principles, not likelihood of victory. So, another NJ RINO is pitted to be crushed by the NJ Dems...
Zimmer win equals death of NJGOP
Congrats to the NJGOP machine in securing Lautenberg's seat for yet another 6 years of the same. Sabrin's campaign was ok until he announced he was the "frontrunner" and that was the blunder that led to the demise of any hope of the Republican party. It seems that the NJGOP and Dems are moving in lock step to replace liberal Anne for a sleeper lobbyist that is barely in this state to set up Lautenberg for the win. He can basically roll back out of the state and take a nice long vacation until Nov. This primary was a joke and the voters were played for fools... Again! I wish Andrews all the best for his Gov. run. Have fun Jersey Joke losing vote after vote in Trenton. Dr. Sabrin, learn from your fatal campaign mistakes and understand you can beat the NJGOP machine and its impeccable record of keeping candidates out of Washington decade after decade. You raised a heap of money a burned it all on what? Silence? Saying your the frontrunner? Ridiculing the GOP before you win the primary? You should have saved that until AFTER you win. Mr. Zimmer go back to your home in the Beltway, pay your $150 in property taxes here and don't come back and try to do a song and dance to the voters because you and your cohorts have effectively retired your chances of putting a dent in reviving the party.
If Zimmer can't get 50% of
If Zimmer can't get 50% of the Pub vote against two relative unknowns, how can he possibly win the general election? They should have a law in Jersey that two-time losers in general elections should not be permitted to run again. Can't NJ do better than this overpaid lawyer?