Crowley says he won't run for Senate

Princeton pharmaceutical executive John Crowley said this morning that he will not run for Senate, citing business, family and military commitments.

"I am honored and humbled that so many people in New Jersey and beyond have considered that I could be the next U.S. Senator from this great state of ours,” said a statement issued by Crowley, a 40-year-old naval reservist and President and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics.

“Given the very significant commitments that I have now to the shareholders and employees of Amicus Therapeutics, to the U.S. military and, most significantly, to my family, I must, however, respectfully decline this opportunity to serve as a candidate for U.S. Senate at this time.”

He went on: "I do hope the Republican party can gather behind a strong nominee who will be a voice for new leadership and representation in Washington for all citizens of New Jersey- especially those who have no voice now."

Crowley was seen by insiders as a potentially strong candidate for both the primary and general elections, most notably for his remarkable personal narrative. He founded a biotech company to find a cure for his children’s rare Pompe disesase, raising $100 million. His story was made into a book by a Wall Street Journal reporter, and a movie may be in the works.

Crowley’s close friend and advisor, former Congressional candidate Bill Spadea, said that he would have been the best candidate to make the race competitive against Democratic incumbent Frank Lautenberg.

“I believe John was a field clearing candidate, no question,” he said. "So yes, we’re disappointed on so many levels. I think with John in particular it would have been a very, very competitive race against Sen. Lautenerg."

Spadea, however, seemed to leave the door open for a future run for office.

"John’s got the background leadership ability not only ot make an outsanding candidate but a tremendous represenative for New Jersey," he said. "This is just not the right time for him.”