April 10, 2008 - 11:18am
Hunterdon line could go to Zimmer
By Matt FriedmanThe potential entrance of former Rep. Dick Zimmer into the U.S. Senate race could put at least one of state Sen. Joe Pennacchio’s county lines in jeopardy.
Pennacchio won the Hunterdon County Republican Convention in February, earning preferential ballot placement in a county that produces a lot of primary votes. But Zimmer owns a farm in the county, where he lived when he represented the 12th district in Congress during the 1990s.
If Zimmer does get into the race, Hunterdon County Republican Chairman Henry Kuhl plans to call a county committee meeting for April 16th to vote on whether or not to change the county committee’s endorsement. If Zimmer wins that, he’ll get the coveted county line.
Kuhl said that he hasn’t personally endorsed anyone yet. Even after many county chairs jumped on board with Andy Unanue – who is expected to formally drop out of the race today – Kuhl remained neutral.
“I declined to endorse Andy whatever-his-name-is. In my opinion he did not have the fire in the belly to want to be a candidate,” Kuhl said.
Kuhl said that he plans to withhold his personal endorsement for a candidate until the meeting, but that he’s found a loyal friend in Kuhl in years past.
In 1998, when Kuhl faced a challenge for his chairmanship, Zimmer lobbied for him and spoke in favor of him at the convention.
“His last words of that presentation were ‘Keep Kuhl,’” he said. “I think that almost all of the Hunterdon County Republican Committee would probably lean strongly towards Dick Zimmer. We know him…. I think there will be a strong response to him in this county.”
Pennacchio, who until recently has hidden any frustration at the lack of establishment support for his candidacy behind a calm veneer and an appeal to talk about policy issues, couldn’t avoid being irritated at the prospect of losing a county line.
“What do you do with the people that when we had a fair and square election on the county committee that night voted for me? Do we always have do-overs in elections? Is that what this party has degenerated to?” he said. “At some point the average person will see that the sense of fairness in the process is being circumvented… I don’t have to answer to that because I’ve been fair and honest in my whole approach to the process, but some people might have to.”
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May 16, 2008
"The saying about Dominicans is that we have two things in our blood — baseball and politics. We are passionate about politics, and just about getting involved."
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READ THE WRITING ON THE WALL: Jersey Joe is on his way out!
This corrupt and bankrupt Republican Party should be ashamed of itself, but it isn't.
All of you morons who continue to bash Dr. Sabrin for campaigning against this broken GOP Party should go back and read ALL of your previous comments.
These "Party Leaders" don't care about the GOP or its membership - they only care about their party and their little islands!
WAKE UP NEW JERSEY GOP - THE ONLY CANDIDATE TAKING ON THESE BOSSES is DR. MURRAY SABRIN!
My prediction: Jersey Joe is out of the race within a week of Dick Zimmer getting in!!!
Looks like Joe agrees with Murray concerning the NJ GOP
I hope its Murray and Joe in the primary.
Those are the only two that want to be in the race and worked hard to get to where they are today.
Now some past his prime, couldn’t get it done, last minute Charley wants to do no work and get in the race. That seems fair.?.?
My vote is not for sale to the highest bidder.
I guess the NJ GOP has different standards.
Shame on you Tom Wilson...
Shame on you for not representing the Republican Party...
I hope you know when you sold out Tom, I hope you can at least remember the day.
Quote of the Day
“I declined to endorse Andy whatever-his-name-is. In my opinion he did not have the fire in the belly to want to be a candidate,” Kuhl said."
How is that not the quote of the day?
If not the year?
Half Way Right
“'I declined to endorse Andy whatever-his-name-is. In my opinion he did not have the fire in the belly to want to be a candidate,' Kuhl said."
Great quote! And it is exactly right. But, I must say, Pennacchio really has been treated like garbage. I understand some of the reasons why Sabrin turns people off, but not so much with Pennacchio. Even before the manifesto came out, and when Estabrook was in the race, many threw him to the side. This was when he matched up BETTER against Lautenberg than Estabrook! So don't tell me that part of the reason isn't due to his conservatism. It definitely is. The leadership wants a moderate Republican to run, like always. For some reason, they like sticking to a failed strategy. This is why Unanue, Crowley, and now Zimmer are the preferred favorites to the leadership. I don't quite understand why we cannot try something DIFFERENT.
LET PENNACCHIO KEEP THE LINE. HE ALREADY WON IT!
Bad Form
This is unconscienable, just because this chair had trouble holding his position and needed a boost; now years later Jersey Joe's head is on the line??? Further evidence that the NJ GOP eats it's own young.
Zimmer and the HCR line
As a Republican who lives in Hunterdon County I have to suggest splitting the line between Pennachio and Zimmer. I know Zimmer is in late in the game but he was a congressman from the county. I do beleiev that a hometown exception can and should be made for him. As for Pennachio, he did win the line fair and square. The HRC line was split in 2005 for Schundler and Forrester. That is onl;y the fair solution.
Having said that, as a Hunterdon County Republican voter (with not HCRO clout), I cannot vote for Zimmer for the primary. Although I am one who longs for nostalga, I believe that his time has past and he has not demonstrated a committment in recent years to NJ issues. I also beleive that when it comes to party politics, the Republican party is in need of fresh leadership on the state level. A Zimmer candicy is the furthest thing that reflects change and I need to remind the state GOP that this is not 1996 we are not well served putting up one dinosaur with another.
Is having the particular "County
Committee Line" in a statewide primary election a big advantage? somebody please explain.
Well....
In dull races like this one where turnout will be low and morale will be lower, I would say yes. Your county regulars will follow it and their friends. that is 25-40% of the vote there. The Anti establishment primary voters who have no faith in their party account for the 15-25% of the vote and the rank and file voters who votes for the big names make up 35-55% of the votes. In Hunterdon, the party line gets broken occasionally (Schuldler and Trout) but they win more than loose.
Jersey Joe
has gotten this far with the support of the non-establishment blue collar committee people. They think that Murray is a cheerless, whackjob who comes out of his hole at the elections.
They don't deny that the NJGOP is a pack of losers. Watch the County shake ups after the June reorganizations. Have Murray's people stood for county committee?
Revolt!
If Hunterdon does this then I recommend that every rank and file Republican voter kick the entire group out. Form a new GOP committee and write off the group of scum that are in there now. This guy Zimmer never even bothered to be interested until the mental defectives in the GOP state headquarters "reached Z" in the rolodex.
If you are going to run then have the guts to be in from the beginning. Zimmer is so beloved by his area that he lost to Holt. I hope Murray and Joe crush this guy and these back stabbing scum along with them.
Another convert?
Is Henry Kuhl joining the back to the USSR Chairmen?
Oh, Mr. Wilson!!!
Where are you now? No comment on the disaster that is the Republican nomination for US Senate? You've really outdone yourself this time. I'll bet all those county chairs that voted for you to keep your job are soooo glad they did. If this doesn't finally get you booted from your job, I really don't know what would. Maybe losing yet another state wide race?
Crowley was Pro-Life and Chairs Were Ready to Back Him...
Sorry to take the "it's because Joe and Murray are pro-Life and the 'establishment' are hostile to pro-lifers" wind out of your sails. Take a look around. Bill Baroni - pro-life, supported Unanue. Adam Puharic...staunch pro-life. Gilmore backs Jack Kelly for Cong...pro-lifer. Davis in Atlantic backed Sonny McCullough and is tight as a drum with LoBiondo. And does anyone actually believe that VonSavage isn't conservative to the core??? Come on guys, these chairmen aren't anti-pro-life. Their job ain't to look at this from any single issue perspective, it's to figure out who gives them the best shot in their county. Joe Penn is a nice guy, but the manifesto dooms him. Murray? WHich voters are going to get excited by the gold standard? Zimmer has run statewide before - albeit it hasn't been for a while - and is a very credible and substantial policy guy.
Zimmer?
I am sorry who is that? Anybody heard anything about him lately? How has he been involved in NJ politics and NJ GOP recently? O yes, he has a farm down here. That's noble. O yes, he used to be a politician, that's remarkable. Let's unearth a few more dead bodies for the US Senate race! Let's start digging!