Anne Wolfe

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's PAC has contributed $5,000 to 5th district Democratic congressional candidate Dennis Shulman: Getty Images Photo
PARAMUS -- Sitting at a conference table at IBEW Local 164's headquarters with congressionalcandidate Dennis Shulman, several labor officials and two reporters this morning, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was asked whether he planned to back up his visible support of Shulman with a significant amount of cash.

Hoyer, smiling, pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Shulman.

"Here's another $2,500. Talk is cheap, right?" said Hoyer. "It's not in the mail. It's in his pocket now."

It was the second $2,500 check that Hoyer's political action committee, AmeriPAC, had given to Schulman's campaign - something he said would be a taste of things to come if Shulman continues to run a vigorous campaign against three-term Rep. Scott Garrett in the fifth congressional district.

Democrat Anne Wolfe says she dropped her bid for Congress in the fifth district because Republican Scott Garrett is not beatable in 2006. "Because of the 30,000 vote gap that has caused disinterest from all pollsters, pundits and endorsing groups in Washington D.C. the 5th Congressional District is not a viable race in the 2006 cycle," Wolfe told PoliticsNJ.com. "If you examine all poll and projections for races targeted you do not find the 5th in New Jersey cited. I heard over and over again from potential contributors and donors that the race 'has viability problems.'" Wolfe says that her decision not to seek a rematch with Garrett had nothing to do with a primary challenge from former McGreevey spokesman Paul Aronsohn.

Anne Wolfe has decided not to run for Congress in 2006, leaving former McGreevey Press Secretary Paul Aronsohn as the clear front runner for the Democratic nomination in the 5th district.