Chris Smith

Josh Zeitz in Hamilton today: Politicker Photo

HAMILTON - At a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser in New York City on Thursday, Michelle Obama asked 4th Congressional District challenger Josh Zeitz if he thinks New Jersey will be a battleground for her husband.

Zeitz told the first lady prospect that New Jersey is safely Democratic territory. Then he added something specific about his own challenge of entrenched U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4).

"I told Michelle Obama we’re going to work hard, and yes, we’re going to win that race," he said of his longshot bid to upend the veteran Smith and help give Obama a solid majority in Congress.

As they listened to the story, a small crowd clapped in Zeitz’s Hamilton campaign headquarters, which the candidate opened today on South Olden Avenue, a few blocks from the congressman’s house.

PRINCETON - Gov. Jon Corzine's Tuesday night shout-out to 4thJosh Zeitz Congressional District candidate Josh Zetiz was the governor's second public hurrah in as many weeks for the underdog Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4). 

Corzine spearheaded a Zeitz fund-raising event at a Trenton restaurant last week, and plugged the professor's candidacy at his governor's gala for the State Democratic Committee last night.

Zeitz's allies in Mercer County took notice.

New Jersey supporters of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) celebrated their candidate’s courage as they enlivened the crowd here at Burlington County Community College in advance of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s appearance.

McCain is campaigning in New Jersey today for the fourth time in five months, according to state Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer), state campaign chair for McCain, who is serving as emcee here in Pemberton.

After receiving a standing ovation from the crowd of 2,000 here packed into the gym, retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-3) made his argument for McCain simple and straightforward.

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith: Getty ImagesWhen Rep. Chris Smith was first elected to the House, he was brand new to the Washington scene. But after 27 years of representing New Jersey in Congress, Smith has spent almost half of his life living in Virginia.

Smith is in his home state only a small fraction of the time. That is a point that the congressman conceded in an interview with PolitickerNJ.com, but he said his virtual absence from the 4th District is a sacrifice he makes for its residents and to be near his family.

“I’m on assignment here. I fight for New Jersey in Washington,” Smith said. “I want to fight for my constituents and make a difference in Washington.”

TRENTON - As Democrats gear up for a bruising senate primary season, unofficial congressional filing results with the state Division of Elections show no same-party challengers to incumbent Democratic congressmen.      

Only in the 1st District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews is vacating his seat to challenge U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg in the primary, are there several hopefuls battling for what Andrews leaves behind.

While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already called on President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics this summer, Rep. Chris Smith wants to take it further – a complete boycott of the games.

In an interview with PolitickerNJ.com last week, Smith renewed his call to boycott the Olympics, in part because of the Chinese government’s recent crackdown on Tibetan dissent. But Smith has been a long-time advocate of such a protest, stemming from the Chinese regime’s long record of human rights violations.

“I’ve called for it very aggressively,” said Smith, the former chairman of the House Judiciary’s subcommittee on Human Rights and Law. “We’re calling it the ‘genocide Olympics’ because of their enabling of the genocide in Darfur.”

On the day President George W. Bush visited a credit counseling service center in Freehold to address a national housing crisis, Democratic candidates for Congress seized the opportunity to denounce what they see as Bush’s failed economic policies.

"With about 3.5 million foreclosure filings since 2006, the Federal Reserve banks estimates that 2 million more are on the way over the next two years," said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. "Meanwhile, new homes sales are at their lowest point in 13 years tumbling 40.6 percent in the Northeast alone. The President's short term foreclosure 'timeout' is a band-aid approach that does nothing to stimulate the economy or increase homeownership."

Josh Zeitz appeals to Monmouth County Democrats. 

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - After giving standing ovations to U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) and U.S. Rep Frank Pallone (D-6) at the Shore Casino on Saturday, Monmouth County Democrats greeted their young contender in the 4th congressional district with a polite pitter-patter of hands.

Of the 4th, "I don’t know if its going to be contested or not but we do have someone here," Party Chairman Victor Scudiery said in his introduction of Zeitz, a 34-year old American History professor at Rutgers University from Bordentown who has taken a leave of absence this year to challenge the formidable U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4).

With at least 200,000 newly registered Democrats appearing on the voter roles after this month’s primary, a new hope has arisen in Democrat Josh Zeitz’s campaign to unseat long-time incumbent Republican Chris Smith.

Zeitz estimates that 20,000 of those new Democrats will be in his district, which is comprised of four counties: Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth and Mercer. As of the last count, the district was made up of 17% Democrats, 22% Republicans, and 61% unaffiliated voters. Adding 20,000 new Democrats to the rolls will make party registration in the district roughly equal. Zeitz campaign manager Steve D’Amico added that the district is getting younger, with about 60% of the residents under 50.

“In this kind of atmosphere, in a year that Democrats are surging with these resources, party parity will make the difference. It provides the winning margin,” said Zeitz, 34.

But Smith says he’s heard this from opponents before. He heard it from Brian Hughes just after redistricting in 1992; and from Reed Gusciora, who promised to run an aggressive campaign in 2000. And now, Smith says, he represents the most heavily Republican district he’s had since entering the House in 1981.

Hamilton Mayor John BencivengoStrengthened by what he described as a "shared vision with my people, a cause to be accomplished and a dream come true," John Bencivengo officially became mayor of Hamilton today as he was sworn in by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith in the ballroom of the Nottingham Firehouse in front of a crowd of 350 people.

"I wish that I could have given a more cheerful address today," said Bencivengo in a nod to the town’s $10 million budget deficit. "But even if our fiscal circumstances had been better, even if we had ample surplus, I’d be saying the same things. It should be our goal, no matter the circumstances, to do more with less."

The former Republican Party municipal chairman and fired government worker ran and won on a platform of restoring common sense and accountability to government. Today Bencivengo swore always to remember that working families fund the town, and promised to present the 2009 budget on time in July.

He made the second of these vows in defiance of the record of his predecessor, Glen Gilmore, who sat on the document last year until a judge ruled he had to release it to the Township Council prior to the November election. The release of the 2008 budget, which initially showed a $5 million shortfall, helped propel the Republican Bencivengo to victory over Gilmore by fewer than 500 votes.