Chris Van Hollen

WASHINGTON -- Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Chuck Schumer reaffirmed his support for incumbent U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg this afternoon – and took something of a shot at Lautenberg primary challenger U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews.

“We believe that Frank will win the primary. His numbers are good, his popularity among Democrats in a poll we just made public is very high. In the northern part of the state, the northern counties, Frank is ahead, I think, 75 - 11. The Andrews people had thought they could get a few of those northern counties, but they don’t have a one. All 14 are with Frank,” Schumer said.

“So, you know, I think Frank will win,” Schumer added. “Frank has, you know, about double the money in the bank that Andrews has. We support our incumbents. Frank has done a very good job in the Senate, he’s active, he’s strong, and we think we will win. And New Jersey is blue. We don’t think the field of their candidates is as strong as ours. But we think Frank is the stronger candidate in both the primary and the general.”

Newly-elected Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Chris Van Hollen says that GOP Congressman Frank LoBiondo will be a top target in 2008. LoBiondo won 62% last year against Democrat Viola Thomas-Hughes, the former Mayor of Fairfield. While the second district has been trending toward the Democrats in recent years, LoBiondo is not likely to be in trouble -- unless Van Hollen and New Jersey Democrats can convince three-term Assemblyman Jefferson Van Drew -- a Democrat who runs exceptionally well in Republican areas of the district -- to run. Other possible candidates, like Assemblyman Douglas Fisher or Atlantic County Freeholder Alisa Beth Cooper, are not in Van Drew's league.

One potentially interesting candidate against LoBiondo would be Bridgeton native M. Allyn Brooks-LaSure, a politically savvy African American who has served as Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and Governor Jon Corzine.

In North Jersey, some Democrats have been trying to recruit Summit Mayor Jordan Glatt to run for Congress next year against 7th district Congressman Michael Ferguson. Ferguson barely (49%-48%) won re-election in 2006, and his opponent, Assemblywoman Linda Stender, is reportedly looking for a rematch. Glatt, who announced his bid for re-election as Mayor of heavily-Republican Summit yesterday, is a favorite of Governor Jon Corzine (who lived in Summit for more than twenty years before his election to the Senate) and is also being recruited to challenge Republican Assemblyman Eric Munoz.