Clifford Sobel

U.S. Ambassador to Brazil Cliff Sobel is a possible Senate candidateRepublican State Chairman Tom Wilson hasn’t reached out to any other potential candidates to fill in for Anne Evans Estabrook, but he doesn’t think having other people running would be a bad thing.

Wilson said that he’s heard several names pop up, including United States Ambassador to Brazil Clifford Sobel, who has been named as a desirable potential candidate by Republican sources.

“I don’t generally get into the business of getting people into things. Joe Pennacchio’s got some momentum and clearly is touching a chord with people. If others want to get into the race, they should do that,” said Wilson. “I’ve known Cliff (Sobel) for a number of years and would be happy to talk to him about it if it’s something he’s interested in. There are a lot of things about him that are very attractive and he certainly has a record of caring about public service.”

One potential U.S. Senate candidate is Clifford Sobel, now the United States Ambassador to Brazil.  The millionaire businessman and former GOP State Committee Finance Chairman considered a Senate bid in 2006, after completing his assignment as the Ambassador to the Netherlands, but instead accepted another diplomatic post.  Sobel is currently in the United States, and some Republican leaders are reaching out to him.

There are a few Republicans who claim that Clifford Sobel, the United States Ambassador to Brazil, is giving some thought to leaving his diplomatic post to run against Frank Lautenberg in the 2008 United States Senate race. Sobel, a millionaire businessman and former New Jersey Republican State Committee Finance Chairman, mulled a Senate bid against Bob Menendez in early 2006 after leaving his post as the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands, but opted to take the Brazil appointment instead.