Joseph Cryan

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10), left, and his son Freeholder and Newark Councilman Donald Payne, Jr. 

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10) issued a statement today concerning his switch of support from Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to Sen. Barack Obama (D-NJ) in their presidential contest.

"Hillary Clinton is a good friend, and I continue to hold her in high regard," said Payne, a party superdelegate. "She has made important contributions to our nation through her outstanding work as First Lady and in the United States Senate."

State Democratic Chairman Joseph Cryan's decision to file an Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryanappeal to a Superior Court judges' ruling today created an opening for the campaign of U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) to argue that U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) could not claim total victory in the courtroom.

"Has Cryan decided to appeal today’s ruling on behalf of Lautenberg?" said Andrews spokesman Michael Murphy.

He answered his own question, "Certainly."

Cryan, a Lautenberg supporter, and the Lautenberg people both deny that’s the case and say it’s more desperation from Andrews to spin a loss into an optimistic sound-bite.

"We are not appealing the decision," said Julie Roginsky, spokesperson for the Lautenberg campaign.

Andrews, who is challenging Lautenberg, fought an unsuccessful battle in the courts to try to get all three of the U.S. Senate candidates to be bracketed together - without any other down ballot candidates - in their own interfacing column on the primary ballot.

Gov. Jon Corzine 

Gov. Jon Corzine said Sen. Hillary Clinton's near double-digit victory over arch-rival Sen. Barack Obama in Pennsylvania last night lays the foundation for a successful conclusion to the Democratic Primary for his presidential candidate.

"You can't underestimate that Obama was looking for a knockout. He played to win and lost," Corzine told reporters in an afternoon conference call, which also included State Democratic Chairman Joseph Cryan.

A Superior Court judge today upheld the Democratic Party's ballot process, dealing a blow to the Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1).

Andrews, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, wants an open primary, requiring clerks to bracket candidates in column one on the ballots in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties.

Sharpe James NEWARK - A lot of Democrats who worked with Sharpe James over the years had one word to describe what they felt today as they watched a federal jury deliver a guilty verdict in the former mayor’s corruption trial.

They felt sad.

"Sometimes we cooperated, sometimes we didn’t, but I really believe he cared about Newark," said North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato. "It’s a terrible tragedy."

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg addresses the crowd as Gov. Jon Corzine looks on.

TRENTON -- Burnishing his blue collar roots and seniority in Washington, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg today launched his re-election bid at the Trenton Marriott, promising to lead the fight for New Jersey's working families.

"I will build on my work of the last few years, to stand strong against those who attack our values that short change our state and to deliver the results that improve people's lives," said Lautenberg, who was first elected to the Senate in 1982.

MORRISTOWN - Democratic Party leaders will stage a rally inMayor Donald Cresitello Trenton on Monday in support of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg as two potential primary challengers - Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello and former party Chairman Tom Byrne of Princeton - continued to lay the groundwork to run against the veteran lawmaker.

"We’re going to have the Democratic congressional delegation, Gov. Corzine, Sen. Menendez - all in support of Sen. Lautenberg," said Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan.

The event is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Marriott.

SOMERVILLE - Elia Pelios will not pursue a sixth term as chairman of the Democratic Party in Somerset County.

"After ten years of banging my head against the wall, I've come to the realization that there's only so much more time before brain damage sets in," said the 38-year old chairman who operates in a GOP-controlled county.

Still, Pelios said this year's presidential primary generated new registered Democrats, and for all of the organizational advantages that Republicans enjoy in Somerset, they number just 1,000 more than the Democrats.

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Victor ScudieryATLANTIC HIGHLANDS - Just one day after the 2007 general election, Monmouth County GOP Chairman Adam Puharic posted the results on his party’s website and noted gleefully that the Republicans had sumo tossed the Democrats out of the circle in every non-municipal contest - with the exception of one: a freeholder match between Democrat John D'Amico and Republican Jeffrey Cantor.

At that point, D'Amico-Cantor was undecided, and Puharic mused about the possibility of humiliating the Democrats with a shutout. But post provisional and absentee ballots, D'Amico squeaked out a victory and became the second Democrat in as many years to win a seat on the Monmouth County Freeholder Board, in a traditionally Republican stronghold.

Flat on its back for weeks, Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidentialAssemblyman Joseph Cryan campaign finally squirmed out from underneath Sen. Barack Obama tonight as the Democratic candidate from New York beat her rival in the Buckeye State, and was projected to win in Texas.

"It’s a big win," said Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), chairman of the New Jersey Democratic Party and a key Clinton supporter, who’s watched with dismay and toiled to keep a Clinton coalition together as Obama’s 11 straight victories had some of his allies tiptoeing toward the panic button.

"It’s early, but what this (Ohio) victory means is that the Democratic nomination will be on April 22nd (in Pennsylvania)," said Cryan.

Talking shortly after 11 p.m on Election Night moments before Clinton delivered her victory speech, the state party chairman at that point conceded Obama could still win in Texas, but said it would likely be by such a narrow margin that Clinton’s projected decisive victory in Ohio would balance the deck and enable his candidate to credibly continue her trudge toward the presidency.