Robert Gordon

Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan in Newark on Tuesday night. 

NEWARK - They came together in Newark tonight in a public display of unity, the forces of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, all lining up behind Gov. Jon Corzine, who proclaimed his support for Obama in this governor’s fund-raiser for the Democratic State Committee.

"Yes, we can, and he will be the next president," shouted Corzine, echoing the campaign slogan of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

The Democrats raised over $500,000 tonight at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, according to party spokesman Richard McGrath, as part of a $5,000 VIP ticket, $1,500 per-person kick-start for what Corzine hopes will be blue state heaven for these Democrats come Nov. 4.

Hillary Clinton campaigns in Hackensack today, where she was endorsed by Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero: Getty Images Photo

In her first public campaign stop in New Jersey since September, Hillary Clinton made an appearance tonight at Bergen County Academies in Hackensack to accept the endorsements of Bergen County Chairman Joe Ferriero and a host of other elected officials from the powerhouse.

The appearance came immediately after Clinton attended a $2,300 per head fundraiser at the Stony Hill Inn across town, and afterwards she was off to another rally to appeal to the Hispanic vote in North Bergen. Earlier today, she was in Pennsylvania to accept the endorsement of Gov. Ed Rendell.

The Hackensack crowd, which Clinton campaign officials estimated at 700 to hear Clinton speak at the school's gymnasium with 1,000 more overflowing into its auditorium, had to wait. Clinton arrived about an hour and a half late, leaving Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire to keep the crowd entertained, adlibbing jokes and poking fun at other elected officials.

With about five weeks to go before the general election, it’s risky to write off any political campaign as a lost cause. But several underdog candidates who once seemed to have a slight chance at running competitive races do not seem to have picked up steam or support from their parties.

State Senate candidates Robert Colletti, Richard Dennison, Gina Genovese and John Villapiano have all run spirited campaigns. And while none has a good shot at winning on November 6th, all four insist that their campaigns are very much alive.

Meanwhile, Seema Singh’s State Senate campaign isn’t necessarily dead, though it is on life support.

It was a big happy event, by the looks of it from the outside. They looked like an extended family in there, with the Jets game on in the background and a few of the men shamelessly turning sideways in their chairs as they watched Gang Green lose.

But when Assemblyman Robert Gordon stood at the podium and accepted their unanimous backing to succeed District 38 Sen. Joseph Coniglio, Bergen County Democrats emptied their seats and gave him their face-forward attention amid sustained applause.

Gordon had some longtime allies in the Sunday evening crowd at party HQ in Hackensack, guys with whom he went back a long time.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg today praised the integrity of two potential Senate candidates in the neighboring 38th district, and said that Democratic Party leaders should let the elected county committee members should make the decision.

"Senator Joseph Coniglio made a very tough decision. The legal system will now run its course, and I wish him well," said Weinberg. "I also certainly hope that none of our own democratic party leaders, nor any Republican will insinuate that my colleagues, Assembly members Bob Gordon or Joan Voss, are somehow implicated in this investigation because they received subpoenas. I know them both to be hardworking legislators of great integrity."

State Sen. Joe Coniglio has agreed to drop his re-election bid, sources sayState Sen. Joseph Coniglio, who is the target of a federal corruption investigation, has agreed to drop his bid for re-election in the 38th district. Coniglio had resisted internal pressure from Bergen Democratic leaders to drop out of the race, but has now told Democratic officials that he would end his bid for a third term.

But Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero is strongly denying that Coniglio is dropping out, saying the report is "absolutely not true."

State Sen. Joseph Coniglio is the target of a federal corruption investigationThe two Republican Assembly candidates in the 38th district say that Assemblymen Robert Gordon and Assemblywoman Joan Voss should "admonish the actions" of their running mate, State Sen. Joseph Coniglio. Coniglio, the target of a federal corruption investigation, is running a joint campaign with Gordon and Voss.

State Sen. Joseph Coniglio offered his first detailed response to allegations that he used his legislative post to help his employer, the Hackensack University Medical Center.  Coniglio is a target of a federal probe, which sometimes is a precursor to an indictment.

Today, his campaign manager, Brian Hague, issued a lengthy statement responding to a decision of the bi-partisan Joint Committee on Ethical Standards to reopen a previously-dismissed ethics complaint filed against Coniglio.

State Sen. Joseph Coniglio is the target of a federal corruption investigationThe Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards will revisit a complaint filed against State Sen. Joe Coniglio that they had previously dismissed.

Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan had filed a complaint to the committee earlier this year, accusing Coniglio of helping Hackensack University Medical Center, which had recently hired him as a plumbing consultant, lobby for state aid. The complaint was dismissed after Coniglio said he did not make any requests for the grants and merely voted on them.

State Sen. Joseph Coniglio is reportedly the target of a federal corruption investigationIf Joe Coniglio is not going to run for reelection for his state Senate seat, he doesn’t seem to know it.

Coniglio was in full campaign mode last night, attending the Lodi concert of a band called Kenny Vance and the Planotones, which he sponsored along with his Assembly running mates Bob Gordon and Joan Voss. While Bergen County political circles have been abuzz about whether the Bergen County Democratic Organization will ask the 38th district state Senator to drop his re-election bid, Coniglio has not made himself scarce.

“Come on, let me see some smiles,” said Coniglio, who wore a white hat with his name on it as he and his wife passed out paper fans bearing the words “I’m a fan of Senator Joe Coniglio, Assembly Members Bob Gordon, Joan Voss.”