April 8, 2008 - 10:53am
The First Wives Club
By Wally Edge
Tags: Robert Meyner, Hillary Clinton, Rob Andrews, Mike Huckabee, Helen Meyner, Dawn Gibbons, Janet Huckabee, NJ-01, Camille Andrews
As Camille Andrews embarks upon a congressional campaign that may or not be a placeholder candidacy, she might consider the recent history of wives running for office while their husbands are also running.
When Nevada Congressman Jim Gibbons ran for Governor in 2006, his wife, Dawn Gibbons, ran for his open House seat. She finished third in the GOP primary with 25% of the vote, and Jim Gibbons narrowly won the GOP primary. And in 2002, Arkansas First Lady Janet Huckabee ran for Secretary of State and lost 62%-38% in the same election her husband, Mike Huckabee, was re-elected Governor by a 53%-47% margin.
In New Jersey, Helen Stevenson Meyner, whose husband was the Governor from 1964 to 1962, ran for Congress in 1972 and lost 56%-43%. But two years later, in the Watergate year, Meyner ran again and ousted Republican incumbent Joseph Maraziti by a 57%-43% margin.
The exception to the rule may be Hillary Clinton, who won a New York U.S. Senate seat in 2000, but her husband was from Arkansas.
Contributors
Wally Edge
Marcellus Jackson, who resigned his seat as a Passaic City Councilman after admitting that he took $26,000 in bribes from an undercover FBI agent, ... >
Bob Torricelli
The financial debacle on Wall Street may change many things. Our international power, standard of living and individual security might all ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
Joe Biden promises to impose Catholic dogma upon the country, and calls it "patriotic". >
Debbie Holtz
The NJ 101.5 radio debate scheduled later this month was one Frank Lautenberg quickly agreed to - in fact his campaign was the first to confirm its ... >
Steve Lonegan
The sub prime mortgage melt down and its ensuing financial “crisis” has tested the mettle of all of us who believe in and support the free ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
For the past few weeks, I've watched with fascination as politician after politician have appeared on a beach or a boardwalk and declared their ... >
Rob Tornoe
To view a larger version of this cartoon, click here. >
Michael P. Riccards
Senator John McCain insisted that he and Senator Barak Obama should go on the road for a host of town hall meetings to discuss the issues in a ... >
Joey Novick
According to a Fairleigh Dickinson poll, Senator Frank Lautenberg leads Lobbyist Dick Zimmer by 16 points, 50-34 percent. Fourteen percent say ... >
Juan Melli
While New Jersey suffered from a crippling structural deficit, politicians created a slush fund to dole out tax dollars for their own personal gain.
... >
Carla Katz
As I drove home from a VP debate party on Thursday night, I surfed radio talk shows and heard countless callers say that Governor Palin ‘won’ the ... >
Poll
If Barack Obama becomes President, who should he pick for U.S. Attorney?
Matt Boxer
1%
Paul Fishman
17%
Paula Franzese
11%
Robert Gilson
1%
Deborah Gramiccioni
0%
Patrick Hobbs
2%
Lawrence Lustberg
4%
Ralph Marra
6%
Bill Matsikoudis
11%
Julien Neils
5%
Frank Vespa-Papaleo
18%
Walter Timpone
1%
Luis Valentin
0%
Ted Wells
9%
Someone Else
13%
PolitickerNJ Partners
Hot Topics
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
The Pindell Report Keep up with the races in your state |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win Predict the road to the White House |
Most Active Stories
- Republicans link Adler, Stender to budget slush fund
- McCain's New Jersey Democrats
- Don't mess with Lautenberg: 84-year-old Senator is ready for fist fight with labor leader
- McCain campaign disappoints us with a rather pathetic announcement of Democratic support
- Burlington versus Trenton in 3rd District showdown
- U.S. Attorney's Office issues subpoena to Passaic mayoral candidate Ellen
- Zimmer heads to Lautenberg's train station
- Only in New Jersey
- Lance and Stender spar over birth control
- Tornoe's Toons: Worst debate ever!
- Dr. Bones goes to Washington
- PoliticsNJ.com Power List 2007
- DOHERTY: NEW SCIENTIFIC DATA JUSTIFIES REPEALING GLOBAL WARMING RESPONSE ACT
- Eleven arrested in bribery scandal
- Lyndhurst GOP, nearly all of them, switching parties
- Lobbyist arrested
- Governor Paralysis
- Who is the best State Party Chairman in New Jersey
- KYRILLOS, BECK, KEAN & HANDLIN VOW WORK TO KEEP SEASTREAK FERRY UP AND RUNNING
- Torricelli on COAH
Quote of the Day
October 10, 2008
"(Governor Jon) Corzine understands that his initial plan went too far, and he is now doing everything he can to hold down the increase the Turnpike Authority proposed to the lowest level possible in order to guarantee safe roads and enhance bridge safety." -- Corzine's "best positioning" on toll hikes, according to his pollster, Doug Schoen.
-Star-Ledger, 10/10/08
Recent Press Releases
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
TOO MANY WANT TO FLY THE COOP AT STAR-LEDGER― MUST READ
The Drivers of the Star-Ledger Crisis― NEW YORK OBSERVER
Colts Neck couple to host president today― Juan and Marta Gutierrez
Public purchase benefited Democratic Party donors ― JOSEPH FERRIERO
PolitickerNJ.com Jobs
Syndicate
Female dean of the Senate
And of course, Margaret Chase Smith.