April 9, 2008 - 2:33pm
Zimmer?
By Wally EdgeIf the reports are accurate – frankly, there has been so much confusion over the last six weeks that it’s hard to believe any of this – Republicans may have found a credible U.S. Senate candidate in Dick Zimmer.
The brainy 64-year-old lawyer from Hunterdon County served three terms as a Congressman from the twelfth district before running for the U.S. Senate in 1996. In a race that appeared close almost until the end, Zimmer lost 53%-43% to Democrat Bob Torricelli. Before his election to Congress in 1990, he served as an Assemblyman and State Senator and was Chairman of New Jersey Common Cause. He lost a comeback bid in 2000, defeating former Rep. Mike Pappas in the GOP primary but losing to freshman Democratic Rep. Rush Holt in the general by just 1,101 votes.
Some pundits believe that Zimmer might have beaten Frank Lautenberg in the very Republican year of 1994 -- when he wanted to run and when the state GOP went with then-Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytaian instead. With the permission of Andy Unanue’s Committee on Vacancies, Zimmer could enter the race despite the passing of Monday’s filing deadline. He would likely inherit Unanue’s organizational support.
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Quote of the Day
July 8, 2008
"The ordinance wasn't in effect. When it is in effect, I will abide by whatever we put forth." – Delran mayor Kenneth Paris, the sponsor of a local law that would limit township vendors to a $300 campaign contribution, after he awarded a lucrative engineering contract to a firm that donated $5,000.
-Philadelphia Inquirer, 07/08/08
Recent Press Releases
- Jul 9 2008
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
Trump wonders why Corzine left the Senate ― CHARLES STILE
Bob Torricelli is Mad at the Big, 'Mean' Bergen Record― THE MEDIA MOB
Sweeney-Buono alliance shakes up N.J. Senate― JONATHAN TAMARI
Stile: Pay to play helped to quell party insurgents ― CHARLES STILE
Newark’s Mayor Cory Booker at Midpoint ― DICK BENFIELD
MUCHAS MARGARITAS― ANDY UNANUE
NJ Economic Growth chief leaves office― Gary Rose
Candidates spend plenty of their money― Philadelphia Inquirer
News anchor sizing up run for governor― Star-Ledger
Political parties get right down to business― Daily Record
PolitickerNJ.com Jobs
Syndicate
Ashcroft.
I have said and I now repeat...Choose John Ashcroft.
Tom Wilson for the US Senate!
Go Tommy, go Tommy.
Zimmer
the GOP could do a lot worse than Dick Zimmer.
He could raise money on his own, that's for sure.
My Nationalist Party Manifesto
Dumb camps for GOP prima donnas.
Zimmer???
He lost to Holt in his own district (I live in it). There is no hope to win this seat. I still don't know who I am going to vote for. I think I will write in myself in the primary or maybe I will calm down and vote for Jersey joe...
Give us a break
Sometimes I just shake my head in sorrow at the New Jersey GOP. This is the best we can do? We always hear about the supposed electability of the "moderates." So now they give us as their annointed candidate (after the deadline yet) someone who previously lost a Senate race by double digits.