New Jersey: Pascrell Calls Idea of Being Governor ‘Intriguing’

New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. hinted at interest in a gubernatorial run in 2013. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. hinted at interest in running for higher state office and he conveyed frustration that Newark Mayor Cory Booker is taking too long decide whether he will run for governor in 2013 or Senate in 2014.

A few weeks ago, New Jersey Democrats forwarded around a curious story from The Bergen Record pushing the idea of a Pascrell gubernatorial run.

“We’ll see what other people have to say about that. I’ve got more on my plate than I can think of,” he said when asked about the idea of running against Republican Gov. Chris Christie. “There’s always been something intriguing about the position, always intriguing.”

At first glance, it would seem odd that Pascrell’s considering a gubernatorial bid.

He fought hard to hold onto his seat in a member-vs.-member primary against fellow Democratic Rep. Steven R. Rothman and has finally built up enough seniority to secure a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Commitee, which he touted in his 2012 campaign.

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New Jersey: Reports Say Cory Booker Signaling Senate Run

Lautenberg may face a primary challenge from Booker should the 88-year-old decide to seek another term. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Those close to Newark Mayor Cory Booker telegraphed to the Wall Street Journal Tuesday that the Democrat will run for Senate in 2014, rather than challenge Republican Gov. Chris Christie in 2013.

Democratic Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg currently stands in Booker’s way, and the 88-year-old has given zero indication that he plans to retire and clear the way for the popular mayor. Lautenberg was one of the few members to come out forcefully for gun control in the hours after the Dec. 14 shootings in Connecticut.

That means that as it stands, Booker is challenging an active, albeit elderly, incumbent from his own party. Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., is also said to be eyeing a Senate run in 2014.

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New Jersey: Christie Running for Second Term as Governor

(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Republican Gov. Chris Christie announced Monday that he will run for re-election next year, when New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states holding gubernatorial elections.

The gubernatorial elections in the two states, which are always held in the year immediately following a presidential election, are often seen as bellwethers for the following midterms.

“The people need to know I’m in this for the long haul,” Christie said at a news briefing in Middletown, according to The Associated Press. The state is just beginning to recover from the devastating damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute was scheduled to release results of a survey in New Jersey on the response to Sandy, which should provide evidence for Christie’s standing heading into next year.

The Virginia race will likely be between former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and one of two Republican statewide elected officials, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling or Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, a former governor, considered running for the governorship but announced last week that he will not seek another term.

New Jersey to Allow Voting by Email, Fax

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno issued a series of directives late today that will allow voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy to cast absentee ballots by email and fax.

Guadagno, a Republican, serves as the state’s top elections official. In one of her new directives, she instructs county clerks to accept absentee voting applications by fax or email up until 5 p.m. on Election Day and to accept ballots themselves electronically until 8 p.m. that day.

Under the directive, all voters displaced by the storm are deemed to be overseas voters under New Jersey law.

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Chris Christie, Marco Rubio Given Top GOP Convention Speaking Assignments

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will deliver the keynote address at the Republican convention in Tampa, Fla., according to a USA Today report. Christie is currently drafting a speech that is expected to run 20 minutes.

Additionally, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been tapped to introduce presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney for his Thursday evening nomination acceptance speech, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Democrats have already named their keynote speaker: San Antonio Mayor Joaquin Castro.

New Jersey: Steven Rothman Makes Serious Television Buy in New York Market

Rep. Steven Rothman is going big in the last days of his Democratic primary against Rep. Bill Pascrell in New Jersey’s newly drawn 9th district.

His campaign just released a television ad about the environment that is on the air in the expensive New York City market. The money behind it is well into the six figures. Redistricting forced both Members to compete for the same Democratic-leaning seat.

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New Jersey: More Members Side With Bill Pascrell

More Members have donated to Rep. Bill Pascrell in his race against a fellow Democratic incumbent. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

With less than a week to go before the primary, more Members are picking sides in the battle between New Jersey Democratic Reps. Steven Rothman and Bill Pascrell.

The Member-vs.-Member race has already revealed divided allegiances among legislators. The bulk of Member donations have been directed to Pascrell, who is also getting a campaign visit Friday from President Bill Clinton. Full story

New Jersey: A Poll, Robocalls and Presidential Politics

Rep. Bill Pascrell's campaign released a poll that showed his race with fellow Democratic Rep. Steven Rothman to be very close. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

With less than two weeks until the primary, today was a big day in the Member-versus-Member race between Demcratic Reps. Bill Pascrell and Steven Rothman of New Jersey.

Before the close of business, political observers got their first glimpse of polling, the Pascrell camp released robocalls from President Bill Clinton and Obama senior adviser David Axelrod made news while campaigning for Rothman in the district.

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New Jersey: House Leaders, Reality Star Donate to Bill Pascrell

Rep. Bill Pascrell is facing off against a fellow Democrat in a primary next month. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Two members of House Democratic leadership have donated to Rep. Bill Pascrell in his Member-vs.-Member fight against fellow New Jersey Rep. Steven Rothman.

Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn (S.C.) and Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) have sent checks to Pascrell, although one of the donations was much more recent than the other.

Clyburn donated a total of $7,000 through his PAC and campaign committee Friday, according to Pascrell’s latest 48-hour fundraising report. Larson’s campaign committee donated $2,000 Dec. 31, just days after it became clear that a Member-vs.-Member race was shaping up between the two men. Full story

New Jersey: David Axelrod to Campaign for Steven Rothman

Rep. Steven Rothman (above) picked up support from senior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Updated: 4:57 p.m. | Senior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod is set to campaign on behalf of Rep. Steven Rothman on Wednesday in his tough 9th district primary against fellow Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell. The Bergen County Record first reported the news.

President Bill Clinton endorsed Pascrell earlier this month, and Axelrod’s move to campaign for Rothman sets up a rematch of sorts of the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. In that contest, Rothman was an early Obama backer; Pascrell endorsed then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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New Jersey: Steven Rothman Notes Past Loyalty to President Bill Clinton

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

WOOD-RIDGE, N.J. —Rep. Steven Rothman isn’t losing sleep over President Bill Clinton and the possibility that he might endorse Rep. Bill Pascrell in the contentious Democratic primary.

It has been widely noted that the 2008 Democratic presidential primary has come back to haunt several House candidates who backed now-President Barack Obama over then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, as did Rothman. The former president, in some cases to devastating effect, has waded into redistricting-generated Member-vs.-Member Democratic primaries on behalf of the individual who backed his wife for president in 2008.

But Rothman, now embroiled in a bitter primary with 2008 Clinton-backer Pascrell, points to a loyalty to the former president that goes back a decade before 2008, when his political survival was on the line. Rothman emphasized his ”very strong defense of him when I was on the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment proceedings” in explaining why he doesn’t fear Clinton or expect him to get involved in this race.

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New Jersey: Steven Rothman Goes On the Air

Rep. Steven Rothman is on the air with his first ad in the Member-vs.-Member race against Rep. Bill Pascrell. The two are vying for the Democratic nomination in New Jersey’s 9th district.

The ad makes it clear this is a race to the left. With words like “Democratic values” and “progressive” and an image of the candidate with President Barack Obama, Rothman is clearly trying to burnish his Democratic bona fides.

New Jersey: Special Election Dates for Payne Seat Set

As most New Jersey politicos expected, Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) issued a writ setting the special election primary and general dates to fill the term of the late Rep. Donald Payne as concurrent with the previously scheduled state primary and general election dates for 2012.

State tradition has it that special elections are rarely held because of the costs associated. Instead, the special election is held in conjunction with the state’s scheduled primary and general elections. A candidate’s name appears twice on the ballot, once for the special election and again in the contest for a full term.

The winner of the special election will fill out the lame-duck term after the November election.

In other 10th district news, Newark City Councilman Ron Rice picked up the endorsements of two of his colleagues, Newark South Ward Councilman Ras Baraka and Central Ward Councilman Darrin Sharif.

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New Jersey: Donald Payne Jr. Plans Run for Late Father’s Seat

The son of the late Rep. Donald Payne is running for his father’s seat in Congress, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

“I’ve had discussions with the chairman in Essex County and I’ve told him my intention to run,” Newark City Council President Donald Payne Jr. told the paper. “I have petitions out.”

Obtaining the backing of the Essex County Democratic Committee is crucial to winning this race.

Newark Councilman Ron Rice had already planned to run against Donald Payne Sr., and he will continue that campaign for the open seat.

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N.J. Seat Likely to Remain Vacant Until Lame Duck

The special election to succeed the late Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.) isn’t likely to be held until November — meaning the seat will remain vacant for eight months.

The New Jersey Constitution includes provisions for a special election to fill a Congressional vacancy. But state tradition has it that special elections are rarely held because of the costs associated. Instead, the special election is held in conjunction with the state’s scheduled primary and general elections. A candidate’s name appears twice on the ballot, once for the special election and again in the contest for a full term.

The 10th district is a safe Democratic seat, so whichever candidate wins the June 5 regular and special election primary is all but assured of winning the November contests. The winner of the special would be sworn in at the beginning of the lame-duck session. Full story