(I figured this was big enough news to promote, and, since David Kowalski laid out the details, I saw no point in writing a separate post that repeated the same information. – promoted by The Caped Composer)
Anne Estabrook, a multi-millionaire developer and the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the US Senate in New Jersey abruptly dropped out on Tuesday morning after suffering a mini stroke on Monday. Estabrook had already contributed $1.6 million towards the Senate race and was considered the heavy favorite for the Republican nomination.
Her departure leaves two active Republican candidates, inflammatory state senator Joe Pennachio and college professor/gadfly Murray Sabin (Sabrin?). There may be pressure from the state’s GOP establishment to come up with a name opponent at this point. Just my own speculation but in relative order candidates might include former Governor Christie Todd Whittman, the state’s US Attorney Chris Christie (good to see him sent packing), retiring US Rep Mike Ferguson, former Senate candidate Tom Keane, Jr. or even one of the south Jersey Reps like Chris Smith or Frank LoBiondo.
Christie has gone from prosecuting all politicians to picking only on Democrats to save his job from Karl Rove’s threatened sacking. I’d love to see Lautenberg puncture his pompousity like a pus-filled pinata. If Jerseyans have poor opinions of their politicians, Chrisitie is a leading contributor. (So are some of the talk radio stations in the state and the vicious tone of the political blog at the Star Ledger. Republicans have no answers but in this state they are nasty, personal, and bullying.)
I was just getting into the Estabrook campaign, but it seemed to me the favorite in this race was Pennachio, who doesn’t thrill me. Sadly in the current climate I don’t see a republican taking back the senate seat from Lautenberg’s arthritic, spotted old nearly dead hand this November. Smith and LoBiondo would be hard pressed to win a statewide election. I wouldn’t mind seeing Whitman take a crack at it.
She was the only one of the three candidates that was moderate enough to maybe win the seat (not that she would have pulled it off, anyway, but she might have made a race of it). I’m sure Lautenberg, the state Dems, and the DSCC are breathing much easier now.
. . . it is too bad Estabrook’s health has taken a turn for the worse, and I hope she has a steady recovery.