Posted on 11/19/2007 10:25:53 AM PST by Alter Kaker
Rep. Mike Ferguson will announce today that he will not seek re-election to a fifth term in 2008. The 37-year-old Republican, who won re-election last year by just 1% against Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Stender, wants to spend more time with his four young children.
Senate Minority Leader-designate Thomas Kean, Jr. becomes one of the most likely GOP candidates for the seat. Kean, the Republican U.S. Senate in 2006, was among the candidates who ran against Ferguson in the 7th district Republican primary in 2000, when Bob Franks gave up the seat to run for the Senate.
Stender has been raising money for a rematch and will now compete for an open seat -- the second in New Jersey next year. Earlier this month, Rep. Jim Saxton said he would not seek re-election to a 12th term.
Other possible GOP candidates include: Assembly Minority Whip Jon Bramnick, outgoing Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, State Sen.-elect Christopher Bateman, Bridgewater Mayor Patricia Flannery, and Franks, now the President of the Health Care Institute of New Jersey.
Ferguson won 49%-48% in 2006 -- a margin of 3,239 votes.
I don’t know the rep here, but it sounds like a real loss since Jersey Republicans are an endangered species. 37 years old and no stomach for a fight?
This is probably not good for the Republicans.
Zoo Jersey is LOST!! Why spend any more $$ on this $hithole ! The state government is corrupt and the majority of the people in the state have to be brain damaged or stupid to keep electing Demorats who continually rape them with higher taxes and passing stupid laws .
Kean could definitely win, but this will be a difficult race. Ferguson is the 17th House Republican to announce a retirement this year. Ouch.
So what are your thoughts on this announcement?
His decision was probably based on any of several factors: (1) he thought he was going to lose in 2008; (2) he didn't like the idea of being in the minority party in Washington; (3) he knows that New Jersey is a dysfunctional sh!t-hole and doesn't want to live there anymore; and/or (4) he just got bored with the job and wants to do something else.
Still better than a N.J. Democrat. They do really wierd things.
Your correct on all accounts. He is a whimp, plays both sides, yada, yada. WTH, I might run. I have polled my passengers, and they concur. “4 DAY WORKWEEK !”, I tell em. How gonna pay for it? Simple, don’t run the trains on friday.
Hopefully the Democrats will find somebody named “Spupid” to run against Tom Kean, Jr., so the Republicans can keep this seat...
Republican Tom Kean Jr. just romped and stomped in his State Senate win. I think he will be a formidable candidate for the Seventh District in 2008.
They already have Linda Stender, who nearly beat Ferguson last year.
why do you insist on referring to the congressman from nj as a ‘pubbie’ ? and why particularly in the headline ?
this cutesy bravo sierra is a disgrace to conservatism.
please rethink your usage of shortening the word republican.
do you know what a republic is ? a republican ?
could you not have typed the traditional (R) to designate party affiliation ?
free republic
a conservative website
is this then jimbo robin’s free pubbie, where the cons hang out ?
this is childish
(no offense really meant, it is just monday and this cr@p rubbed me the wrong way, just asking you and anyone else who might read this to think)
We’ve already done “Stender is a Spender”, that’s why we need somebody named “Spupid”...
Noooo!
Ping
Did Kean beat that anti-gun lady?
Handily. I think it was something like 60/40.
To all to whom these presents shall bring, Greeting:
You have my humblest apologies regarding my cutesy bravo sierra.
I remain your most humble & obedient Servant,
Alter Kaker
Damn, well whoever runs I sure do hope that we see some more “Linda Stender is a Big Spender” posters. Honestly, the atmosphere is better for Republicans this time around and this is a largely Republican district. I think it is a hold.
I think if Kean runs, we hold. If we could talk Franks into coming out of retirement, we would hold. Other than that, I don’t know.
Bob Puhack of Cranford is pretty good, as is Michael Plick. Either of those would be good candidates, though they are not well known outside Cranford.
I understand this guy has young kids at home, but, geez, it's not like Jersey is across the continent from DC. They can live at home and the Congressman can grab a train back to Jersey from Union Station for most weekends. It's not like flying every weekend back to Washington state or California. Of course, it's easy for me to say, I don't have to do it.
I'm pretty sure Ferguson is the guy who got caught hitting on college girls in a D.C. bar.
I don't think his time away from his family is terribly agonizing.
Kean can/will win and hold the seat. He is getting better at politics, can raise big money and Northern New Jersey has just shown that it is finally willing to listen to the Republican line “Vote for me because the Democrat is a crook” with the Beck victory. Yes, she used the same old GOP line, but this time it worked. This time at least the brain dead voters listened. I think this bodes will for Kean’s chances next year.
I did not know that. Why do these people get themselves into these kinds of scrapes? I mean, I’m no angel, but even I know enough not to go hitting on girls young enough to be my daughter. IOW, an ordinary schmuck like me can keep it zipped, why can’t these people?
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)
Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.)
Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.)
Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn.)
Rep. John Duncan (R-Tenn.)Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.)
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.)
Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.)Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.)
Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.)
Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.)Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.)
Rep. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
whoops, wrong thread.
Although I’m no fan of the Kean family, if he’s the nominee, we’ll hold it. This district apparently has a lot of Republican candidates that are viable. If the Dems couldn’t get it in ‘06, they’re not going to get it in ‘08. I’m wondering if Ferguson is retiring for another reason, if you catch my drift...
You just answered my question.
This district was gerrymandered to keep Republican areas out of Frank Pallone and Rush Holt’s districts, so we ought to have a good chance to hold it provided we have a good candidate. Of course, the state is a whole isn’t as Republican as it used to be...
This is a loss, and a sign that Republicans don’t expect to retake either branch of Congress next year.
State Senator Thomas Kean, Jr. is the front-runner, and would be the toughest for the DemocRAT to defeat. However, Kean is less conservative than Ferguson, which is unfortunate. There is a similar situation going on in the race to succeed Jim Saxton.
Looks like Leonard Lance.
I think you’re right. Jon Bramnick has announced that he would not run.
http://campaignsandelections.com/NJ/articles/?ID=974
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