Schundler lost because he didn't get enough votes, NJ is another state where this mythical "hidden vote" simply does not exist.
the only way to win in these states is to hold the conservative base, and have a candidate that attracts moderates. in these states, either conservatives can be a part of winning coalition, or they can stay-at-home and let the Dems win, then b*tch for 4 years about how bad things are.
I get a kick out of those bellyaching how Pirro was "treated" upon her announcement of running, yet we see the political corpses of Conservatives who have been kneecapped by corrupt, statist RINOs who want to keep their party pure for their ilk and to preserve their ever-dwindling base of power. People like Schundler were very great threats to the RINO establishment, because they rose through politics without their help and proved, to their chagrin, that CONSERVATIVE solutions to problems when applied WORK. Schundler was a threat that had to be destroyed, and the mission was accomplished. Now thanks to the stellar work of the NJ RINOs, the Republican party is in its worst shape since after Watergate, has lost seats at the state level in EVERY SINGLE ELECTION since 1993, and continues its slide towards complete irrelevence until it reaches the morbidity of Massachusetts Republicanism (buried with absolutely finality by William Weld, who is chomping at the bit to repeat this task in New York like the good Trojan Democrat that he is). If running these "moderates" (sic) were the solution, NJ would be overflowing with "Republicans" from Cape May to High Point. They're not. Until that reality is recognized, nothing will ever change. RINOs remain the cancer on the party and need to be excised with extreme prejudice.