Free Republic

<p>As candidates for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination head into the home stretch for Tuesday's primary election, self-made millionaire Douglas Forrester maintains a solid lead, according to a poll released tonight.</p> <p>Forrester has support from 39 percent of the likely Republican voters surveyed, trailed by former newscaster Diane Allen, with 26 percent, and state Sen. John Matheussen of Gloucester County, with 14 percent, according to the Survey/USA poll conducted for KYW-TV and the Courier-Post.</p>

TRENTON - In their last debate before the June 4 primary, the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate yesterday took more shots at incumbent Robert Torricelli while taking stands on stem-cell research and gay marriage.State Sen. Diane Allen, millionaire businessman Douglas Forrester, and State Sen. John Matheussen appeared in the Trenton studios of WPVI-TV (Channel 6), which will air the hourlong debate at 2 p.m. today.In previous face-offs, the candidates spent much of the time bashing Torricelli, whose campaign finances were the subject of a three-year federal investigation. The inquiry ended in January without any charges against the first-term Democrat.Prosecutors gave...

<p>Every year is an election year in New Jersey, and this November all of New Jersey’s 13 U.S. House seats are up for grabs.  But the biggest prize is the U.S. Senate seat being defended by first-term Democratic incumbent Bob Torricelli.</p>

Born to run? Doug Friedline, the political consultant who ran Jesse Ventura's independent campaign for Governor of Minnesota four years ago, will hold a statehouse news conference to launch a campaign to Draft Bruce Springsteen for U.S. Senate. Friedline's client is a new think tank, Independence for New Jersey.

<p>U.S. Senate candidate Douglas Forrester has pulled out to a clear lead in the Republican June 4 primary election, according to a KYW/Courier-Post poll released Wednesday.</p> <p>Forrester, a self-made millionaire who heads an employee benefits company, leads the three-candidate field with 33 percent of the likely Republican voters polled by SurveyUSA. State Sen. Diane Allen, R-Burlington, has 25 percent. State Sen. John Matheussen, R-Gloucester, trails with 14 percent.</p>

<p>John Matheussen once argued that owners of assault weapons should be allowed to keep them. But today he supports smart-gun legislation that would prevent weapons from firing for anyone but their rightful owners.</p> <p>Matheussen is the only one of the three Republican candidates for U.S. Senate who opposes abortion rights. Yet he says abortion is not the driving issue in the June 4 primary election.</p>

TRENTON, May 6 In a debate that was more a get-acquainted session than a heated clash over the issues, the three Republican candidates for United States Senate last night engaged in a largely genial exchange on taxes, Social Security, the environment and combating terrorism. The candidates, all of whom have name recognition in the single-digits, according to recent polls, went to great lengths in a televised debate on New Jersey Network public television to lavish praise on President Bush. They all made passing reference to the ethical questions that have dogged the incumbent they hope to unseat, Democratic Senator Robert...

With the primary a month away, the three Republican U.S. Senate candidates are poised for a competitive stretch run with the winner possibly being determined during the last weekend of the race. It won't be an easy sprint: Political observers say the candidates, who have been on the stump for months, are still trying to get Republican voter attention in a race that's being ignored by many party members. The candidates must now concentrate on the difficult task of attracting support not just from inattentive party members, but party members who regularly vote in primaries. The battle for the votes...