Karrow wins the NJ-23 Senate Slugfest

by: Rosi Efthim

Sat Jan 24, 2009 at 04:36:20 PM EST

Voting took place at Clinton Twp. Middle School as Republican County Committee members from Warren and Hunterdon counties, which together make up NJ23, cast their votes after both candidates made their presentations at the podium.

Doherty (R-Washington Twp.), who describes himself as a Reagan conservative, backed Ron Paul in '08 and  is disturbingly far-right, with a 100% rating from NJ Right to Life, actively protesting Roe v. Wade, 100% rating from the NRA. Doherty's an anti-science zealot who has trouble with stuff like global warming and evolution.

Karrow, far less splashy, may have earned the loyalty of the voting committee members by announcing that she would not challenge Doherty if she lost the party vote today. Doherty has said he would challenge the party's vote if he did not win the endorsement.

Karrow's win may also be a matter of the pure numbers. There are more filled county committee seats in Hunterdon than in Warren. Each candidate came with their own loyal home constituencies, augmented by county committee members gained by the weeks of ferocious campaigning both have been doing in each other's territory, Karrow presenting endorsements from 8 Warren County mayors and Doherty's website bearing an effective graph showing he gets more votes than Karrow in each election they've both taken part in.

Unlike Doherty, Karrow grew up in the 23rd, and has spent years quietly developing good will among Republicans. Karrow, 49, is a former committeewoman and mayor in Raritan Twp. She is the daughter of the late, and well-liked Flemington businessman Sol Karrow, who was well-known to Republicans, campaigning for years alongside his daughter.

Both candidates campaigned hard today, but so did Bogota's Steve Lonegan and Delaware Township's Dick Zimmer, working opposite sides of the room. And Hunterdon Freeholder Erik Peterson, Hunterdon Freeholder Matt Holt,and Warren County Freeholder John Dimaio, each of whom is vying to grab the vacant Assembly seat the winner leaves empty, were also on hand, pressing the flesh.