House Replacements

I've heard Buono's name mentioned if Pallone gets the nod. (0.00 / 0)

Truth be told, not everyone is interested in going to Washington.  It's a major lifestyle change, and it's going to be difficult to convince some legislatures to give up positions of power and senority in state government to become freshmen legislators in the federal minority, particularly if it means pulling up stakes and not seeing their family a few days a week more than they already miss out on them.  Therefore, it's tough to really figure out who will run--a few Assemblymen and women have made their interest known, and it's been mentioned here a few times.

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by: sucopsucoh @ Wed Nov 30, 2005 at 23:13:47 PM UTC

Shouldn't we be proactive? (0.00 / 0)

I think progressives should be proactive on this - an open seat in a democratic district only comes along once in a while - and this time, there will be no time to waste. With all the talk of finding the right candidates to run in uphill districts against Republican incumbents, I don't want to forget about a Democratic district that is suddenly unexpectedly an open seat for a progressive voice to fill.

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by: Jeff Gardner @ Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 00:54:50 AM UTC

I don't understand (0.00 / 0)

If there's an open seat, then the people you list or anyone else could run in November.  No one is appointed to the seat.  

Do they have to live in their district? If so, how could we know who is eligible, since we don't know where is opening is?  If not, let them come and run in NJ-2 or another currently Republican district and show some courage.  

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 02:20:28 AM UTC

Running in November (0.00 / 0)

Well, no, November would be the general election, and assuming for the sake of argument, the open seat is in a "safe" district, the real election is the primary - much sooner. For those who believe any democrat will do, then, no need to bother. For those who believe some democrats are better than others, then recruiting, drafting, or promoting a preferred choice would need to happen asap.

(IMHO, it takes way more courage to challenge the party-designate in a dem primary than it does to run against a republican incumbent.)

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by: Jeff Gardner @ Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 03:13:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

okay, fair point (0.00 / 0)

I certainly can see that you can make important enemies that way!  


Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 04:13:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

You just need to live in the state to run in any Congressional district. (0.00 / 0)

However, it's frowned upon by the district's voters and will certainly open one up to both primary and general election attacks if someone is perceived as carpet-bagging.  You'd need a real good reason to run in a district you don't live in (for example, an Assemblyman or woman whose district is mostly in a different Congressional district, but whose town or portion of their town isn't in that Congressional district, might be able to make a run at a seat, but they'll still be savaged for not living within the district).

I think some of the primaries will be interesting, quite frankly.  Even ignoring the anointments that will take place, you're going to have powerful competetors with various organizational backing in each district.  So it's quite possible a Union County or Middlesex County rep could challenge Albio Sires if Menendez gets the appointment, or that a Pallone appointment could trigger a war between some Assemblymen and women in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean, with Middlesex and the shore areas each backing different candidates.  So we could have three or four way primaries with more than two viable candidates in some districts, since these seats don't exactly open up with regularity.

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by: sucopsucoh @ Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 14:47:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

AP on appointment to Congress (0.00 / 0)

In today's AP article on Gill, Donna de la Cruz suggests that the governor can appoint a interim congressperson:

New Jersey state law gives the governor the power to fill U.S. Senate and House vacancies.

contradicting both 'Hopeful' and comments in my earlier diary on this question, two appointments or one.

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by: kwilkinson @ Thu Dec 01, 2005 at 19:14:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]