Andy Unanue

April 7, 2008 - 9:29am

Ensign, a big loser in NJ Senate race twist and turns

By James W. Pindell
Category: US Senate, Pindell Report
Tags: John McCain, Joseph Pennacchio, Anne Estabrook, John Ensign, NRSC, Andy Unanue, John Crowley

In New Jersey, John Ensign is settling for his third choice in the race for U.S. SenateIn New Jersey, John Ensign is settling for his third choice in the race for U.S. Senate
Add New Jersey to the list of states where John Ensign has meddled and lost. The National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman made a brief foray into Garden State politics last week when he sought to clear the field for John Crowley, a biotech millionaire with an incredibly compelling life story, to enter the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination.

After Crowley’s first announcement last Monday that he wasn’t running, Ensign engineered a full-court press to get him in the race. He had John McCain and five other Republican U.S. Senators call him. He promised him money and pledged to make 84-year-old incumbent Frank Lautenberg an NRSC target. And for a while, it looked like Crowley would run.

But by the weekend, Crowley decided -- for business, family and military (he’s a Navy reservist) reasons – that he could not transition his life into politics by today’s New Jersey filing deadline. On Sunday, a spokesman announced Crowley’s second withdrawal in seven days.

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