Leonard Lance

Asked whether he’ll endorse anyone to replace him in the state Senate, Congressman-elect Leonard Lance (R-Flemington) said that he would follow advice from his late father, former Senate President Wesley Lance. 

“He said, ‘You cannot choose your successor in political life,’” said Lance.  “I think I will remain neutral.”

At least one of Lance’s running mates, Assemblyman Michael Doherty, is running for the seat.  If his other running mate, Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow, jumps in, it could be an intense battle (Multiple Republican sources say, however, that Karrow is having second thoughts about running). 

“I think very highly of both of my running mates.  I think we have worked well together. Both of my running mates have experience on freeholder boards – experience I did not have, and I want to speak highly of both of them,” he said.

It’s a week after the election, and the dust has yet to settle on the race to take over the state Senate seat of Leonard Lance (R-Flemington).  But one thing has been constant since Wednesday: Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington) is gunning hard for the seat, and has already started his door knocking campaign across pastoral Hunterdon and Warren Counties.

“I have my list and I have my Garmin, which certainly helps navigate some of our rural roads in the dark,” said Doherty.

There are roughly 400 county committee members from the two counties that comprise the 23rd Legislative District, and Doherty plans to visit every one of them (many are husband and wife teams, which helps cut down on the number of doors to knock on). Last night, he began his campaign, visiting committee members in Glen Gardner, Bethlehem and Hampton.

After Lance resigns his seat to move up to Congress in January, those committee members will decide who gets to fill in for Lance in Trenton until the June primary and special election in November.

Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-Flemington), who has also expressed interest in the seat, has a slight geographical edge.  Hunterdon County has a larger population than Doherty’s native Warren County, and has about 40 more county committee members.

That’s why Doherty has begun by focusing on Hunterdon County Committee members.

“I initially focused on some Hunterdon county folks, but I’ll hit folks in the two counties,” he said.

Karrow could not be reached for comment.  Several Republican sources said today that she’s having second thoughts about running, given Doherty’s strong support by conservative groups.

Warren County Republican Chairman Doug Steinhardt said that Doherty can count on nearly unanimous support from the Warren County committee members.  Even if Hunterdon County does field a candidate, he said, Doherty will be able to sap enough votes from their members to win.

The Conservatives with Attitude(CWA)Executive Committee today announced its unanimous endorsement of Assemblyman Michael Doherty to fill the New Jersey State Senate seat vacated by Congressman-elect/state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon).

“Assemblyman Doherty is a pro-taxpayer, pro-family conservative who
believes in smaller government, lower taxes, and personal responsibility,” said Michael Illions, co-executive director of Conservatives with Attitude. “He is a true, Back to Basics Republican with the voting record to prove it.”

Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow (R-Flemington) said today that she is thinking about running for state Sen. Leonard Lance's (R-Flemington) seat, but she doesn’t want to make any announcements just yet.

“I am seriously thinking about it. However, I have to say that my friend Leonard Lance just spent a year of his life running for this seat in Congress, and he really deserves a week to revel in the victory, and I don’t want to diminish any of the press. This is his week,” she said. “I think he just wants to enjoy the limelight and steal his thunder, and I will not be part of stealing his thunder.”

Asked whether that comment was a jab at her district-mate, Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington), who earlier today told PolitickerNJ.com that he planned to run for the seat, Karrow said “I didn’t say that.”

Now that State Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington) is headed to Congress, his district-mate, Assemblyman Mike Doherty (R-Washington Township) plans to seek his seat.

Doherty is filing his paperwork with the Election Law Enforcement Commission today.

“I am announcing today that I am running for the state Senate seat, and I’m going to be spending today getting out my announcements and contacting the chairmen of the two counties, other elected officials and others involved in political circles,” Doherty told PolitickerNJ.com this morning. 

Doherty’s heavily Republican district spans mostly rural Hunterdon and Warren Counties.  The two Republican county committees must meet sometime within the next 35 days to choose a replacement for Lance.  Since there are more than two years remaining in Lance’s term, whoever the committees select to fill the seat will have to win a primary contest in June of next year and a special general election in November. 

SOMERVILLE - Claiming victory here tonight in his 7th Congressional District contest, state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon) gave this crowd of Republicans reason to celebrate on an otherwse mostly difficult landscape.

"I think the editorial board support was important," said Lance, standing among his supporters in the Elks Club. "The papers unanimously endorsed me, and it mattered."

The final ad the Lance campaign ran in the cycle trailed those endorsements across the screen for emphasis.

The Stender campaign attempted to depict Lance as a Bush drone, and he ran much of the race without the necessary cash to punch back.