JENNIFER BECK

In the Matawan Borough Council race, Republican Thomas Fitzsimmons and his running mate, Joseph Urbano, defeated their Democratic Party rivals. Fitzsimmons ran state Sen. Jennifer Beck's (R-Monmouth) victorious 2007 campaign over Ellen Karcher and remains a Republican Party Trenton insider and Beck confidante.

In Middletown, Republican Deputy Mayor Pam Brightbill and her running mate, Tony Fiore, defeated their Democratic Party rivals to maintain a Republican majority on the Township Committee.

In Wall Township, a ginned up McCain-Palin effort overseen by state Sen. Sean Kean (R-Monmouth) may have contributed to the loss of Democratic Mayor John Devlin. Republicans George Newberry and Ann Marie Conte defeated Devlin and his Democratic running mate Joseph Tonzola to strengthen GOP cntrol of the Towship Committee.  

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Rumson) met privately this summer to discuss the 2009 campaign for Governor and specifically the possibility of Beck running on Christie's ticket for Lieutenant Governor, according to two key Monmouth County Republicans who say they heard this from Beck.  Christie did not offer the number two spot on his ticket to the freshman State Senator from Monmouth County, the sources say, but did indicate he was likely to enter the race for Governor next year.  

Beck, who ousted a Democratic Assemblyman in 2005 and a Democratic State Senator in 2007, has appeared on most short lists as a possible candidate for Lt. Governor next year.  He Senate seat is not up until 2011.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Enjoying his current career as an attorney, lobbyist and political operative, former Republican Senate President John O. Bennett said that he has no desire to return to elected office.

“I’m not done. I’m involved. But I’m done with elected office, other than party positions, basically,” said Bennett, who served an eventful four days as acting governor in 2002 and is in Minnesota this week as an alternate delegate.

Bennett remains active in the Monmouth County Republican Party, and is the county’s state committeeman. He said he believes that the new Republican county chairman, former Sheriff Joseph Oxley, has the ability to bring competing factions together.

State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank) never predicted that Sarah Palin would be John McCain’s Vice-Presidential pick, but she was the only candidate she talked about.

I know this sounds crazy, but the only name I have mentioned to anybody is Gov. Palin. I actually talked about it at the women’s political caucus months ago. I brought up her name as a young woman that’s a Republican leader,” said Beck, who thinks that Palin provides a fresh face that will “make people take a second look at the Republican Party.”

RED BANK - In quintessential New Jersey fashion, potential First Lady Cindy McCain made her first solo public campaign stop today at a diner.

With State Sens. Jennifer Beck (R-Red Bank) and Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton) at her side, McCain shook hands and briefly conversed with patrons at the Broadway Diner in Red Bank, sharing the usual niceties we’ve come to expect at such events.

On her way out, McCain took one question from reporters about whether her husband, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, actually had a shot at carrying a state no GOP presidential candidate has carried since 1988.

“Absolutely. We’d never knock New Jersey,” she said. “This is a very important state. We’re going to be up very late on November 4th, and New Jersey is a very important part of that. We intend to be here quite a bit before the election. I’m happy to be here on a great day. It was stormy a few days ago so maybe I brought the sunshine with me.”

JERSEY CITY - U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York) been in Congress for almost two years, and he says his second year was a big improvement on the first, in part because he feels focused in his new job as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

"It takes a while to be effective because it’s very much based on seniority," Sires said of the Congress. "The first year was very difficult. I was new. The entire Democratic Congress was new.

"But I have a mission now," said the freshman congressman. "I still enjoy being on the foreign affairs committee very much, but I also have transportation now and that’s critical. My job is to go after the money for transportation and infrastructure projects."

Sires has confidence he can get federal money for the ARC (Access to the Region’s Core) Tunnel, but he needs the state to get in gear.

A week before former Newark Mayor (and state senator) Sharpe James is scheduled to to be sentenced in federal court, five state senators are requesting the maximum sentencing.

Senators Bill Baroni (R-Mercer), Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), Gerald Cardinale (R-Begen), Joe Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), and Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex), intend this morning to issue a co-authored letter to U.S. District Judge William Martini.

According to the Star-Ledger, James's attorneys plan to meet with Martini on Wednesday to urge him to impose far less than a decade in prison on the 72-year old former mayor, who was convicted earlier this year on corruption charges.

If Joseph Kyrillos doesn’t get picked to run for Lt. Governor in 2009, he’s likely to retire from the State Senate in 2011, according to a Monmouth GOP leader with knowledge of Kyrillos’ plans.  The six-term State Senator is actively seeking the LG nod, hoping to run on a ticket with his friend, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin would be the front runner to succeed Kyrillos in the Senate -- though not at all automatic on the GOP side -- if the 13th district seat remains intact after redistricting.  If the seat is open, mapmakers could move State Sen. Jennifer Beck into District 13; her hometown, Red Bank, borders on the 13th.  That could boost the chances for Democrats to recapture the 12th district, where former State Sen. Ellen Karcher and former Assemblyman Michael Panter are mulling comebacks.

There’s no question that the Democrats would love to take out rising Republican star Jennifer Beck in the 12th legislative district.

But with her reelection over three years away and redistricting coming up in 2010, none of the potential challengers on deck for her will even indicate that they’re thinking of taking her on. But they won’t rule it out either.

Former Assemblyman Mike Panter, who spent four years in the legislature before being ousted in a miniature Republican wave led by Beck in November – one largely blamed on a controversial farmland tax assessment break taken by former State Sen. Ellen Karcher – said he’s made a conscious effort not to think about politics this year.

Former Assemblyman Michael Panter, who lost his bid for re-election to a third term in 2007, is expected to play an active role raising money for Democratic legislative candidates in 2009. Assembly Democratic sources say that Panter won’t run again next year, but instead hopes to pick up a series of political IOU’s that he can use in 2011 as mapmakers redrew legislative districts.  Panter wants to see the twelfth district become more Democratic and then challenge Republican Jennifer Beck for the State Senate.