Michael Doherty

Assemblyman Michael Doherty today became the first elected official to endorse conservative activist Steve Lonegan's prospective gubernatorial bid.

Doherty announced today that he will chair the recently formed Committee to Draft Steve Lonegan for Governor, and called Lonegan "New Jersey's Ronald Reagan."

The committee was jump-started earlier this week by Republican political consultant Dan Gallic.

“No one speaks out louder or stronger for taxpayers and in defense of our conservative values than Steve Lonegan. He is not only the strongest candidate we can run against Jon Corzine, he is the best man for the job,” said Doherty in a statement.

Doherty, who’s among the legislature’s most conservative members, flirted with a U.S. Senate run last year, and was the only New Jersey legislator to endorse Republican Ron Paul for president.

“Lonegan is not only our only hope to save our state, but our last hope.”

State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio lost his bid for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination
While dozens of candidates were making last minute appeals on primary day, Republican Senate candidate Joe Pennacchio spent the afternoon working on dental fillings and root canals. The next day, about 12 hours after congratulating rival Dick Zimmer on his victory, Pennacchio was at his Mount Arlington dental practice again, engaging in his pre and post-election routine: going to work.

“I make a habit of working my regular job on election day and the next morning,” he said. “It grounds me. It tells me who I am, gets me back with the people and in the mix.”

Pennacchio, a conservative, lost to the more moderate Zimmer, 46% to 40%, with Murray Sabrin, a finance professor at Ramapo College, taking 14% of the vote. But despite a respectable showing, Pennacchio was true to the persona he cultivated during the campaign, exemplified by his “Jersey Joe” moniker and the slogan that accompanied it: “He’s one of us!”

As he stood with futility against a bill he believes would ravage his 39th GOP Assemblyman Vince PolistinaLegislative District, Assemblyman John Rooney took little joy in noting a personal milestone.

For while 2008 marks the Bergen County Republican’s 25th anniversary as an assemblyman, it is also the low point of his legislative career.

"My towns got destroyed last night," said Rooney, a day after the majority Democrats passed a $32.9 billion budget, which includes 25% cuts in aid to all of the 28 municipalities in Rooney’s district, and eliminations of property tax rebates for residents in the $150,000 to $250,000 income range.

Monday also brought the Democrats’ successful if ignominious - by Rooney’s reckoning - passage of a bill requiring the construction of affordable housing in affluent towns.

Henry Kuhl and parlimentarian Tony Maglio 

FLEMINGTON - The veterans picked the veteran here tonight and the county committee responded in kind as Hunterdon County Republican Chairman Henry Kuhl won re-election over Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck.

The Hunterdon GOP faithful are proud and excited to have two residents on the general election ballot in important races: Dick Zimmer running for U.S. Senate and Leonard Lance for U.S. Congress in the 7th District.

Both candidates backed 28-year chair Kuhl for another term.

After standing alongside his state legislative running mate, State Sen. Leonard Lance, to endorse his congressional bid, Assemblyman Mike Doherty made it clear that, if Lance goes to Washington, he’d like to succeed him in the state Senate.

But the district’s other Assembly member, Marcia Karrow, would like to move up to the as well – and she has the advantage of being from the Hunterdon County, which dominates the 23rd legislative district.  Doherty is from neighboring Warren County.

If Lance is sworn into Congress next January, the county committees from Warren and Hunterdon would hold a special election convention to replace him.  That could mean that Karrow gets the nod, although Doherty insists that he would win a primary against Karrow, just like he did for an open seat in 2001.

Led by prospective U.S. Senate candidate Murray Sabrin and roused by Assemblyman Michael Doherty, supporters of presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul held what they described as a liberty and freedom rally in Fort Lee today.

Assemblyman Mike Doherty returned a pro-business PAC contribution because the group gave to pro-labor DemocratsAngry about the New Jobs Political Action Committee’s donations to Democratic legislators and leadership PACs, Assemblyman Michael Doherty returned the $2,000 contribution the group gave to his Assembly campaign last month.

“The New Jobs PAC is selling out it members. Never before has the New Jersey business community been under assault as it is today,” said Dohrety. “How is the New Jobs PAC representing its member businesses when it endorses and supports anti-business candidates?”

Doherty was particularly upset that the group gave donations to Democratic leadership PACs and prominent Democrats like Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts and Senate President Richard J. Codey, who may post state Sen. Stephen Sweeney’s paid family leave act – a bill Doherty thinks is particularly anti-business. The group gave equal donations to Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce and the Republican leadership PACs.

By throwing his support behind Ron Paul, Assemblyman Mike Doherty became the highest profile New Jersey politician to back the long shot presidential candidate.

This move wasn't surprising to people who have followed the career of the very conservative and outspoken legislator from Warren County, who tends not to equivocate on his political stances. But for a politician with aspirations for higher office, it wasn't the most practical choice.

While other legislators are lining up to hitch part of their political fortunes to Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain, Doherty chose a fringe candidate who consistently polls in the very low single digits. To Doherty, it's not so much about bolstering his own shot at a statewide seat someday as it is the principle of supporting the candidate he sees as most in line with old-fashioned, straight up conservatism.

Assemblyman Joseph Pennacchio today announced that he has formed an exploratory committee for a possible bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination next year. 

Pennacchio says that Morris County GOP Chairman John Sette will head the exploratory effort.  He did not release the names of any other supporters, although another potential candidate, Assemblyman Michael Doherty, dropped out of the race last month and endorsed Pennacchio. 

Potential U.S. Senate candidate Mike Doherty doesn’t sound like a typical New Jersey Republican.

Take, for instance, yesterday’s Assembly debate on Linda Stender’s global warming bill. While most Assembly Republicans who spoke up against the bill focused on what they considered its vague language, Mike Doherty went to the very heart of the issue, attacking the scientific foundation of global warming.

“One of the things that gets my goat…. are statements that I’ve heard that the debate is over,” said Doherty. “It’s my understanding that the earth has warmed up and cooled down hundreds of times.”