New Jersey's 7th congressional district election, 2008
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New Jersey's 7th congressional district election, 2008 is an election for an open seat in New Jersey's 7th congressional district scheduled for November 4, 2008. The incumbent, Republican Representative Mike Ferguson, announced on November 19, 2007, that he would not seek reelection, citing family obligations.[1]
In the June 3, 2008 primary election, State SenatorLeonard Lance defeated six other candidates for the Republican nomination. Linda Stender ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
The district is considered to lean Republican, but is expected to be highly competitive, considering the closeness of the 2006 election when the Republican was an incumbent.
It is one of three open congressional seats in New Jersey for the 2008 elections, the others being the 1st district, being vacated by Democrat Rob Andrews, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, and the 3rd district, being vacated by retiring Republican Jim Saxton.
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[edit] Democratic candidates
- Linda Stender, New Jersey Assemblywoman, and the 2006 Congressional nominee
Stender was narrowly defeated by Ferguson in the 2006 election.
[edit] Republican candidates
Seven candidates appeared on the Republican primary ballot[2]:
- A.D. Amar of Warren, New Jersey, Seton Hall University Business Professor
- Kelly Hatfield, former Summit Council President
- Leonard Lance, State Senator and former Minority Leader
- Martin L. Marks, Mayor of Scotch Plains
- Thomas Roughneen of Watchung
- Kate Whitman of Peapack-Gladstone, daughter of former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman
- Darren Young of Summit
Three other candidates who had sought support in Republican conventions in the district, but failed to win any organizational support, declined to file petitions to run: Warren Mayor Victor Sordillo, Bridgewater Councilman Michael Hsing, and former Hillsborough Deputy Mayor Chris Venis.[3]
During the convention process, Lance won the "organization line" in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, which together account for about 70 percent of the Republican primary voters in the district.[4] Hatfield won the line in Union County and Whitman won in Middlesex County. The portion of the district in Middlesex has by far the fewest number of registered Republican voters of any of the four counties in the district.[5]
[edit] See also
- United States Senate election in New Jersey, 2008
- New Jersey's 3rd congressional district election, 2008
[edit] External Links
- Amar for Congress
- Kelly Hatfield for Congress
- Michael Hsing for Congress
- Martin Marks for Congress
- Tom Roughneen for Congress
- Linda Stender for Congress
- Kate Whitman for Congress
[edit] References
- ^ Chebium, Raju. "Ferguson won't seek reelection to Congress", Home News Tribune, November 19, 2007. Accessed November 19, 2007. "Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-Warren Township, said today he won’t seek reelection next year to a fifth term.... he next elections are in November 2008; Stender is again a Democratic candidate for the 7th district seat Ferguson currently occupies."
- ^ Tough senate race for Dems counterbalanced by cakewalk congressional primaries, PolitickerNJ
- ^ Tough senate race for Dems counterbalanced by cakewalk congressional primaries, PolitickerNJ
- ^ Lance's lines vs. Whitman's cash, PolitickerNJ
- ^ Lance Scores an important victory in Somerset, PolitickerNJ
