Kyrillos may get in the U.S. Senate race after all

From In The Lobby:

Daily Muse: NATIONAL GOP WOOING KYRILLOS?
March 6, 2008

Think national Republicans aren't interested in defeating Sen. Frank Lautenberg this November? Think again.

We understand that Sen. Joe Kyrillos, R-Monmouth, was seen in Washington D.C. yesterday meeting with the Republican National Committee in Washington D.C.

Kyrillos, as you know, had been the subject of a mini-boomlet to try to get him to enter the U.S. Senate race. He took himself out of the running. But national GOP leaders, who no doubt sees the same polls that say that New Jerseyans think Lautenberg's age could be an issue, may well be trying to woo him back in the race.

Anne Evans Estabrook's sudden departure from the race has also gotten a few other Republicans thinking about going for the seat. We hear that state Sens. Bill Baroni, R-Mercer, and Kip Bateman, R-Somerset, are also mulling whether to throw their hats into the ring.

Sen. Joe Pennacchio and college professor Murray Sabrin have already declared for the seat.



From MoreMonmouthMusings:

Kyrillos may get in the U.S. Senate race after all

In the Lobby is reporting that State Senator Joe Kyrillos was spotted in Washington yesterday meeting with the Republican National Committee.

I'm told that yesterday while Adam Puharic was trying to organize a county chairs conference call to draft Rudy, that NJ GOP chair Tom Wilson was on a RNC conference call.

Posted by Art Gallagher at 12:18 PM

Estabrook drops U.S. Senate bid

Estabrook drops U.S. Senate bid
By Max Pizarro
PolitickerNJ.com

Tags: withdrawal, withdraw, U.S. Senate race, Murray Sabrin, Joseph Pennacchio, Joseph Kyrillos, Frank Lautenberg, Estabrook withdraws, Estabrook drop out, drop out, Anne Estabrook

Citing health reasons, Anne Evans Estabrook is dropping her bid for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. That leaves a two-way contest to challenge four-term Democrat Frank Lautenberg between State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris) and Murray Sabrin, a Ramapo College Professor and the leader of Ron Paul's New Jersey campaign.

Estabrook, 61, was making her first bid for public office after a career as a real estate developer, philanthropist, and Chairman of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. She had won key endorsements by the Burlington, Camden and Monmouth Republican organizations, and based on her endorsements and money, had been viewed as the front runner in the race to challenge Lautenberg. Pennacchio has won county endorsement contests in Hunterdon and Union counties.

Republicans had embraced Estabrook as their standard bearer after she agreed to self-finance her Senate bid. She loaned her campaign nearly $1.7 million,and raised another $150,000. Lautenberg has about $4.3 million cash on hand; Pennacchio and Sabrin have not yet reported their fundraising efforts.

With the April 7 filing deadline fast approaching, it is possible that another Republican could enter the race. State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, 47, mulled a late entrance into the race last month, but decided against a statewide bid. Kyrillos said this morning that he had no plans to reconsider a run against Lautenberg.


"I am surprised to hear Anne’s news but I appreciate the fact she has a health concern she needs to deal with, which a tough and competitive senate race wouldn’t have helped," Kyrillos said.

Another potential self-funder, businessman Joseph Plumeri, could also emerge as a candidate.
The 84-year-old Lautenberg is seeking a fifth term in the Senate, which would make him the longest serving Senator in New Jersey history. He served from 1982 to 2001, and again when he replaced Robert Torricelli as the Democratic nominee in 2002.