NJ-Sen.: Yet another millionaire Republican joins the fray

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

His name is John Crowley, he's from Mercer County, and he's got a very interesting personal story:

http://politickernj.com/john-crowley-story

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Mercer County has defered their county endorsement convention upon receiving word that Crowley had interest in the race.  Meanwhile, Monmouth and Cape May Counties have already endorsed newcomer to the race Andy Unanue.

[Adlai Stevenson]

All these millionaires are good, but they aren't going to be able to buy the Republican Party of New Jersey a seat in the United States Senate. 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

All these millionaires are good, but they aren't going to be able to buy the Republican Party of New Jersey a seat in the United States Senate. 

I think the going rate would be around $70 million dollars, if the last time a Senate seat was bought in New Jersey is any indication.

[Nutmeg]

Did his company find a cure for the disease?

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Did his company find a cure for the disease?

No cure, but there are new treatments.

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[Nutmeg]

Did his company find a cure for the disease?

No cure, but there are new treatments.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Thanks.

This guy's much better than the one who was fired from the Mexican food company.  This being New Jersey politics, the latter will probably be nominated.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Did his company find a cure for the disease?

No cure, but there are new treatments.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Thanks.

This guy's much better than the one who was fired from the Mexican food company.  This being New Jersey politics, the latter will probably be nominated.

Fortunately, the NJ GOP primary voting electorate usually doesn't get things wrong too often.  They messed up in 2002 with Forrester over Allen, and in 1978 when they ousted Case.

I'm not even sure you can count 2001's Schundler over Franks as a mistake, because it is not humanly possible to run a worse campaign than the one Bob Franks did.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

PolitickerNJ has some YouTube clips of John Crowley on the Today show.

Today Show, 2001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khFGloa5Znk

Today Show, 2003
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7fiQVr2dEE

That's one hell of a compelling story.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Wow, this is the first time in a long time I will have trouble choosing a candidate in a New Jersey race not out of hatred for all involved.  What a glorious day!

Or not, since Crowley today announced he wouldn't seek the nomination after all.

[MAS117]

Wow, this is the first time in a long time I will have trouble choosing a candidate in a New Jersey race not out of hatred for all involved.  What a glorious day!

Or not, since Crowley today announced he wouldn't seek the nomination after all.

Crowley says he won't run for Senate
By Matt Friedman
Tags: U.S. Senate, John Crowley, Bill Spadea

Princeton pharmaceutical executive John Crowley said this morning that he will not run for Senate, citing business, family and military commitments.

"I am honored and humbled that so many people in New Jersey and beyond have considered that I could be the next U.S. Senator from this great state of ours,” said a statement issued by Crowley, a 40-year-old naval reservist and President and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics.

“Given the very significant commitments that I have now to the shareholders and employees of Amicus Therapeutics, to the U.S. military and, most significantly, to my family, I must, however, respectfully decline this opportunity to serve as a candidate for U.S. Senate at this time.”

He went on: "I do hope the Republican party can gather behind a strong nominee who will be a voice for new leadership and representation in Washington for all citizens of New Jersey- especially those who have no voice now."

Crowley was seen by insiders as a potentially strong candidate for both the primary and general elections, most notably for his remarkable personal narrative. He founded a biotech company to find a cure for his children’s rare Pompe disesase, raising $100 million. His story was made into a book by a Wall Street Journal reporter, and a movie may be in the works.

Crowley’s close friend and advisor, former Congressional candidate Bill Spadea, said that he would have been the best candidate to make the race competitive against Democratic incumbent Frank Lautenberg.

“I believe John was a field clearing candidate, no question,” he said. "So yes, we’re disappointed on so many levels. I think with John in particular it would have been a very, very competitive race against Sen. Lautenerg."

Spadea, however, seemed to leave the door open for a future run for office.

 

"John’s got the background leadership ability not only ot make an outsanding candidate but a tremendous represenative for New Jersey," he said. "This is just not the right time for him.”

 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I hope he does seek office in the future, he sounds like a terrific candidate.

You can't blame him for having other priorities right now, I suppose.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

What a shame.  Oh well, maybe some time soon.  Looks like I will be standing behind a Democrat this time.

This is turning out to be, like, the best day ever.


After speaking to McCain, Crowley now leaning toward Senate bid
PolitickerNJ.com

Biotech millionaire John Crowley is now close to entering the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, after receiving calls from several GOP Senators, including presidential candidate John McCain, urging him to run, according to Republican sources.

Other sources said that Crowley spoke with one Republican Senate candidate, Andy Unanue, tonight and told him that he is now likely to run. Unanue has told some GOP leaders that he would withdraw from the race if Crowley gets in.

Crowley spoke at length today with Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), the Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who urged him to run and committed resources if he does. At least five other Republican Senators also reportedly lobbied Crowley, whose efforts to find a cure for a rare genetic disease that affects two of his three children has caused Republican leaders to view the political newcomer as a potentially strong Senate candidate.

The Mercer County Republican Executive Committee voted tonight to award the line to Crowley, a Princeton resident, if he runs.  If Crowley does not run, the party voted to support Unanue over the other two candidates, State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio and Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin.

[MORE]


GOP thinks Crowley could be a winner
PolitickerNJ.com

Republicans think they can win a United States Senate seat under this scenario: the winner of a divisive Democratic primary between 84-year-old incumbent Frank Lautenberg and ten-term Congressman Rob Andrews, and faces a Republican newcomer with an incredibly compelling life story, John Crowley, the hard-to-attack 40-year-old biotech millionaire John Crowley.

[MarkWarner08]

A fractured Democratic primary electorate chooses an octogenarian Senator over a younger Congressman who runs on a message of change. The GOP then nominates a biotech exec with a stirring personal narrative and no politically damaging votes. The NJ GOP may finally once again become a politically relevant party this year.

How is the DSCC going to attack this guy? "Back in 2004, Republican John Crowley voted for George Bush for President.  Now Republican Crowley says he's a John McCain Republican.  (Picture of McCain embracing President Bush at an '04 rally.) McCain hearts Bush and Crowley hearts McCain. Thus, Crowley is a BUSH Republican!"

I doubt that would work very well...

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

For Crowley to be successful, he needs to prove that he's up to the job of Senator by proving he's a capable candidate.  A good backstory put Colleen Rowley on the map, but she was a terrible candidate out of the starting gate.  Fortunately for him, there are more instances where a good backstory paid off: State Rep. Nelson Albano and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy immediately come to mind as candidates who easily toppled incumbents.

If Crowley is ready for prime time, this is going to be a tough race for Lautenberg (assuming he wins the primary) to make.  In fact, if Crowley does announce, I'd put the odds of Lautenberg being forced out of the race up at damn near 50/50.

[Adlai Stevenson]

I don't want to seem too partisan, but I think the chances of Republicans picking up a Senate seat in New Jersey in 2008 are close to nil.  I feel the GOP in the state, they always come so close and just fall short, often quite suprisingly short.  I remember Tom Kean, Jr. in 2006.  I know the New Jersey GOP will at some stage be revived, but I don't think it will be this year. 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

PoliticsNJ is reporting that Crowley is in, and has already lined up some organization support and the withdrawl of one of the candidates.  (Likely Pennachio, since his staffers are already fleeing the ship.)

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Andy Unanue is now dropping out of the race.  Fun fact: He was in Colorado on a ski vacation during the entire length of his candidacy!

This would presumably mean that all of Unanue's lines in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Hudson, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties will go to Crowley.  Crowley definitely will have the Mercer line, as they voted to award it to him in the event he got into the race (but to Unanue otherwise).

[Meeker]

A fractured Democratic primary electorate chooses an octogenarian Senator over a younger Congressman who runs on a message of change. The GOP then nominates a biotech exec with a stirring personal narrative and no politically damaging votes. The NJ GOP may finally once again become a politically relevant party this year.

How is the DSCC going to attack this guy? "Back in 2004, Republican John Crowley voted for George Bush for President.  Now Republican Crowley says he's a John McCain Republican.  (Picture of McCain embracing President Bush at an '04 rally.) McCain hearts Bush and Crowley hearts McCain. Thus, Crowley is a BUSH Republican!"

I doubt that would work very well...

We can always make sh!t up

[zorkpolitics]

Crowley might have a shot at the seat.  the last Quinipiac poll:
Voters approve 39 - 31 percent of the job Sen. Frank Lautenberg is doing, but say 40 - 32 percent that he does not deserve to be reelected this year. If reelected, Sen. Lautenberg would be "too old to effectively serve another six-year term in the U.S. Senate," voters say 58 - 36 percent.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Aaaaaand... He's out!

http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/18155/it-s-official-crowley-will-not-run-again

New Jersey Republicans sure are an indecisive lot.

[Meeker]

Thank goodness. He had me worried for a bit.

[Verily]

An interesting strategy by the NJ GOP: run a different candidate each week, hoping to keep Lautenberg and Andrews off guard.

At this rate, there may not even be a Republican candidate. (Okay, I exaggerate, but only slightly.)

[Meeker]

So does this mean Unanue will get back in? I sure hope so

[Brittain33]

So does this mean Unanue will get back in? I sure hope so

UNANUE '08! YEAH!

[JohnnyLongtorso]

I don't think Unanue ever officially withdrew. All of the news articles in the past few hours list him as a candidate.