NJ Primary Discussion

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Any exit poll's or results out yet?

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Light Turnout, Close Races Mark New Jersey Primary

Point Pleasant, NJ-WABC, June 7, 2005) — On the list of must-do activities Tuesday, voting in the state's primary election apparently isn't ranking high with New Jerseyans. The pollsters predicted that even the fireworks fired off by the seven Republicans running for governor might not draw people to the polls. By afternoon, it appeared they were right.

 In the bedrock Republican community of Point Pleasant, only a handful of voters had turned out to cast ballots early in the day.

"Turnout is very, very bad," said Bruce MacCormack, a local supervisor with the Ocean County Board of Elections. "It's the slowest I've seen it in years. Primaries - they never were any good for turnout."

Around the state, the few who cast ballots appeared to have property taxes on their mind as a dominant issue.

"You're looking at an 83-year-old man who's been living here for 50-odd years," said Francis DeRosa. "My wife and I are retired, no children, and I'm being killed in terms of sending 70 percent of my taxes to the board of education. When am I going to get a break? I'm going to keep paying until I die."

DeRosa said he voted for former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, mainly out of resentment toward the millions that businessman Doug Forrester is spending on his own campaign, but also because he likes Schundler's tax-cut plans.

The winner of the GOP primary will face U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine, who faced only token primary opposition, in November.

Sharon Gilmore, a self-described moderate Republican, voted for Forrester. "I don't favor Bret Schundler because he's already lost once," she said, referring to his 2001 loss to Democrat James E. McGreevey. "I think he's too conservative for New Jersey. New Jersey needs more of a moderate."

Five other Republicans were running for the nomination: Bergen County businessman Todd Caliguire, Passaic County Assemblyman Paul DiGaetano, Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, Morris County Freeholder John Murphy and Bergen County businessman Robert Schroeder.

Among Democrats, three men want to be the nominee. Jon Corzine is facing off against James D. Kelly and Francis X. Tenaglio.

There are also primary races for several state assembly seats, and for the mayor's office in Atlantic City and Edison, New Jersey.

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Call me crazy, but...

Prediction:

Schundler: 38%
Forrester: 36%
Murhpy: 12%
All Others: 14%

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If it means anything... NJ Freepers seem to be out in force today for Bret.

Read More Here.

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When do the polls close?

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That's too bad you didn't vote. I forgot NJ allows Independents voting rights in the other party primary.

Forrester isn't a really terrible candidate.

Im suprised you aren't supporting Schundler.  He is the conservative in this race (Forrester vs Schundler) isn't he?

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Commentary from Free Republic:

-"Yeah. Doug Forrester better write a big fat check out to that guy (Lonegan), because he handed this election to him.

And so did every moron who went out there and threw their vote away."

-"Steve Lonegan single-handedly just shifted the direction of the NJ GOP to the left. So much for our "arch-conservative" out of Bogota. He, and everyone who voted for him, is just as responsible for keeping this party going in the "Democrat Lite" direction as Forrester and his people are.

I know I'll get flamed for that, but it's the truth. Doug Forrester should seriously send Lonegan a thank you letter."

-"Save us Bergen County, your our only hope."

-"I am almost certain that if Forrester wins the social conservatives will stay home in droves."

-"I'm not all that much of a social conservative, and even *I* will stay home if Forrester wins."

-"Still 36%-31% --- 71% in

Damn, Time to update my resume and get out of this state."

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He better do exceptionally well among Independents and Moderate Democrats because social conservatives will be sitting this one out.

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Wrong. Some social conservatives will sit it out but it's very, very clear that social conservatives dislike Corzine more than anyone else in this race.

Whats the difference between Corzine and Forrester when it comes to social issues?