I went out into the rain on Tuesday to vote in the special primary election for the candidates who will oppose one another in November to be New Jersey’s next U.S. Senator. The election was occasioned by the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, surely one of the most liberal senators to have ever represented the state.
I was the only one voting in the polling station around midday so it can be said that turnout was low to invisible. I had a nice chat with the election workers who found the idea of a Republican actually living in town something akin to discovering some rare species here.
In New Jersey I think it is safe to say that Gov. Christie will romp to reelection in November. The Democratic Party has put up a sacrificial candidate, Barbara Buono, who virtually no one knows is even running against him. New Jersey is a Democratic state, but the Governor has shown a capacity to attract votes from them. After superstorm Sandy hit, he welcomed President Obama just before the 2012 elections and many Republicans were aghast at how cordial he was. They still are, blaming him in part for Obama’s reelection.
A recent Pew Research Center national survey, conducted July 17-21 among 1,480 adults, including 497 Republican and Republican-leaning voters, asked who they saw as the party’s emerging leadership. While Rep. Paul Ryan, who ran for Vice President in the last election, had “the most positive image (65%) among GOP voters, Sen. Rand Paul (55%) and Sen. Marco Rubio (50%) ran a close second with Sen. Ted Cruz, most identified with the Tea Party, also did well.