ROB ANDREWS

Lautenberg heads back to the phones for money: Politicker photo 

Now the cash rebuilding effort begins for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).

Coming off of a blowout victory over South Jersey challenger U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) in the Democratic Primary, Lautenberg is starting with $1.3 million in the bank in mid-summer as he heads toward his November mano-a-mano with Republican candidate and former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer.

The Lautenberg campaign spent $5 million against the upstart Andrews, according to sources close to the U.S. Senator.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), chair of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) had feared a Lautenberg dollar drain, and quickly went to the phones to try to take the steam out of Andrews when the congressman pawed the turf in the late days of April.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) basks in victory on Election Night in Newark.

The trouncing Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) gave U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) last week sends the South Jersey congressman to the back of the line among those Democratic members of the congressional delegation intent on succeeding the 84-year old senator.

It depends on the region where the question is asked, of course, but among those eyeballing Lautenberg’s seat, the names of U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6), U.S. Rush Holt (D-12), and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) surface more frequently than U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8), U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10), and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D- 13).

Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone 

BAYONNE - In his concession speech on Tuesday night, U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews acknowledged a lot of his supporters, among them his North Jersey backers and among those, Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne).

"This was very kind of him," Chiappone said. "I appreciated that. This is a guy who called me the day after Election Day and personally thanked me."

As the Hillary Clinton crowd decompresses after their champion ranU.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8) up the white flag this week in her presidential bid, talk inevitably turned to vice-president.

And inevitably turned to Clinton.

"She has to be considered," said Clinton supporter U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8). "We can’t just dismiss 18 million voters because the pundits say she can’t do it."

One of a number of other congressmen this week who advised Clinton to pull the plug on her campaign based on the numbers that add up in favor of Sen. Barack Obama, Pascrell said Clinton told him and others she doesn’t intend to campaign for the job.

But she’s still Pascrell’s first choice, and the first choice of Pascrell’s congressional colleague, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6).

Pallone to Andrews: Don't come backThe bad blood between U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) and his congressional colleagues seeped around the edges of Election Day as U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) today called "absurd" the public exhortations by Andrews’s allies for the congressman to return to his House seat.

A little over two months ago, Andrews abandoned his claim to the seat he held for 18 years to run for the U.S. Senate. On the campaign trail, Andrews repeatedly denied that his wife, Camille, was merely keeping the seat warm for him should he fail.

After his Election Night concession speech to U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), the congressman reiterated his commitment not to reclaim the seat that Camille Andrews won the same night, burying her primary opposition by a more sizable margin than her husband was simultaneously buried by Lautenberg.

But in a Courier-Post article today, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts and Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney both urged Andrews not to give up his seat.

That left Pallone fuming over what he sees as the South Jersey Democratic Organization trying to create public traction for Andrews to make an "aw, shucks" reclamation of his House seat - and to once again fail to keep his word.

Sen. Bob Menendez, earlier this year with Hillary Clinton: Getty Images Photo
No longer as involved in the day-to-day mechanics of local politics, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) in back to back statewide elections has proved to be his party’s New Jersey go-to guy.

The former mayor of Union City got out the machine-backed Feb. 5 vote for Clinton with a war cry - "We have an opportunity in Hudson, Hudson, Hispanics, Hillary and history." And leading up to June 3, he helped U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) stare down a party uprising in Bergen County that might have weakened crucial organizational support for U.S. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)

Clinton won by ten points here with significant Latino support, and Lautenberg buried U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) yesterday, 61-34%.

Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg with Passaic County Chair John Currie (file photo) 

NEWARK - Gov. Jon Corzine said the incumbent's demonstration of effectiveness in his successful U.S. Senate Primary contest finally distinguished U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

"There was a lot of tactical stuff in this race, but in reality Frank Lautenberg has shown repeatedly that he is very effective," Corzine told PolitickerNJ.com. 

CHERRY HILL -- Claiming to have no regrets, Rob Andrews conceded tonight in his Democratic Senate race against Frank Lautenberg, leaving off the latest chapter in his quest for statewide office but not ruling out a future in politics.

After a two month long hardscrabble Democratic Senate campaign, several hundred Rob Andrews supporters gathered in Camden County Democratic Headquarters to see their candidate give his concession speech just after 10:00 this evening.

“A few minutes ago I had the privilege of calling Sen. Lautenberg and congratulating him on a well deserved victory in our campaign,” he said.

In the end, it wasn’t even close. Lautenberg appears to have beaten Andrews by a margin significantly larger than polls predicted.

As of 10:30, with 83% reporting, Lautenberg led Andrews by 30 points. Some had held out optimism that slow-to-report south Jersey precincts could narrow the gap, but it soon became evident that it was too much to overcome.

NEWARK - The warmup acts are underway here at the Gateway Hilton, with congressmen Steve Rothman, Bill Pascrell and Frank Pallone leading the chants of "six more years."

Stepping through the hoopla, State Party Chairman Joseph Cryan announces that it’s a blowout for U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and the supporters sprinkled among the sizeable press corps unleash some whoops.

"We are going to be back with you with our winner and Gov. Corzine and Sen. Menendez in just a moment," shouts Cryan.

NEWARK - Total turnout, including Election Day and absentees, remains low here - just 10.22%.

But with 426/551 Essex County districts reporting, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg holds a 77.11% to 19.96% lead over U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) in their U.S. Senate primary. That's 24,564 votes for Lautenberg, compared to 6,357 for Andrews.

Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello trails with 915 votes.