Lautenberg allies celebrating in Newark as Andrews concedes

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 senator's supporters sprinkled throughout 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.

Now the hits are playing as everyone waits for the star attraction and his entourage to appear. Cryan makes the rounds giving interviews and some of the most recognizable operators from the upper echelon of the party start coming down from the 10th floor, where their bosses are partying and watching Sen. Hillary Clinton’s speech on television.

The whole U.S. Senate race feels vaguely anticlimactic for a few minutes with murmurs of "low turnout" all around as the DJ tries to figure out which New Jersey singers he hasn’t yet played. He’s already been through Springsteen and Sinatra.

"Frankie Valli!" the DJ cries suddenly, shuffling through his selections.

Still no sight of the senator. Now the ballroom goes quiet. Andrews is speaking on the large-screen television.