Julie Roginsky

In one way, Republican Dick Zimmer’s Senate campaign against Frank Lautenberg looks remarkably like Rob Andrews’s ill-fated Democratic primary challenge to the incumbent Senator.

For the second week in a row, Zimmer held a press conference to challenge Lautenberg to televised debates – including two this month.  This time, Zimmer stood with State Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr., who engaged in two June debate with Sen. Bob Menendez during their race in 2006.

“If Senator Menendez could debate then, Senator. Lautenberg can certainly debate now,” said Kean.

But Zimmer’s campaign contrasts with Andrews’s in that Zimmer does not believe that Lautenberg’s age will prove to be his vulnerability.  When asked whether Lautenberg, 84, was too old to effectively serve another term in office, Zimmer said “No, not in terms of years.”

Reporters Roundtable with Michael Aron (Friday at 6:30PM and Sunday at 10AM): Dusty McNichol (Star-Ledger), Mark I’onno (Star-Ledger), Matt Friedman (PolitickerNJ.com) and John Reitmeyer (The Record) discuss the U.S. Senate race, the Farmers Rally in Trenton, proposed state parks closings, and congestion pricing in New York City.

On the Record with Michael Aron (Sunday at 9AM and 11AM and Monday at 6:30AM): Julie Roginsky, Gregg Edwards, Rick Perr and Steve Lonegan talk about the U.S. Senate race

NJN News will provide complete live coverage of Governor Jon Corzine’s Budget Message to a joint session of the New Jersey State Legislature on Tuesday, February 26, at 11:30 am. Kent Manahan hosts the program live from the Trenton studios with senior political correspondent Michael Aron at the State House.  This special public affairs program will be simulcast on NJN Public Radio, and web cast and archived on the NJN web site.  The budget message will be rebroadcast on NJN Public Television at 10 pm. 

An interesting observation on NJN last night from Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky: if the Republicans nominate 71-year-old John McCain, who won the New Jersey GOP presidential primary by a huge margin on Tuesday, does that take the issue of Frank Lautenberg’s age (84) off the table in the race for United States Senator?

In a sign that Congressman Steven Rothman continues to gear up for a future U.S. Senate bid, he has hired veteran political consultants Julie Roginsky and Bill Maer to help him with political and media strategies, and Danielle Leigh -- who was until recently U.S. Senator Robert Menendez's chief fundraiser -- to step up his fundraising operation. Roginsky and Maer, whose firm is based in Rothman's congressional district, have been involved in key statewide and national campaigns over the last few cycles.