Newark Mayor Cory Booker will announce on Saturday that he will be a candidate in the special Senate election on Saturday and Frank Pallone is expected to join the race as well.

Cory Booker annouces intention to run for US Senate
Cory Booker announces intention to run for US Senate in December (YouTube)
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4th district Congressman Frank Pallone is expected to join the race and is collecting signatures according to a person close to his campaign setting up a 3 way Democrat primary between Pallone, Booker and 12th district Congressman Rush Holt (D).

 

 

He will hold an event at 11 a.m. at Audible Inc in downtown Newark. Booker will then head for south Jersey and an event at the Willingboro Senior Center at 2 p.m.

Tropical Storm Andrea's effect on the state will determine Booker's final plan for the announcement.

Booker's Twitter account was full of offers to volunteer and congratulations on an anticipated run. It was noted that Booker's Twitter activity has picked up today after a relatively quiet days in which he posted a number of quotes.

Facebook founder Mark Zukerberg and his wife will hold a fundraiser "in the coming days" according to Bloomberg News. He hosted a fundraiser for Governor Chris Christie last fall at his home and also presented Newark schools with $1million.

His spokesman earlier in the week confirmed that he is collecting signatures in hopes of meeting Monday's deadline to submit completed petitions.

The Clock Is Ticking

Representative Rush Holt at Democrat headquarters on Election Night
Representative Rush Holt at Democrat headquarters on Election Night (Maggie Sarlo, Rider News)
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Candidates are up against the clock to appear on the August primary ballot as they must submit 1,000 signatures to the Secretary of State's office by 4 p.m. on Monday.

Only two candidates have officially announced: Democrat Congressman Rush Holt and Republican activist Steve Lonegan.

 

Several candidates besides Booker have expressed strong interest: Chris James, Shelia Oliver's Chief of Staff tells the Star Ledger that the Assembly Speaker is talking to "party folks" and is “seriously considering running.” The paper also reports that Hoboken city councilwoman Beth Mason is considering a run.

A number of potential candidates have said no: Republican Asembly members Jon Bramnick & Mike Doherty, state Senators Steve Sweeney (D), Joe Kyrillos (R)  & Tom Kean (R) and Congressman Leonard Lance.

Geraldo: "I Have Decided Reluctantly Not To Run"

Geraldo Rivera made his decision not to run in the special election official in a column for Fox News Latino. Although he commented on his radio program that he was not running shortly after hearing of Lautenberg's death on Monday, the Englewood resident says he made the final decision on Thursday night after a discussion with his grown children and wife who urged him not to run. "The ladies of my life argued strenuously against a campaign odyssey that would exhaust our finances and expose us to the ravages of unlimited Super PAC money and tabloid scrutiny.For their sakes and mine, I have decided reluctantly not to run."

He also cited a tight timetable created by the special election.

Chiesa To Fill In

Governor Christ Christie named state Attorney General Jeff Chiesa to temporarily fill the late Frank Lautenberg's seat. The winner of the special election will hold the seat until November, 2014.

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