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Lonegan says he'll run for Congress in South Jersey

Lonegansayshe'llrunforCongressinSouthJersey
SteveLoneganonElectionnight SteveLonegan,theRepublicancandidatefortheUnitedStatesSenate,isshownjustafterconcessionspeechto hissupportersonelectionnight,Wednesday,Oct.16,2013attheBridgewaterManor.(SaedHindash/TheStar Ledger) MattFriedman/TheStarLedgerByMattFriedman/TheStarLedger Emailtheauthor|FollowonTwitter onJanuary03,2014at4:56PM,updatedJanuary03,2014at6:10PM TRENTONSteveLonegan,thefirebrandformerRepublicancandidateforU.S.Senate,isrunningforaHouse seat. LonegantoldtheStarLedgertodaythathewillrunforthe3rdDistrictU.S.HouseofRepresentativesseatheldby U.S.Rep.JonRunyan(R3rdDist.),whoisretiringaftertwoterms. "Yup,"Lonegansaidinaphoneinterviewwhenaskedifhe'sdefinitelyrunning. Lonegan,theformermayorofBogota,saidheisclosingonahouseinLavallettewithinthenextcoupleweeksa detailfirstreportedbyNJTVsMichaelArononTwitter. Ihavethehottestdonorlistinthecountry.MynameIDthereisover90%.Ihaveaterrificcampaignteam thatsreadytorock,isexperiencedandseasoned,"Lonegansaid."Ihavecoordinatorsineverytowninthe district,ineverychurchandsynagogue. Loneganranaspirited,ifunsuccessfulraceagainstDemocratCoryBookerinthespecialU.S.Senateelectionin October,losingby11pointsaclosermarginthanmanyexpected.LonegansaidhewonRunyan'sdistrictwith 54percentofthevote. SeveralRepublicanswhohopetoreplaceRunyanhaveputtheirnamesintherunning.OnlyoneDemocrat BurlingtonCountyFreeholderAimeeBelgardiscurrentlyrunning.Severalpoliticalprognosticatorshavenamed thedistrictaspotentiallyoneofthemostcompetitiveof2014. Loneganhadsaidhewouldnotrunwithoutsupportfrompartyleaderssupportthatsofarhasnotmaterialized. Ihavegotterrificsupportonthegroundfrommayors,municipalchairmen,electedofficials,Lonegansaid.WillI havethepartybosses'support?Idontknowaboutthat. ThedistrictincludespartsofOceanandBurlingtoncounties. Loneganwilllikelyfaceaprimaryfight.
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Lonegan says he'll run for Congress in South Jersey

BillLayton,theBurlingtonCountyRepublicanchairman,wasnothappythatLoneganchosetoannounceearly.He saidLoneganisscheduledtobescreenedbyhispartySaturdaynightalongwithseveralotherpotential candidates:JohnGiordano,anofficialinGov.ChrisChristie'sadministrationRandyBrown,themayorofEvesham BruceGarganio,aBurlingtonCountyfreeholderandTomMacArthur,theformermayorofRandolphTownshipin MorrisCounty. Wehaveaprocessandthatnoonesbeenruledoutyet,"Laytonsaid."Sohesbasicallyslappingallofusinthe faceanddoingwhathealwaysdoes:Runningagainsttheparty." AddedLayton:"Hellloselikehealwaysloses." DemocratsimmediatelytooknoticeofLonegan'scandidacy. "TheTeaPartysentaclearsigntodaythatitssightsaresetonSouthJerseyandradicalSteveLoneganwillbe theirstandardbearerinthisswingdistrict,"MarcBrumer,aspokesmanfortheDemocraticCongressional CampaignCommittee,saidinastatement. LoneganorMacArthurcouldputRepublicansinatoughposition. In2012,ShelleyAdler,thewidowofthelateDemocraticRep.JohnAdler,ranfortheseat.Republicansattacked herasacarpetbaggerbecauseshelivedinCherryHill,atownRepublicanscutfromthe3rdDistrictinredistricting. Lonegan,bycontrast,comesfromBogota,whichis70milesfromtheclosestpointinthe3rdDistrict.MacArhthur comesfromevenfartheraway,theyinNovemberhetoldthewebsitePolitickerNJ.comthathehadlongsplithis timebetweenRandolphandOceanCountyandhadalreadyplannedtomovesouthfulltime. Overthepastdecadeormore,IvespentanawfullotoftimeinOceanandBurlington.Ivehadastrongpresence there.Iperformedverywell.IllbelivingthereayearbeforeIevengetswornin,"Lonegansaid."ByOctober thatsoldnews." LoneganranunsuccessfullytwicefortheGOPgubernatorialnomination,in2009and2005.Healsoran unsuccessfullyforanorthJerseyHouseseatagainstformerDemocraticU.S.Rep.SteveRothmanin1998. WhilerunningforSenate,Lonegansaiditwouldbehislastraceifhedidnotwin. "Idid,"Lonegansaid.But,headded,"IbelieveIamthebestcandidatetokeepthiscriticalseattopreservethe future.Illstepuptotheplateanddoit.

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LonegandoesnotruleoutrunforfarawayN.J.congressionalseat TheAuditor:ChristietohelpLoneganretirecampaigndebt,BuonolosesMetuchenandmore
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Lonegan says he'll run for Congress in South Jersey

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