Holt is First Democrat To Declare Candidacy For Lautenberg's U.S Senate Seat

Congressman Rush Holt this morning became the first Democrat to throw his hat into the ring, when he sent out an email to supporters and posted on his website earlier this morning, declaring that he will seek the U.S. Senate seat vacated earlier this week when Senator Frank Lautenberg passed away.

"This week, New Jersey lost a public servant of the highest caliber – someone whose advocacy touched, improved, and saved countless lives. New Jerseyans knew that, in Senator Frank Lautenberg, they had a true champion who would fight for our shared progressive values.

On Tuesday, Governor Christie announced a special election to fill the vacancy in the U.S. Senate. Today, I ask for your support as I seek to serve as your Senator in that seat. The reason is simple: I believe I am the best candidate to continue the passionate advocacy for progressive values that Sen. Lautenberg exemplified.

Nominating petitions are due to the New Jersey Division of Elections by this Monday afternoon, June 10th, and I ask your help in collecting the signatures to qualify for the ballot.

If you will commit to spending a few hours collecting signatures from friends and neighbors, we will meet this challenge easily and demonstrate the momentum we’ll need to win in August.

As you know, I have never shied away from a tough political fight, and I have never wavered in my commitment to advancing progressive priorities.

As an educator and a scientist, I know that investing in education, research, and infrastructure are the keys to a stronger, more secure middle class. These are the investments that kept the American Dream alive in the 20th century – investments such as the GI Bill, which made it possible for a young Frank Lautenberg to go to college, to build a business, and to join the United States Senate.

But the American Dream, and Sen. Lautenberg’s vision for our country, are under attack in Washington today. They are threatened by a worldview that gives ever-greater privilege to the already fortunate: a dogma that demands lower taxes on the wealthy and fewer protections for consumers while letting Wall Street, Big Oil, and insurance companies run free.

In my 14 years in the U.S. Congress, I have fought back against this destructive ideology and built a record of accomplishment on issues that matter to New Jerseyans. I have helped to increase Pell Grants and student aid for college, invest in research and development, make sure women get equal pay for equal work, improve mental health services for our nation’s veterans, and much more.

We need a United States Senator who will recommit our nation to these progressive values, who will make the investments needed to keep the American Dream alive in the 21st century. This is not a time for easy cynicism; it is a moment to do the hard work to get our nation back to our best ideals..."

I like Rush Holt and admire the work that he has done in congress, he was my congressman for several years before redistricting took me out of his 12th Congressional District and into Frank Pallone's 6th District last year. I think he would make a very good Senator but I don't think he has much a chance going up against potential rivals for the nomination, Frank Pallone or Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

 Pallone is a very good congressman in his own right and would make a great senator himself and has enough cash on hand to run an early ad blitz. Cory Booker is the 800 pound guerrilla in the room; He national name recognition and the ability to raise tons of cash quickly and wouldn't need to define or introduce himself to Democratic voters the way Holt or Pallone would.

It's definitely going to be an interesting summer.