Frank Spencer

Rob Andrews appears to be entering the race for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, even though a DSCC poll shows him 35-points behind incumbent Frank Lautenberg. The ten-term Congressman from South Jersey had a rough day yesterday after expected endorsements from Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero and State Sens. Raymond Lesniak and Brian Stack failed to materialize (Ferriero, under considerable pressure, is now backing Lautenberg), but he’s staged a comeback with support from Newark powerhouse Steve Adubato, Jr., labor leaders Ray Pocino and Frank Spencer, three State Senators from Middlesex County, and State Sen. Paul Sarlo, a close Ferriero ally, who will back Andrews after an official announcement of candidacy.  Look for Stack and Lesniak to move to Andrews now that they have some cover, as well as Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Edison Mayor Jun Choi and more local officials from Middlesex.

Rob Andrews is having a tough second day as a candidate for the United States Senate.  A promised endorsement from Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has fallen through – he can thank Steve Rothman for that – and all six of his Democratic House colleagues endorsed Frank Lautenberg, saying that they would run with him even in places where Andrews might have the organization line.  A pending endorsement from State Sen. Brian Stack, the Mayor of Union City, is not looking good, and State Sen. Raymond Lesniak – viewed as a possible Andrews backer – is keeping his endorsement to himself, at least so far today.  Andrews’ most public backer was Frank Spencer, the powerful head of the Carpenters union.

Frank G. Spencer, Eastern District Vice President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and past Executive Secretary & Treasurer of the New Jersey Carpenters Union, says he’ll support Rob Andrews for the U.S. Senate.