Michael Torpey

If Michellene Davis becomes Governor Jon Corzine's next Chief of Staff, it won't bode well for Edward McBride, who has served as Corzine's Chief Counsel since Ken Zimmerman left earlier this year.  A Davis appointment would mean that Corzine effectively passed over McBride for a promotion and picked someone who is several runs below the Counsel on the organization chart.  Other Chief Counsels, like Stuart Rabner, Mike Torpey, Cary Edwards and Edward McGlynn, have been promoted up. 

Fairleigh Dickinson University has a new poll that has the race for Governor within eight points: Jon Corzine leads Doug Forrester, 44%-36%. With leaners added, Corzine is ahead 48%-38%. Two new polls will be released on Wednesday: one from Quinnipiac University, which has emerged over the last five years as the premier independent poll in the state, and the maiden poll from a new venture between Monmouth University and Gannett New Jersey. The Monmouth/Gannett poll is directed by Patrick Murray, who was formerly associated with the Star-Ledger/Rutgers-Eagleton poll.

GOP sources say that Arthur Finkelstein conducted a poll for the Forrester campaign that came out of the field last night showing Corzine leading Forrester by a 43%-36% margin. The survey had a sample size of 500 registered voters.

The FDU poll, launched in 2001, has traditionally included analysis from each party. The death of Steve Salmore on Sunday left the survey without a Republican voice, and his role has been filled by Michael Torpey, the former Chief of Staff to Governor Christine Todd Whitman. Torpey is a business partner of the poll's Democratic analyst, former Democratic State Committee Executive Director Rick Thigpen. FDU says no decision has been made regarding future polls.