Steve Lonegan is a competent conservative candidate who has had the misfortune of running for statewide office in a liberal state. After losing to Chris Christie in the GOP primary for governor in 2009, Lonegan went up against Cory Booker for a Senate seat in a race that no Republican candidate probably could have won and predictably, he lost 55-44.
Now, Lonegan is running for the House in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District. Currently, squishy Republican Jon Runyan represents the district, but he’s retiring. That’s opening things up for a primary battle between Lonegan and liberal Republican Tom MacArthur who has been endorsed by the anti-grassroots NRCC and the sleazy Ocean County GOP, which coincidentally received a $25,000 donation from MacArthur.
Right Wing News is supporting Lonegan in that battle because he’s the most conservative Republican running who can win the district — and he can win. Lonegan has tremendous name recognition in the district because of his runs at statewide office, it’s a R+1 district and he took 54% of that district in his race against Booker.
Lonegan is exactly the type of Republican conservatives should want in Congress, he’s very capable of winning the district and : “According to a poll of 300 primary voters in CD3 by Advantage Research, Steve Lonegan holds a commanding lead over his two would-be rivals, with 41% of voters expressing support for the former Bogota mayor and 2013 US Senate candidate. Toms River councilman Mo Hill is a distant second with 11% of Republican support and establishment favorite Tom MacArthur, the former mayor of Randolph, barely moves the needle, netting only 2% of Republican support.”
That’s why Right Wing News endorses Steve Lonegan for Congress in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District.