Today’s New Jersey Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage may well be a factor in galvanizing conservative voters to turn out for Tom Kean Jr., the GOP’s candidate for Senate. Interestingly, both Kean and his opponent, Senator Bob Menendez, have basically the same stance on the issue. Both are against gay marriage but in favor of domestic partnerships.
Kean is in a tight race against Menendez, with polls showing the democrat slightly ahead. The Dems ought to take New Jersey, but Kean, a well known name in the state (his father was governor and most recently head of the 9/11 Commission), is running uncomfortably close. As in many tight races this year, this campaign has turned nasty, with both candidates running attack ads. And Menendez may have been somewhat tarnished by the recent disclosure of a secret tape recording, made 7 years ago, that shows a former close political advisor urging a Hudson County contractor to hire a certain individual as a favor to Menendez.
Kean has voted against the minimum wage, offered tepid criticism of Bush on Iraq, wants to get rid of the inheritance tax, and has supported some sort of privatization of Social Security. He is for stem cell research but voted against using tobacco tax monies to support such research.
Menendez wants a phased withdrawal from Iraq.
