New Jersey GOP Courts Biotech Executive to Challenge Menendez in 2012

Sen. Robert Menendez, a compelling figure with deep roots in the state of New Jersey, faces his first statewide re-election campaign in 2012. He has risen rapidly within the Democratic Party and is widely thought to be a lock for re-election. However, an equally compelling figure with similarly deep roots in the Garden State may be emerging to challenge the freshman senator. In biotech executive John Crowley, Menendez may have met his political match.
 
This month, Crowley left his position as CEO of Amicus Therapeutics in Cranbury to serve as the firm’s executive chairman of the board of directors. The move is being widely interpreted as a sign that Crowley may be reducing his responsibilities in preparation for taking on the rigors of a statewide campaign. Previously, Crowley founded Orexigen Therapeutics and occupied a variety of senior management roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
 
In addition to his business success, Crowley was the subject of a book, The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million—and Bucked the Medical Establishment—In a Quest to Save His Children, that was made into the 2010 motion picture Extraordinary Measures, in which he was played by Brendan Fraser. The book and movie chronicle Crowley’s pursuit of a treatment for Pompe disease, a rare neuromuscular disorder that afflicts two of his children.
 
Crowley, who is also a reserve naval intelligence officer, was courted in 2008 by the National Republican Senatorial Committee to challenge Sen. Frank Lautenberg. He declined, and the Republican nominee, former Rep. Dick Zimmer, went on to lose by 14 points. In 2009, Crowley considered a run for governor, but ultimately chose not to move forward.
 
Crowley never left the short list of potential Republican Senate candidates, and he has adeptly endeared himself to party insiders. In 2008, he hosted a dinner cruise for members of the Republican National Committee at the presidential nominating convention in St. Paul. He is also consistently one of the largest donors to Freedom’s Defense Fund, a PAC operated by Bill Spadea, a New Jersey real estate executive and 2004 congressional candidate.
 
Nonetheless, Menendez will be difficult to unseat. He raised $1.6 million in the first quarter of 2011 for his re-election effort and has $4 million in his war chest. However, the senator’s poll numbers show signs of vulnerability. In a January 6–9 survey, Public Policy Polling found that 37 percent of voters approved of Menendez’s job performance, while 38 percent disapproved. The poll, which did not gauge Crowley’s support, found that Menendez led state Sen. Tom Kean Jr., Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, and television and radio host Lou Dobbs by comfortable margins—though Menendez did not break 50 percent against any candidate.
 
Despite these lackluster numbers, election watchers Charlie Cook, Stuart Rothenberg, and Larry Sabato all consider Menendez a safe bet for re-election. This assessment is understandable, especially given the weakness of the Republican bench in New Jersey and the fact that Republicans have lost of nine of the last ten statewide contests—with the notable exception of Gov. Chris Christie’s 2009 victory. Indeed, New Jersey has not elected a Republican U.S. senator since 1972.
 
Should he choose to run, Crowley will likely face a crowded primary field. Along with the names that PPP tested, other contenders could include Christie’s Chief of Staff Richard Bagger, state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, former Jersey City Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler, acting state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, and state GOP Chairman Jay Webber.
 
According to Ben Dworkin, director of Rider University’s Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, success in the primary could come down to getting an optimal position on the ballot. “The ballot placement, which is awarded by county organization in New Jersey, makes a huge difference,” he says. “If a candidate is able to secure a line in key Republican counties, that candidate has a much better chance of winning the primary.”
 
Dworkin is skeptical that Crowley will be able to secure a preferential column on the primary ballot without a significant amount of footwork. “One of the unique things about Crowley is he doesn’t come out of a county political organization,” says Dworkin. “He doesn’t have the automatic party apparatus to rally around his cause. Should he decide to run, that would be a bit of a challenge.”
 
However, Crowley has in his favor personal wealth, proven fundraising prowess, and no track record of electoral failure. “He has the potential to be a self-funded candidate, which is always exciting in a market that is very expensive to run in statewide,” says Dworkin, pointing out that statewide candidates in New Jersey must run ads in the expensive New York City and Philadelphia media markets if they hope to be competitive. Dworkin stresses that, if he intends to run, Crowley will need to get serious about the race soon in order to build up his name recognition and familiarize the public with his impressive life story. After all, he notes, “not everyone saw the movie.”
 
With President Obama at the top of the ticket, Menendez will no doubt have the wind at his back. However, his lackluster poll numbers plus a charismatic, well-funded, and well-connected challenger could add up to a competitive race. In short, there is a case to be made for John Crowley’s chances in 2012.
 Noah Rothman is the online editor at C&E. E-mail him at nrothman@campaignsandelections.com