Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) had retired in 2000, but came back in 2002 to hold the seat of Sen. Torricelli, who had sank under corruption charges. Apparently Representative Rob Andrews (NJ-01) felt that Lautenberg would merely be a place-holder, who would again retire and open up the seat again, but Lautenberg surprisingly decided to run for another term.
That isn't stopping Andrews. After hinting at it for awhile, Rep. Andrews announced he is challenging Lautenberg in the Democratic primary.
Andrews is 50 years old, Lautenberg is 84. This reminds me of another primary battle in 2006, when Rep. Ed Case (HI-02) challenged Senator Dan Akaka in the Hawaii primary. Case was 53 at the time, Akaka 81, and that campaign became something of a referendum on age, with Case campaigning on "transition". Case lost handily 45%-55%, after the machine came down heavily for Akaka.
In that case, Akaka also had the progressives and activists behind him, as he was a mainstream liberal Senator and Case was a centrist Blue Dog.
I am not certain how this will shape up in New Jersey. Will it be a repeat of the 2006 Hawaii Senate primary? Lautenberg does not seem to have made any major missteps, nor made any controversial votes. Is this just a case of one congressman getting tired of having to wait his turn?
Andrews obviously thinks he can win, as he is giving up a safe congressional seat to do this. But the track record of taking out Senators by primary is pretty weak except when the Senator has done something to alienate their base (Bob Smith in New Hampshire, Joe Lieberman in Connecticut).
Update: Andrews voted for the Bankruptcy Bill. Just another link between this and the 2006 Hawaii primary, Ed Case was criticized heavily for that vote too. Andrews also supports an amendment to ban flag burning, Lautenberg does not.
Andrews voted to give Bush the authority to invade Iraq in 2002.
Andrews also crossed party lines to vote for the Secure Fence Act of 2006.
Update: Lautenberg already has the big names on his side: Governor Corzine, Senator Menendez, all the other Reps (Pallone, Pascrell, Rothman, Payne, Holt, and Sires), state Senate President Richard Codey, future congresswoman Linda Stender, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy.
Andrews has a few state legislators and Democratic county chairs.