Torricelli drops Senate bid, saying N.J. Democratic seat in jeopardy

Sen. Robert Torricelli — his campaign dogged with attacks on his ethics and integrity since it began — dropped out of the race for U.S. senator yesterday. In the N.J. statehouse in Trenton, flanked by Gov. James McGreevey, he vowed not to let his campaign hurt the Democrats' chances in the election.

The race is critical for Democrats as they try to hold onto their one-seat advantage in the Senate.

With his poll numbers plummeting in the last week, Torricelli said with sorrow he could not run against a "faceless foe" in a race in which he "could not be heard."

"It is the most painful thing that I have ever done in my life," the 20-year veteran of Congress said.

In the most recent Eagleton Institute/Star-Ledger poll, Torricelli trailed Forrester by 13 percentage points. He had led Forrester just two months ago by double digits, but accusations of ethical misconduct continued to trail him. The Senate ethics committee reprimanded Torricelli in July.

Despite an attempt to shift the race's focus from ethics to policy, Torricelli could not get past allegations that he received unreported gifts and contributions from campaign donor David Chang during his last run for Senate in 1996.

With Torricelli declaring that he would not be "responsible for the loss of the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate," the main questions outstanding for Democrats are whether they can switch their nominee on the ballot and, if so, who the Democratic candidate will be. McGreevey said the Democratic State Committee would petition the N.J. Supreme Court to name a new candidate.

Though McGreevey said his party will have a name in the next two days, the Democrats now must fight a legal battle. The deadline to change a candidate was Sept. 16, and members of the Republican Party have said they will oppose attempts to petition the court.

Forrester said legal maneuvers to place a new Democrat on the ticket "disregarded the clear letter of the law," and the "rule of law will trump this desperate attempt to retain power."

If successful, the Democrats will have only five weeks to redefine the race.

Several names were floated last night. Some names that have existed for a long time in the minds of New Jersey voters: former senator and presidential candidate Bill Bradley '65, former Sen. Frank Lautenberg and current Democratic Reps. Robert Menendez, Frank Pallone and Rob Andrews.

Lautenberg said in a statement last night he would "seriously consider serving again if asked."

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David Rebovich, a political commentator at Rider University, said that with a "credible candidate" the race would lean toward a "toss up."

He said Forrester will now be "peppered by the media" about his own positions on the issues, something he said had not really happened in past weeks. The Democratic congressmen whose names have been mentioned have strong congressional bases in their districts but lack statewide name recognition, Rebovich said.

However, Democratic Rep. Rush Holt, who is battling to hold onto his seat against Republican Buster Soaries in the 12th Congressional District, said the governor may have difficulty finding a replacement.

"He has to find someone who is willing to run," Holt said. "It will be very difficult for a sitting officer — they'd have to think hard if they will lose everything."

Holt said that though his name was tossed around he said he would "have to think about" accepting the nomination.

Though the Democratic candidacy is in flux, Holt was optimistic that the party would "be able to break through" and raise the same issues for which Torricelli had been fighting.

"A Democrat can win even at this late date," he said.