Steve Lonegan on Election night

Steve Lonegan, the Republican candidate for the United States Senate, is shown just after concession speech to his supporters on election night, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 at the Bridgewater Manor.

(Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

TRENTON — Steve Lonegan, the firebrand former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is running for a House seat.

Lonegan told The Star-Ledger today that he will run for the South Jersey U.S. House of Representatives seat held by U.S. Rep. Jon Runyan (R-3rd Dist.), who is retiring after two terms.

"Yup," Lonegan said in a phone interview when asked if he's definitely running.

Lonegan, the former mayor of Bogota, said he is closing on a house in Lavallette within the next couple weeks — a detail first reported by NJTV's Michael Aron on Twitter.



"I have the hottest donor list in the country. My name ID there is over 90 percent. I have a terrific campaign team that's ready to rock, is experienced and seasoned," Lonegan said. "I have coordinators in every town in the district, in every church and synagogue."

Lonegan ran a spirited, if unsuccessful race against Democrat Cory Booker in the special U.S. Senate election in October, losing by 11 points — a closer margin than many expected. Lonegan said he won Runyan's district with 54 percent of the vote.

Several Republicans who hope to replace Runyan have put their names in the running. Only one Democrat — Burlington County Freeholder Aimee Belgard — is currently running. Several political experts have named the district as potentially one of the most competitive of 2014. The district includes parts of Ocean and Burlington counties.

Lonegan had said he would not run without support from party leaders — support that so far has not materialized.

“I have got terrific support on the ground from mayors, municipal chairmen, elected officials,” Lonegan said. “Will I have the party bosses' support? I don’t know about that.”

Lonegan will likely face a primary fight.

Bill Layton, the Burlington County Republican chairman, was not happy that Lonegan chose to announce early. He said Lonegan is scheduled to be screened by his party Saturday night along with several other potential candidates: John Giordano, an official in Gov. Chris Christie's administration; Randy Brown, the mayor of Evesham; Bruce Garganio, a Burlington County freeholder; and Tom MacArthur, the former mayor of Randolph Township in Morris County.

“We have a process and that no one’s been ruled out yet," Layton said. "So he’s basically slapping all of us in the face and doing what he always does: Running against the party."

Added Layton: "He’ll lose like he always loses."

Democrats immediately took notice of Lonegan's candidacy.

"The Tea Party sent a clear sign today that its sights are set on South Jersey and radical Steve Lonegan will be their standard-bearer in this swing district," Marc Brumer, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

Lonegan or MacArthur could put Republicans in a tough position.

In 2012, Shelley Adler, the widow of the late Democratic Rep. John Adler, ran for the seat. Republicans attacked her as a carpetbagger because she lived in Cherry Hill, a town Republicans cut from the 3rd District in redistricting.

Lonegan, by contrast, comes from Bogota, which is 70 miles from the closest point in the 3rd District. MacArthur comes from even farther away. In November he told the website PolitickerNJ.com that he had long split his time between Randolph and Ocean County and had already planned to move south full-time.



"Over the past decade or more, I've spent an awful lot of time in Ocean and Burlington. I've had a strong presence there. I performed very well. I'll be living there a year before I even get sworn in," Lonegan said. "By October that's old news."

Lonegan ran unsuccessfully twice for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, in 2009 and 2005. He also ran unsuccessfully for a north Jersey House seat against former Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman in 1998.

While running for Senate, Lonegan said it would be his last race if he did not win.

"I did," Lonegan said. But, he added, "I believe I am the best candidate to keep this critical seat to preserve the future. I’ll step up to the plate and do it.”

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